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.
Bobagens Meu Filho Bobagens
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Posso esperar tudo com você
E olha que te vi de passagem
Mas pensei, 'forte broto na cidade'
Só sei que estava pronto pra te encontrar
Passei do ponto de querer voltar
Dessa bárbara viagem
Então vem, sorri
Porque nós dois estamos só de passagem
Pelas cidades desse mundo
Então vem
Vem e me ama
Por uns momentos profundos
E o resto?
Bobagens, meu filho
Bobagens
Bobagens, meu filho, bobagens
Tolices
Criancices
The lyrics of "Bobagens Meu Filho Bobagens" by Caetano Veloso convey a sense of young love and the excitement it brings. The opening lines express a deep pleasure felt in the other person's gaze, suggesting a strong connection. The singer acknowledges that they only saw the person briefly, but it left a lasting impression. The phrase "forte broto na cidade" suggests the person stands out as a promising prospect.
The next stanza indicates that the singer is willing to wait for this person and is prepared for anything that may come along with them. They are captivated by the experience and feel a passionate, all-consuming love that lacks boundaries. The phrase "sem margem" highlights the intensity of this passionate feeling.
The chorus emphasizes the transient nature of their relationship, describing it as a passing moment in the cities of the world. They exhort the person to come and smile, as they are both just passing through. The invitation to love deeply for a short time is extended with the acknowledgment that the rest is mere trivia or nonsense. This suggests that while the love and connection between them is profound, they understand that it may not last forever and choose to embrace the present moment.
Overall, "Bobagens Meu Filho Bobagens" speaks to the thrill and intensity of a fleeting love, celebrating the joy and depth that can be found in brief encounters.
Line by Line Meaning
Senti no seu olhar tanto prazer
I felt so much pleasure in your gaze
Posso esperar tudo com você
I can expect anything with you
E olha que te vi de passagem
And look, I saw you passing by
Mas pensei, 'forte broto na cidade'
But I thought, 'strong bud in the city'
Só sei que estava pronto pra te encontrar
All I know is that I was ready to meet you
Passei do ponto de querer voltar
I went beyond the point of wanting to go back
Dessa bárbara viagem
From this magnificent journey
Bateu paixão radical sem margem
A radical passion hit without any limits
Então vem, sorri
So come, smile
Porque nós dois estamos só de passagem
Because both of us are just passing through
Pelas cidades desse mundo
Through the cities of this world
Então vem
So come
Vem e me ama
Come and love me
Por uns momentos profundos
For some deep moments
E o resto?
And the rest?
Bobagens, meu filho
Nonsense, my child
Bobagens
Nonsense
Tolices
Foolishness
Criancices
Childishness
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Antonio Cicero Correia Lima, Marina Correia Lima
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind