Carvalho was raised in a middle-class family in Rio de Janeiro's South Zone. Her father, João Francisco Leal de Carvalho, was a lawyer. She grew up influenced by different types of music. Her father used to take her to samba school rehearsals, and her mother was a lover of classical music who encouraged her to become a ballerina. She started playing the guitar as a teenager, and got involved with the emerging Bossa Nova movement, winning a nationwide song contest on TV at the age of 19. Her first record was 1968's "Andança", carrying the song of the same name to victory in a larger festival, which brought her to prominence. Although she started her career with Bossa Nova, that was an ephemeral phase which lasted less than one year. Beth started dedicating herself entirely to samba just as her fame began, working with legendary composers such as Nelson Sargento.
Carvalho is a very important artist in the history of samba, as she has celebrated and brought the spotlight to the work of legendary composers such as Cartola, Nelson Cavaquinho & Guilherme de Brito when they weren't receiving the attention they deserved. Almost all of her records have songs by these composers, among other legendary sambistas such as Nelson Sargento and the Old Guard of Portela. Her samba school is Mangueira, but that didn't stop her from recording dozens of songs from composers of Portela, the other great traditional samba school in Rio.
Later, in the late 1970s and early 80's, Beth helped bring to the public the work of other rising pagode artists from Cacique de Ramos, such as Almir Guineto, Jorge Aragão and the Fundo de Quintal group. Then, in 1983, she introduced Zeca Pagodinho who would become the major samba name of the 90's. Carvalho always tried to bring underrated composers the recognition they deserve, and she is regarded as madrinha do samba (the godmother of samba). She was a driving force in the modernization of samba in the 80s, and at the same time rejected commercial pop trends in samba arrangements, preserving tradition.
In the 1990s, Beth's popularity wasn't the strongest, but she was always popular. She recorded an album dedicated to the samba from São Paulo, rejecting the famous axiom that São Paulo is the grave of samba. In 1998 she recorded an album dedicated entirely to the pagode classics, Pérolas do Pagode (Pagode Pearls).
In the new millennium, Beth working more than ever, released CDs and DVDs. With a career that spans 40 years, she is a historical figure in Brazilian culture, and recognized as the female sambista with the most substantial opus in Brazil, without diminishing other, younger stars such as Clara Nunes and Daniela Mercury.
Trivia
Beth is a known supporter of both the Botafogo and Clube Atlético Mineiro football teams
Beth is one of the main personalities of the samba school Mangueira
Beth had a variety of hits in the 1970s, with her 1979 song Coisinha Do Pai being one of her biggest hits. The song was inserted into the Mars Pathfinder.
Her social music often concerns the poor and the Indigenous peoples in Brazil.
Volta por Cima
Beth Carvalho Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
da volta por cima
Chorei
Não procurei esconder
Todos viram, fingiram
Pena de mim não precisava
Ali onde eu chorei
Qualquer um chorava
Quero ver quem dava
Um homem de moral
Não fica no chão
Nem quer que mulher
Lhe venha dar a mão
Reconhece a queda
E não desanima
Levanta, sacode a poeira
E dá a volta por cima
The lyrics to Beth Carvalho's song "Volta por Cima" convey a message of resilience and strength in the face of adversity. The first line, "Levanta sacode a poeira" means "Get up, shake off the dust," which signifies that the singer has fallen, but is now determined to rise again. The chorus, "da volta por cima," translates to "make a comeback" or "come out on top."
The verses describe a moment of vulnerability, where the singer cried and didn't bother to hide it. However, others saw the tears and pretended not to notice, which made the singer feel more isolated. Despite this, the song asserts that it was unnecessary for anyone to pity the singer, as anyone in that position would have cried.
The second half of the lyrics imparts the message that a person with good character doesn't stay down when they fall. The phrase "Um homem de moral" refers to a person of high moral character, implying that this attitude is not exclusive to men. The lyrics convey that the singer recognizes the fall but doesn't lose hope, but instead rises up again, firmly plants their feet on the ground, and moves forward.
Overall, the song is a call to persevere in the face of hardships and to embody a strong and resilient spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
Levanta sacode a poeira bis
Get up, shake off the dust and start again
da volta por cima
come back stronger
Chorei
I cried
Não procurei esconder
I didn't try to hide it
Todos viram, fingiram
Everyone saw it, but pretended not to
Pena de mim não precisava
I didn't need anyone's pity
Ali onde eu chorei
Where I cried
Qualquer um chorava
Anyone would have cried
Dar a volta por cima que eu dei
To come back stronger like I did
Quero ver quem dava
Let's see who could do it
Um homem de moral
A man of character
Não fica no chão
Doesn't stay on the ground
Nem quer que mulher
Nor does he want a woman
Lhe venha dar a mão
To come to help him up
Reconhece a queda
Recognizes the fall
E não desanima
And doesn't lose hope
Levanta, sacode a poeira
Get up, shake off the dust
E dá a volta por cima
And come back stronger
Contributed by Katherine D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Simply Witch
LETRA:
Chorei, ai eu chorei
Não procurei esconder
Todos viram, fingiram
Pena de mim não precisava
Ali onde eu chorei
Qualquer um chorava
Dar a volta por cima que eu dei
Quero ver quem dava
Um homem de moral
Não fica no chão
Nem quer que mulher
Lhe venha dar a mão
Reconhece a queda
E não desanima
Levanta, sacode a poeira
Dá a volta por cima
souljazz
Ja escutei essa musica aos prantos, com choro de dor e sentimento de rejeiçao.... hoje,dia 31/01/2020 eu volto aqui.... quase 100% recuperada. Gracas a Deus e a todos os santos. Viva .
Sheila Simone
@Silas Angelo vida é assim mesmo, nem tudo é como gostaríamos q fosse, mas não desanime, levanta, sacode a poeira e dê a volta por cima um abraço
Silas Angelo
Ontem tomei um pé na bunda 🤡
Breno Tomaz
😂🤣 eu também! kkk minha mãe cantava... a música é um bom conselho! tô me saindo ainda... é um processo!
mas a gente sempre sai!
maria Valentina
Essa letra nos trás respostas que só quem chorou sabe mas graças a Deus ele nunca nós abandona!!!
Margareth Montenegro
Parabéns, vc foi capaz de dar a volta por cima
FUMÃO
sempre que Ouço essa musica fico arrepiado uma das muitas musicas brasileiras que me dao inspiracao pra vencer na vida.
marli santos
Sim...esse compositor conhecia as leis de Deus!!!
JANCELIO SOUSA
Verdade!!👏🙌
Simply Witch
LETRA:
Chorei, ai eu chorei
Não procurei esconder
Todos viram, fingiram
Pena de mim não precisava
Ali onde eu chorei
Qualquer um chorava
Dar a volta por cima que eu dei
Quero ver quem dava
Um homem de moral
Não fica no chão
Nem quer que mulher
Lhe venha dar a mão
Reconhece a queda
E não desanima
Levanta, sacode a poeira
Dá a volta por cima