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.
Get Out Of Town
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
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Before it's too late, my love
Get out of town
Be good to me please
Why wish me harm?
Why not retire to a farm
And be contented to charm
Just disappear
I care for you much too much
And when you're near, close to me dear
We touch too much
The thrill when we meet is so bittersweet
That darling, it's getting me down
So on your mark get set
Get out of town
The lyrics to Caetano Veloso's song "Get Out of Town" appear to be a plea from the singer to his lover to leave and disappear. The tone of the song is urgent and seems to suggest that if they don't leave soon, something harmful could happen. The singer asks his lover to "be good to me please," suggesting that leaving will help both of them in some way.
The reason for leaving is unclear, but the singer seems to suggest that the thrill of being together is too much for him to handle. The thrill is "bittersweet," and it's "getting [him] down." He cares for his lover too much and being together is too much to bear emotionally. The singer suggests that his lover retire to a farm and be content to charm the birds off the trees, suggesting a simpler, more peaceful life away from the intensity of their relationship.
In summary, the lyrics to "Get Out of Town" appear to be a plea to a lover to leave and disappear in order to protect both of them. The intensity of their relationship has become too much to bear, suggesting that love can sometimes be overwhelming and potentially harmful for all involved.
Line by Line Meaning
Get out of town
Leave this place immediately
Before it's too late, my love
Don't wait until it's too late to go; my dear
Be good to me please
Please show me kindness
Why wish me harm?
Why do something that could hurt me?
Why not retire to a farm
Why not live a peaceful, quiet life away from here?
And be contented to charm
And be happy to entertain yourself with simple pleasures
The birds off the trees
Enjoy the nature that surrounds you
Just disappear
Just go away and never come back
I care for you much too much
I love you too much to watch you suffer
And when you're near, close to me dear
When you are close to me, my love
We touch too much
We have a lot of physical contact
The thrill when we meet is so bittersweet
The excitement of seeing you is mixed with sadness
That darling, it's getting me down
It's making me feel depressed
So on your mark get set
Prepare yourself to leave
Get out of town
Leave this place immediately
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLE PORTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind