Veloso is the fifth of the seven children born to José Telles Veloso ("Seu Zezinho") and Claudionor Vianna Telles Veloso ("Dona Canô"). His younger sister Maria Bethânia, another popular and renowned artist in Brazil, preceded him to fame as a singer in the mid-1960s. He began his career around 1965 singing bossa nova and he has cited his greatest musical influences from his early period as João Gilberto and Dorival Caymmi. (João Gilberto would say later about Caetano's contribution that it added an intellectual dimension to brazilian popular music.) But with such musical collaborators Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Tom Zé, Chico Buarque, and Os Mutantes, and greatly influenced by the later work of The Beatles, developed tropicalismo, which fused Brazilian pop with rock and roll and avant garde art music resulting in a more international, psychedelic, and socially aware sound. Veloso's politically active stance, unapologetically leftist, earned him the enmity of Brazil's military dictatorship which ruled until 1985; his songs were frequently censored, and some were banned. Veloso was also alienated from the socialist left in Brazil becasue of his acceptance and integration of non-nationalist influences (like rock and roll) in his music. Veloso and Gilberto Gil spent several months in jail for "anti-government activity" in 1968 and eventually exiled themselves to London. Caetano Veloso's work upon his return in 1972 was often characterized by frequent appropriations not only of international styles, but of half-forgotten Brazilian folkloric styles and rhythms as well. In particular, his celebration of the Afro-Brazilian culture of Bahia can be seen as the precursor of such Afro-centric groups as Timbalada.
In the 1980s, Veloso's popularity outside Brazil grew, especially in Israel, Portugal, France and Africa. By 2004, he was one of the most respected and prolific international pop stars, with more than fifty recordings available, including songs in soundtracks of movies such as Pedro Almodovar's Hable con Ella (Talk to Her), and Frida. In 2002 Veloso published an account of his early years and the Tropicalia movement, Tropical Truth: A Story of Music and Revolution in Brazil.
His first all-English CD was A Foreign Sound (2004), which covers Nirvana's "Come as You Are" and compositions from the Great American Songbook. Five of the six songs on his third eponymous album, released in 1971, were also in English.
10
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
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I'm alive
The age of gold is the age of the age of old
The age of gold
The age of music is past
I hear them talk as I walk, yes, I hear them talk
I hear they say
I walk down Portobello road to the sound of reggae
I'm alive
I'm alive and vivo, muito vivo, feel the sound of music
Banging in my belly, belly, belly, belly, belly
Know that one day I must die
I'm alive
And I know that one day I must die
I'm alive
I'm alive and vivo, muito vivo
In the electric cinema
Or on the telly, telly, telly, telly, telly
Nine out of ten movie stars make me cry
I'm alive
Yes, nine out of ten movie stars make me cry
I'm alive
Nine out of ten film stars make me cry
I'm alive
Yeh-eh-eh-ah-ah
Yeh-eh-eh (uh)
Yeh-eh-eh-ah-ah
Yeh-eh-eh
I'm alive and vivo, muito vivo
In the electric cinema
Or on the telly, telly, telly, telly, telly
Nine out of ten movie stars make me cry
I'm alive
Yes, nine out of ten movie stars make me cry
I'm alive
Yes, nine out of ten movie stars make me cry
I'm alive
Yeh-eh-eh-ah-ah
Yeh-eh-eh (uh)
Yeh-eh-eh-ah-ah
Yeh-eh-eh (uh-uh)
Yeh-eh-eh-ah-ah
Yeh-eh-eh
Yeh-eh-eh-ah-ah
Yeh-eh-eh
Yeh-eh-eh-ah-ah
Yeh-eh-eh
Yeh-eh-eh-ah-ah
The lyrics of Caetano Veloso's song Nine Out of Ten convey a strong sense of appreciation of life in the present moment, despite the looming awareness of mortality. The singer walks down Portobello Road, a street in London known for its vibrant market and cultural diversity, where he listens to the sound of reggae music, which symbolizes the joy of life. The reference to the "age of gold" and "the age of old" conveys a sense of nostalgia for a past era when music was more meaningful and connected with people at a deeper level.
The melancholic tone of the song intensifies when the singer hears people talking about "the final blast," which seems to refer to some sort of cataclysmic event that will put an end to everything. However, the singer does not dwell on this thought for too long, and instead focuses on the present moment, feeling the sound of music "banging in my belly belly belly." This sense of physicality, of music resonating within the body, reinforces the idea that life should be lived to the fullest, despite its transience.
The repeated refrain of "nine out of ten movie stars make me cry" suggests a disillusionment with the media's obsession with fame and trivialities, and the singer's refusal to succumb to this shallow culture. Rather than being swayed by the illusions of celebrity, he chooses to embrace the richness of life in all its messy, imperfect glory.
Line by Line Meaning
I walk down Portobello road to the sound of reggae
I stroll along Portobello Road listening to the sweet rhythm of reggae music.
I'm alive
I'm alive and full of energy.
The age of gold, yes the age of old
An era of extravagance and opulence, days long gone.
The age of gold
The golden age, a time of prosperity and abundance.
The age of music is past
The golden era of music that blessed us with lasting classics,has gone by.
I hear them talk as I walk yes I hear them talk
Overhearing others discuss the likely anticipation of destruction or finale.
I hear they say 'Expect the final blast'
I hear them predicting or anticipating the occurrence of the final explosion or decisive moment.
I'm alive, vivo muito vivo feel the sound of music
I'm living life fully and enjoying the sweet melodies of music.
Banging in my belly belly belly
The music penetrates deeply within me, resonating in my core.
Know that one day I must die
I am fully aware that my existence is temporary and will come to an end someday.
And nine out of ten movie stars make me cry
Most film celebrities evoke emotional sentiments from me, causing me to shed tears.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Caetano Veloso
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aderbal Nascimento
Bellissimo! 👏👏👏👏👏
Izabel Souza
Queixa....que linda letra , romântica ,trás tanta saudade das boas músicas!
Mônica Gramado
E doída. Passei pelo oque a música diz. Doloroso.
Suzana Leal
👏👏👏👏👏👏
Gaby Jara
Este Caetano me pone los pelos de punta
Divaldo Oliveira de souza
Caetano é inteligente demais cara meu veleu ☮️💟😜✈️🙏♥️💚
Sol- brevivendo na Noruega
Esperando ansiosa aqui na Noruega pelo dia 01/10/23 qd irá acontecer o show de Caetano na casa de consertos de Oslo! Bilhete comprado com sucesso!
Mônica Gramado
Aos 43 reencontrei uma mulher no face que era meu grande amor desde os 15 ,tivemos uma avassaladora paixao e ela me deixou depois de 2 anos a musica QUEIXA fala como me senti" e agora me diga ponde eu vou?". A letra toda é oque senti e ainda sinto em relacao a ela. "Bate forte sem esperança contra a sua dureza""senhorq,serpente,princesa""um amor assim delicado nenhum homem daria, talvez tenha sido pecado apostar na alegria" " Deus nao quer que eu fique mudo e eu te grito essa queixa" "avesso de um sentimento,oceano sem água" foda
Estela Castelao
No tengo palabras que digan algo de la grandeza de CAETANO.
Gil Altopiquiri
Obrigado senhor pelo presente que Deus colocou na mente desse grande mentor