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.
Off-Key
Antônio Carlos Jobim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why can't you see how much this hurts me
With your perfect beauty and your perfect pitch
You're a perfect terror
When I come around must you always put me down
If you say my singing is off key, my love
You will hurt my feelings don't you see, my love
A voice that would behave
All I have is feeling and a voice gone deaf
You insist my music goes against the rules
Yes, but rules were never meant for lovesick fools
I wrote this little song for you, but you don't care
It's a crooked song, oh but all my heart is there
The things that you would see if you would do your part
Is even if I'm out of tune I have a gentle heart
I took your picture with my trusty Rollaflex
And now all I have developed is a complex
Possibly in vain I hope you weaken, oh my love
And forget these rigid rules that undermine my dream of
A life of love and music with someone who'll understand
That even though I may be out of tune
When I attempt to say how much I love you
All that matters is the message that I bring
Which is my key one: I love you
The song "Desafinado" by Frank Sinatra tells the story of a man who loves to express his love through song, but is constantly criticized for not having the perfect musical ability. He is frustrated by the fact that his significant other, who has perfect pitch, can't see past his musical imperfections to appreciate the emotion behind his singing. He wishes he had her musical abilities, but all he has is his deep emotions and sentimental heart. He laments that rules were never meant for lovesick fools, but still hopes that his love for her will eventually make her understand his imperfect musical expression. The message of the song is that love should not be judged based on one's musical ability, and that the most important thing is the message that is being conveyed through the song.
Line by Line Meaning
When I try to sing, you say I'm off key
You criticize my singing, not seeing the harm it brings me.
Why can't you see how much this hurts me
You fail to comprehend the pain you cause me.
With your perfect beauty and your perfect pitch
You possess unparalleled physical beauty and musical talent.
You're a perfect terror
You are a source of fear and anxiety for me.
When I come around must you always put me down
Whenever we're together, why do you feel the need to criticize me?
If you say my singing is off key, my love
Dearest, if you say my voice is out of tune,
You will hurt my feelings don't you see, my love
Realize the emotional harm that your words inflict.
I wish I had an ear like yours
I long for perfect pitch, like you possess.
A voice that would behave
A vocal performance devoid of errors.
All I have is feeling and a voice gone deaf
My musical ability relies on emotion, not accuracy, and I feel as though I'm losing my touch.
You insist my music goes against the rules
You argue that my compositions do not adhere to the established standards.
Yes, but rules were never meant for lovesick fools
However, music is not governed by rigid laws and should reflect love and passion.
I wrote this little song for you, but you don't care
I intended this song as an expression of my affection for you, but it seems as though you don't care.
It's a crooked song, oh but all my heart is there
My composition may not be perfect, but it's a product of my heart and soul.
The things that you would see if you would do your part
You would experience a new perspective if you were more supportive and invested.
Is even if I'm out of tune I have a gentle heart
Despite my possible lack of musical ability, I am still kind and compassionate.
I took your picture with my trusty Rollaflex
I captured your image with my reliable and trustworthy camera.
And now all I have developed is a complex
Despite my best intentions, I have become overly self-conscious and insecure.
Possibly in vain I hope you weaken, oh my love
It may be pointless, but I still have faith that you'll relent, my love.
And forget these rigid rules that undermine my dream of
I hope that you'll abandon your strict adherence to rules and encourage my musical aspirations.
A life of love and music with someone who'll understand
A future of love and music awaits us if you'll only understand and support me.
That even though I may be out of tune
Despite the possibility that I'm not a great singer,
When I attempt to say how much I love you
When I endeavor to express the depth of my affection for you,
All that matters is the message that I bring
The most important thing is the pure sentiment behind the words.
Which is my key one: I love you
The crux of the matter is simply this: I love you.
Lyrics © Editora e Importadora Musical Fermata do Brasil Ltda., CORCOVADO MUSIC CORPORATION
Written by: Gene Lees, N. Mendonca, Antonio Carlos Jobim
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Richard Norris
on Samba Do Soho
It's "Diadem" which is a fancy headband. Also, I believe this song was written by Jobim's son, Paolo.