Antônio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim (January 25, 1927 – December 8, … Read Full Bio ↴Antônio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim (January 25, 1927 – December 8, 1994), also known as Tom Jobim, was a Brazilian composer, pianist, songwriter, arranger and singer. Widely considered as one of the great exponents of Brazilian music, Jobim internationalized bossa nova and, with the help of important American artists, merged it with jazz in the 1960s to create a new sound with remarkable popular success. As such he is sometimes known as the "father of bossa nova".

He was a primary force behind the creation of the bossa nova style, and his songs have been performed by many singers and instrumentalists within Brazil and internationally.

In 1965 his album Getz/Gilberto was the first jazz album to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. It also won for Best Jazz Instrumental Album – Individual or Group and for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. The album's single "Garota de Ipanema" ("The Girl from Ipanema"), one of the most recorded songs of all time, won the Record of the Year. Jobim has left many songs that are now included in jazz and pop standard repertoires. The song "Garota de Ipanema" has been recorded over 240 times by other artists. His 1967 album with Frank Sinatra, Francis Albert Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim, was nominated for Album of the Year in 1968.

Antônio Carlos Jobim was born in the middle-class district of Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro. His father, Jorge de Oliveira Jobim (São Gabriel, Rio Grande do Sul, April 23, 1889 – July 19, 1935), was a writer, diplomat, professor and journalist. He came from a prominent family, being the great nephew of José Martins da Cruz Jobim, senator, privy councillor and physician of Emperor Dom Pedro II. While studying medicine in Europe, José Martins added Jobim to his last name, paying homage to the village where his family came from in Portugal, the parish of Santa Cruz de Jovim, Porto. His mother, Nilza Brasileiro de Almeida (c. 1910 – November 17, 1989), was of Indigenous Brazilian descent from Northeastern Brazil.

When Antônio was still an infant, his parents separated and his mother moved with her children (Antônio Carlos and his sister Helena Isaura, born February 23, 1931) to Ipanema, the beachside neighborhood the composer would later celebrate in his songs. In 1935, when the elder Jobim died, Nilza married Celso da Frota Pessoa (died February 2, 1979), who would encourage his stepson's career. He was the one who gave Jobim his first piano. As a young man of limited means, Jobim earned his living by playing in nightclubs and bars and later as an arranger for a recording label, before starting to achieve success as a composer.

Jobim's musical roots were planted firmly in the work of Pixinguinha, the legendary musician and composer who began modern Brazilian music in the 1930s. Among his teachers were Lúcia Branco and, from 1941 on, Hans-Joachim Koellreutter, a German composer who lived in Brazil and introduced atonal and twelve-tone composition in the country. Jobim was also influenced by the French composers Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, and by the Brazilian composers Heitor Villa-Lobos and Ary Barroso. The bossa nova guitar style in Jobim's music has become firmly entrenched in jazz culture. Among many themes, his lyrics talked about love, self-discovery, betrayal, joy and especially about the birds and natural wonders of Brazil, like the "Mata Atlântica" forest, characters of Brazilian folklore and his home city of Rio de Janeiro.

In early 1994, after finishing his album Antonio Brasileiro, Jobim complained to his doctor, Roberto Hugo Costa Lima, of urinary problems. He underwent an operation at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City on December 2, 1994. On December 8, while recovering from surgery, he had a cardiac arrest caused by a pulmonary embolism, and two hours later another cardiac arrest, from which he died. He was survived by his children and grandchildren. His last album, Antonio Brasileiro, was released posthumously three days after his death.

His body lay in state until given a proper burial on December 20, 1994. He is buried in the Cemitério São João Batista in Rio de Janeiro.

Drinking Water
Antônio Carlos Jobim Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Your love is rain, my heart the flower
I need your love or I will die
My very life is in your power
Will I wither and fade or bloom to the sky
Água de beber
Give the flower water to drink
Água de beber
Give the flower water to drink

The rain can fall on distant deserts
The rain can fall upon the sea
The rain can fall upon the flower
Since the rain has to fall, let it fall on me
Água de beber
Água de beber, camará

Água de beber
Água de beber, camará

Overall Meaning

These poignant lyrics from Antônio Carlos Jobim's song "Água de beber" (Drinking Water) evoke a beautiful metaphorical imagery comparing love to rain and the heart to a flower. The opening lines, "Your love is rain, my heart the flower, I need your love or I will die," express a deep yearning for love and emotional sustenance, drawing parallels between the essential need for water for a flower to survive and the necessity of love for one's emotional well-being. This juxtaposition symbolizes the vulnerability and dependence one can feel in a romantic relationship, highlighting the transformative power of love on one's life.

The lyrics further convey a sense of agency and control that love holds over the individual, as depicted in the line "My very life is in your power." This line reflects the notion that love has the ability to shape and influence one's existence, indicating the immense impact that love can have on the individual's sense of self and identity. The imagery of withering and fading or blooming to the sky encapsulates the emotional uncertainty and fragility that often accompany love, portraying the dichotomy between growth and stagnation in a relationship.

The repeated refrain of "Água de beber, Give the flower water to drink" emphasizes the importance of nourishing and nurturing love, underscoring the essential role that love plays in sustaining and enriching one's emotional life. The metaphor of providing water to the flower conveys the idea of replenishing and revitalizing a relationship, highlighting the reciprocity and care required to sustain a meaningful connection. This sentiment reinforces the idea that love, like water for a flower, is a vital source of sustenance and vitality in one's life.

The imagery of rain falling on distant deserts, the sea, and the flower symbolizes the ubiquity and abundance of love in the world, suggesting that love is a universal force that transcends boundaries and geographical limitations. The plea for the rain to fall on the singer, "Since the rain has to fall, let it fall on me," reflects a desire for love and emotional fulfillment, underscoring the longing for connection and intimacy. The incorporation of Portuguese phrases like "camará" adds a sense of cultural richness and authenticity to the lyrics, enhancing the emotive resonance of the song and infusing it with a sense of longing and passion.

Line by Line Meaning

Your love is rain, my heart the flower
Your love is what nourishes me, just like rain nourishes a flower

I need your love or I will die
I rely on your love to survive, without it, I feel empty

My very life is in your power
You have the ability to control my happiness and well-being

Will I wither and fade or bloom to the sky
I am unsure if your love will help me thrive or cause me to suffer

Água de beber
Give the flower water to drink

The rain can fall on distant deserts
Love can reach places far away and unexpected

The rain can fall upon the sea
Even something as vast as the sea can be influenced by love

The rain can fall upon the flower
Love has the power to bring life and growth to even the smallest things

Since the rain has to fall, let it fall on me
I welcome your love and the positive effects it can bring into my life

Água de beber, camará
Give the flower water to drink, my friend

Lyrics © VM ENTERPRISES INC, CORCOVADO MUSIC CORPORATION, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius De De Moraes, Norman Gimbel

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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