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.
Funk melódico
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
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Nada pra alertar meu coração
Mulher indigesta você só merece mesmo o céu
Como está no samba de Noel
Você produz raiva, confusão, tristeza e dor
Prova que o ciúme é só o estrume do amor
Meu amor, tem preço módico
Não tem um tijolo nem um paralelepípedo
Só resta o funk melódico
Você produz raiva, confusão, tristeza e dor
Prova que o ciúme é só o estrume do amor
Num abraço, abraçaço, essa letra te juro
Esse papo de céu foi só pelo Noel
Nem com cheiro de flor bateria em você
Não sou bravo nem forte e nem mesmo do norte
Sem canto de morte no meu HD
O paralelepípedo é o jeito diverso
Que quer dizer raiva e mais raiva e mais raiva
Raiva e desprezo e terror, desamor
O tijolo é gritar você me exasperou
Que você me exasperou
Você me exasperou
Você me exasperou
Você me exasperou
Você produz raiva, confusão, tristeza e dor
Prova que o ciúme é só o estrume do amor
Não aprendi nada com aquela sentimental canção
Nada pra alertar meu coração
Não aprendi nada com aquela sentimental canção
Nada pra alertar meu coração
Mulher indigesta você só merece mesmo o céu
Como está no samba de Noel
Vá numa sessão de descarrego ou no médico
Meu amor, tem preço módico
Não tem um tijolo nem um paralelepípedo
Só resta o funk melódico
The lyrics of “Funk Melódico” by Caetano Veloso revolve around a toxic relationship, where the singer expresses their anger and frustration towards their female partner. The song opens with the line “Não aprendi nada com aquela sentimental canção” (I didn't learn anything from that sentimental song), which highlights the contrast between the optimistic, romantic lyrics of traditional love songs and the harsh reality of the singer’s situation. The lyrics then go on to describe the woman as causing “raiva, confusão, tristeza e dor” (anger, confusion, sadness, and pain) and demonstrating that jealousy is only the manure of love.
The singer seems to have had enough of the toxic relationship but acknowledges that they have no other option besides listening to “funk melódico” - a genre that, according to the lyrics, is the only thing left for people with no tijolo nem um paralelepípedo (brick or cobblestone) to throw. Instead of resorting to violence, the singer suggests that their partner seek treatment - either in a religious “sessão de descarrego” or by seeing a doctor. The song ends with the repeated line of “Você me exasperou” (You exasperated me), emphasizing the frustration and resentment felt towards the woman.
Line by Line Meaning
Não aprendi nada com aquela sentimental canção
I didn't learn anything from that sentimental song
Nada pra alertar meu coração
Nothing to warn my heart
Mulher indigesta você só merece mesmo o céu
Indigestible woman, you only deserve heaven
Como está no samba de Noel
As in Noel's samba
Você produz raiva, confusão, tristeza e dor
You produce anger, confusion, sadness and pain
Prova que o ciúme é só o estrume do amor
Proves that jealousy is only the manure of love
Vá numa sessão de descarrego ou no médico
Go to a spiritual session or to the doctor
Meu amor, tem preço módico
My love, it has a modest price
Não tem um tijolo nem um paralelepípedo
It doesn't have a brick nor a cobblestone
Só resta o funk melódico
Only melodic funk remains
Num abraço, abraçaço, essa letra te juro
In a hug, a big hug, I swear this letter to you
Esse papo de céu foi só pelo Noel
This talk about heaven was only from Noel
Nem com cheiro de flor bateria em você
Not even with the smell of a flower I would beat for you
Não sou bravo nem forte e nem mesmo do norte
I'm not angry nor strong nor even from the north
Sem canto de morte no meu HD
Without death songs in my HD
O paralelepípedo é o jeito diverso
The cobblestone is the diverse way
Que quer dizer raiva e mais raiva e mais raiva
That means anger, and more anger and more anger
Raiva e desprezo e terror, desamor
Anger and disdain and terror, lack of love
O tijolo é gritar você me exasperou
The brick is to yell that you exasperated me
Que você me exasperou
That you exasperated me
Não aprendi nada com aquela sentimental canção
I didn't learn anything from that sentimental song
Nada pra alertar meu coração
Nothing to warn my heart
Não aprendi nada com aquela sentimental canção
I didn't learn anything from that sentimental song
Nada pra alertar meu coração
Nothing to warn my heart
Mulher indigesta você só merece mesmo o céu
Indigestible woman, you only deserve heaven
Como está no samba de Noel
As in Noel's samba
Vá numa sessão de descarrego ou no médico
Go to a spiritual session or to the doctor
Meu amor, tem preço módico
My love, it has a modest price
Não tem um tijolo nem um paralelepípedo
It doesn't have a brick nor a cobblestone
Só resta o funk melódico
Only melodic funk remains
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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