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.
If It's Magic
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
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Then why can't it be everlasting
Like the sun that always shines
Like the poets in this rhyme
Like the galaxies in time
If it's pleasing
Then why can't it be never leaving
Like the day that never fails
Like the time that always tells
It holds the key to every heart
Throughout the universe
It fills you up without a bite
And quenches every thirst
So
If it's special
Then with it why aren't we as careful
As making sure we dress in style
Posing pictures with a smile
Keeping danger from a child
It holds the key to every heart
Throughout the universe
It fills you up without a bite
And quenches every thirst
So
If it's magic
Why can't we make it everlasting
Like the lifetime of the sun
It will leave no heart undone
For there's enough for everyone
The lyrics of Caetano Veloso's "If It's Magic" speak to the profound desire for love, happiness, and fulfillment in life. The song wonders why, if such things are possible, they can't be everlasting, like the sun or the passing of time. The line "It holds the key to every heart" suggests that what we seek is universal, and the idea that it "fills you up without a bite" highlights the intangible, indefinable quality of what we're looking for. The final lines, "if it's magic, why can't we make it everlasting," echo this same longing, as if the answer is just beyond our reach if we could only attain it.
Throughout the song, there's a sense of both yearning and frustration, a recognition that what we want is both within reach and tantalizingly just out of grasp. The references to dressing in style and posing for pictures with a smile underscore the sense that we're seeking something that can't be captured or contained, but must be lived and experienced. The song acknowledges that even if we can't make it everlasting, we can still find these moments of magic, which are "enough for everyone."
Line by Line Meaning
If it's magic
If this thing is truly magical and incredible
Then why can't it be everlasting
Why can't it go on forever like things that are constant and reliable
Like the sun that always shines
Like the consistent presence of the sun in our lives
Like the poets in this rhyme
Like the timeless words and stories of poets throughout history
Like the galaxies in time
Like the vast complexity and beauty of the universe throughout time
If it's pleasing
If this thing brings us joy and happiness
Then why can't it be never leaving
Why can't it stay with us always and never go away
Like the day that never fails
Like the reliable presence of each day without fail
Like on seashores there are shells
Like the consistent presence of shells on a beach
Like the time that always tells
Like the reliable passage of time that we can always count on
It holds the key to every heart
It has the power to affect and influence every person deeply
Throughout the universe
All over the world and beyond
It fills you up without a bite
It satisfies and brings contentment without any physical substance or action
And quenches every thirst
It satisfies every desire and need we have
So
Therefore
If it's special
If this thing is truly unique and significant
Then with it why aren't we as careful
Why aren't we more cautious and protective of this valuable thing
As making sure we dress in style
As paying attention to our appearance and ensuring we look our best
Posing pictures with a smile
Taking photographs to capture and preserve memories with this thing
Keeping danger from a child
Protecting and shielding this thing from any harm or danger, like we would do for a child
If it holds the key to every heart
If this thing has the power to deeply affect everyone
Throughout the universe
All over the world and beyond
It fills you up without a bite
It satisfies and brings contentment without any physical substance or action
And quenches every thirst
It satisfies every desire and need we have
So
Therefore
If it's magic
If this thing is truly magical and incredible
Why can't we make it everlasting
Why can't we ensure that it lasts forever, like things that are constant and reliable
Like the lifetime of the sun
Like the long lifespan of the sun, enduring and constant
It will leave no heart undone
It will ensure that every heart is touched and impacted by its magic
For there's enough for everyone
There is plenty of this magic to go around for every person, and it is not scarce or limited
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Stevie Wonder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind