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.
Dreamworld: Marco de Canaveses
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quem não tem
Ela tem
Diz que tem
Mas também
Nem precisa dizer
And if it is real
Wanna touch
She can dance
She belongs
She believes
Marco de Canaveses
É o nome da terra
Onde Laroxum nasceu
And the taste of each flower is sweet
So why do the say she's a bad girl
She lives in the dark
Breathing in
Breathing out
It is wild
It is real
It is good
Mãos
Pés e mãos
Contramãos
Sins e nãos
Olhos sãos
De rolar e de ver
She's living in a dreamworld
Like regular people
And she's caught by the tail
Filha de um mestre cafuso
Deusa do céu
Como tu e eu
Ela veio
Ela vem
Vem trazer encanto ao mundo
She's living in a dreamworld
Like regular people
And she's caught by the tail
And the taste of each flower is sweet
So why do they say she's a bad girl
Em 1980 é que ela veio ao mundo
Com os olhos azuis
E na testa as estrelas da cruz
Ela agora é moça
Agora é ela
Agora faz
E na pele castanha ela traz uma luz de cajus
Marco de Canaveses
É o nome da terra
Onde Laroxum nasceu
Filha de um mestre cafuso
Deusa do céu
como tu e eu
Take away, take away
Take away that hurting feeling
Ela veio, ela vem
Vem trazer encanto ao mundo
Wash away, wash away
Wash away that hurting feeling
Ela veio, ela vem
Vem trazer encanto ao mundo
The lyrics to Caetano Veloso and David Byrne's Dreamworld: Marco de Canavezes are rich with imagery and symbolism that can be interpreted in several ways. The first verse highlights a sense of envy or longing, where the singer refers to someone who possesses something they do not, possibly alluding to the titular character, Laroxum. Despite claiming to have it, they don't need to say it, indicating a sense of insecurity or jealousy. The succeeding lines express a desire to experience what Laroxum has, particularly her ability to dance, belong and believe. The following lines transition into the chorus, where Laroxum's birthplace, Marco de Canaveses, is introduced, and despite her evident beauty and sweetness, there are still rumors questioning her character.
The second verse begins by painting a picture of Laroxum living in a shadowy realm, where her existence is wild, real, and good. The lyrics' poetic nature could indicate some form of metaphor or allegory, where Laroxum represents a free spirit or a counterculture figure that exists outside the boundaries of society's norms. The verses that follow seem to imply a sense of contradiction or chaos that surrounds her. The "hands and feet" and "sins and no's" create a sense of confusion or disorder, indicating that Laroxum might not necessarily conform to traditional standards.
The chorus reiterates Laroxum's status as a dreamer, someone who doesn't quite exist in the realm of reality but can provide a sense of enchantment to those around her. The later verses provide more details about Laroxum's story, including her origins, stunning appearance, and identity as the child of a "mestre cafuso," or master of capoeira, a Brazilian martial art. The chorus repeats a third time, ending with a plea to wash away any hurting feelings that might surround her or her existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Tem
There are those who have things
Quem não tem
And there are those who do not have those things
Ela tem
But she has those things
Diz que tem
She says she has those things
Mas também
But also
Nem precisa dizer
She doesn't even need to say it
And if it is real
And if it is true
Wanna touch
You want to touch it
Wanna feel
You want to feel it
She can dance
She knows how to dance
She belongs
She fits in
She believes
She has faith
Marco de Canaveses
Marco de Canaveses
É o nome da terra
Is the name of the land
Onde Laroxum nasceu
Where Laroxum was born
And the taste of each flower is sweet
The taste of every flower is delightful
So why do the say she's a bad girl
So why do they say she's evil?
She lives in the dark
She lives in the shadows
Breathing in
Inhales
Breathing out
Exhales
It is wild
It is intense
It is real
It is genuine
It is good
It is positive
Mãos
Hands
Pés e mãos
Feet and hands
Contramãos
Against the grain
Sins e nãos
Sins and no's
Olhos sãos
Healthy eyes
De rolar e de ver
To roll and to see
She's living in a dreamworld
She lives in a world of fantasy
Like regular people
Just like anyone else
And she's caught by the tail
She is caught in difficult situations
Filha de um mestre cafuso
Daughter of a mestre cafuso
Deusa do céu
Goddess of the sky
Como tu e eu
Just like you and me
Ela veio
She came
Ela vem
She's coming
Vem trazer encanto ao mundo
Bringing charm to the world
Em 1980 é que ela veio ao mundo
She arrived in the world in 1980
Com os olhos azuis
With blue eyes
E na testa as estrelas da cruz
And stars of the cross on her forehead
Agora é moça
Now she's a young lady
Agora é ela
Now it's her
Agora faz
Now she does
E na pele castanha ela traz uma luz de cajus
And in her brown skin, she brings a light of cashews
Take away, take away
Take away, take away
Take away that hurting feeling
Take away that feeling of pain
Wash away, wash away
Wash away, wash away
Wash away that hurting feeling
Wash away that feeling of pain
Ela veio, ela vem
She came, she's coming
Vem trazer encanto ao mundo
Bringing charm to the world
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind