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.
De Palavra Em Palavra
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Som
Som
Mar
Amarelanil
Maré
Anilina
Amaranilanilinalinarama
Anilina
Som
Mar
Silêncio
(Silêncio)
Silêncio
(Silêncio)
Silêncio
(Silêncio)
(Silêncio)
Silêncio
(Silêncio)
Silêncio
(Silêncio)
Silêncio
(Silêncio)
Silêncio
Não
Som
The lyrics to Caetano Veloso's song "De Palavra Em Palavra" are short and seemingly disjointed, but they can be interpreted in a few different ways. The first few lines seem to be describing the sound of the ocean, with "Som" (sound) repeated several times followed by "Mar" (sea) and "Amarelanil" and "Anilina," likely describing the color of the water. However, the last line of this section, "Amaranilanilinalinarama," is more difficult to interpret, perhaps describing the sound of the water crashing onto the shore.
The next section of the song abruptly switches to "Silêncio" (silence), repeated many times. This could be seen as a contrast to the sound of the ocean in the previous section, but it also speaks to the power of words and the space between them. The repeated "Silêncio" could be seen as an invitation for the listener to reflect on the importance of silence and introspection, rather than always filling the air with noise and chatter.
Overall, the song appears to be meditative and contemplative, inviting the listener to slow down and listen to the world around them. The disjointed nature of the lyrics may reflect the way our thoughts and perceptions come to us in fragments and need to be pieced together to form a cohesive whole.
Line by Line Meaning
Som
Sound
Som
Sound
Som
Sound
Mar
Sea
Amarelanil
Yellowish blue
Maré
Tide
Anilina
Aniline
Amaranilanilinalinarama
Mix of colors and sounds
Amaranilanilinalinarama
Mix of colors and sounds
Anilina
Aniline
Som
Sound
Mar
Sea
Silêncio
Silence
(Silêncio)
Silence
Silêncio
Silence
(Silêncio)
Silence
Silêncio
Silence
(Silêncio)
Silence
Silêncio
Silence
(Silêncio)
Silence
Silêncio
Silence
(Silêncio)
Silence
Silêncio
Silence
(Silêncio)
Silence
Silêncio
Silence
Não
Not
Som
Sound
Contributed by Riley G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.