At the age of seven, Bebel made an appearance on her mother's first solo album Miúcha. At age nine, Bebel performed with her mother and jazz saxophonist Stan Getz at a jazz festival in New York's Carnegie Hall. Back in Brazil, Bebel performed and recorded for the soundtrack of the children's musical Os Saltimbancos, written by Sergio Bardotti and Chico Buarque. Later on Bebel joined an experimental theatrical group and was a member of the founding team of the performance space Circo Voador (Flying Circus) at Ipanema Beach. In this group she met singer/songwriter Cazuza, who became a close friend and soon a major rock star in Brazil during the 1980s.
Throughout the 1990s, Bebel collaborated with a variety of musical stars such as Arto Lindsay, Thievery Corporation, David Byrne, Towa Tei, Caetano Veloso and Chico Buarque. In 1996 Bebel was featured in the AIDS charity project Red Hot + Rio, produced by her close friend and collaborator Béco Dranoff. By the mid 1990s, Bebel also had successes as songwriter with the international dance hits "Technova" and "Batucada" in collaboration with producers Towa Tei and Arto Lindsay.
Bebel was featured on the soundtrack of Brad Anderson's film Next Stop Wonderland with Vinicius Cantuária and Mauro Refosco. In the late 1990s, Bebel moved to London where she began to develop the sound featured on her critically acclaimed debut album Tanto Tempo. During this period, she met Suba, the multi-talented Serbian producer living in São Paulo who ended up writing and producing several tracks on Tanto Tempo. While in London, she also worked with DJ/producer Amon Tobin, Dutch duo Arling & Cameron and singer Nina Miranda.
In 2000, Bebel's Tanto Tempo album was released on Ziriguiboom (Crammed Discs sub-label) and has sold over one million copies worldwide. The album was also nominated for two Latin Grammy Awards. Her second album, Bebel Gilberto (2004), was also released to great critical acclaim, receiving a MOBO Award in the UK and also a World Music Grammy nomination.
Also in 2006, Bebel started writing and producing the songs that would become part of her third album Momento, released in April 2007. On this album, Bebel collaborated with UK producer Guy Sigsworth, her friends Didi Gutman and Sabina Sciubba (from NY based band Brazilian Girls) and the Rio based Orquestra Imperial.
Gilberto's most recent album, All In One, was released in the US in September 2009 by jazz imprint Verve.
Céu Distante
Bebel Gilberto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On my eyes
It touches me
Deep inside
And now I'm here
So high
A cloud
And this has got me thinking
It's all because of you
My heart is dark
And my mouth so dry
Where were you
All this time?
My love is yours
You know
Every song I sing
Belongs to you
And as days like these
Come and go
I still remember
It's true
And this has got me thinking
It's all because of you
The night is dark and the moon so high
Where were you
All this time?
And as days like these
Pass me by
Through clouds or skies of blue
Then upon this heartbeat
I could fly
Just to sing this song for you
For you...
"Céu Distante" is a song by Brazilian singer Bebel Gilberto. The title translates to "Distant Sky" in English. The first verse talks about feeling the snow in the eyes and how it touches something deep inside. It creates a sense of being on a high, perched on a cloud in the sky. The entire song is about the singer's love and the feelings that come with it. She talks about how her love belongs to the person she is singing about, and every song she ever sings is dedicated to him. However, there is also a sense of longing and pain in her voice, as she wonders where this person has been all her life.
The chorus speaks of how her heart is dark, and her mouth is so dry, wondering where this person has been while they were apart. She constantly longs for this distant sky where they can be together, and she can sing her love for him. The song ends with her saying how she can fly upon the beat of her heart, just to sing this song for him.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel the snow
I am experiencing a sense of coldness, similar to the touch of snow.
On my eyes
This cold touch is felt particularly on my eyes.
It touches me
This experience of the cold is arousing emotions within me.
Deep inside
These emotional reactions run deeply within me.
And now I'm here
I am currently in a particular place and state of being.
So high
The above-mentioned place and state of being is quite elevated.
A cloud
I am situated on or within something resembling a cloud.
Up in the sky
This cloud is situated in the skies.
And this has got me thinking
This experience is causing me to reflect on certain thoughts.
It's all because of you
I attribute the cause of these thoughts and emotions to you.
My heart is dark
I am experiencing some negative emotions, such as sadness or melancholy.
And my mouth so dry
These emotions are causing me to experience a physical reaction of dryness in my mouth.
Where were you
I am questioning why you were not present during this experience.
All this time?
I am questioning why you were not present during this entire period of time.
My love is yours
I want you to know that I am offering you all of my love and affection.
You know
I am confident that you already know this.
Every song I sing
I am dedicating every piece of music that I create to you.
Belongs to you
I want you to know that all of my artistic creations are created for you.
And as days like these
During experiences like this one.
Come and go
Whether they arrive or pass by me.
I still remember
I continue to retain memories of you and our experiences together.
It's true
These memories are genuine and real.
The night is dark and the moon so high
The current moment is characterized by a dark and somewhat eerie atmosphere.
And as days like these
Once again, during experiences such as this one.
Pass me by
Time continues to move on and these experiences slowly fade away.
Through clouds or skies of blue
Whether the experiences are characterized by a bright or more dreary atmosphere.
Then upon this heartbeat
Right in this moment, in conjunction with the beat of my heart.
I could fly
I am feeling a great sense of elation and freedom.
Just to sing this song for you
I am willing to do anything to dedicate this piece of music to you.
For you...
Once again, to express and convey my love and affection towards you.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG Rights Management
Written by: BEBEL GILBERTO, PASCAL RICHARD MARCEL GHISLAIN GABRIEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind