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.
London
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
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I'm lonely in London, London is lovely so
I cross the streets without fear
Everybody keeps the way clear
I know, I know no one here to say hello
I know they keep the way clear
I am lonely in London without fear
I'm wandering round and round here nowhere to go
While my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
While my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
Oh Sunday, Monday, autumn pass by me
And people hurry on so peacefully
A group approaches a policeman
He seems so pleased to please them
It's good at least to live and I agree
He seems so pleased at least
And it's so good to live in peace and
Sunday, Monday, years and I agree
While my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
While my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
I choose no face to look at
Choose no way
I just happen to be here
And it's okay
Green grass, blue eyes, gray sky, God bless
Silent pain and happiness
I came around to say yes, and I say
Green grass, blue eyes, gray sky, God bless
Silent pain and happiness
I came around to say yes, and I say
But my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
Yes my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
While my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
Oh my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
Yes my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
While my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
Oh my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
While my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
Yes my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
The lyrics of "London London" by Caetano Veloso express a sense of loneliness and aimlessness in the streets of London. The singer wanders around, lost and without direction, but at the same time appreciates the city's beauty, feeling no fear while crossing its streets. The lines "I know, I know no one here to say hello" and "I'm wandering round and round here nowhere to go" convey a feeling of isolation and detachment, perhaps reflecting the experience of being a stranger in a new place.
The song also presents a contrast between the singer's inner world and the outside reality. While people go about their daily lives peacefully, he is preoccupied with his own thoughts, looking for flying saucers in the sky. The lyrics suggest a desire for something beyond the mundane, a quest for the unknown and the mysterious. Despite this, the singer acknowledges the beauty and vitality of life, expressing gratitude for the simple things like green grass, blue eyes, and gray sky.
Overall, "London London" is a poignant reflection on the human experience of searching, longing, and finding beauty in unexpected places.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm wandering round and round nowhere to go
I'm aimlessly moving in circles, without any destination in mind
I'm lonely in London London is lovely so
I feel isolated in this beautiful city of London
I cross the streets without fear
I walk across the streets without any hesitation
Everybody keeps the way clear
People make way for me as I walk, without any hindrance
I know, I know no one here to say hello
I realize that I don't know anyone here who would greet me
I know they keep the way clear
I understand that people make way for me as a form of hospitality
I am lonely in London without fear
I feel isolated, but at the same time safe and without any fear
Oh Sunday, Monday, Autumm pass by me
Days like Sunday and Monday, as well as the season of autumn, seem to pass by quickly
And people hurry on so peacefully
People move quickly, yet in a peaceful manner
A group approaches a policeman
A group of people are seen approaching a policeman
He seems so pleased to pleace them
The policeman appears happy to assist them
It's good at least to live and I agree
It's always good to be alive, and I share the same sentiment
He seems so pleased at least
The policeman appears genuinely happy about helping others
And it's so good to live in peace and
Living in peace is a good feeling, and it adds to one's overall quality of life
Sunday, Monday, years and I agree
Days, weeks and even years pass by very quickly
I choose no face to look at
I don't consciously choose to look at anyone's face
Choose no way
I don't have any predetermined path or direction in mind
I just happen to be here
I am here by chance, without any specific reason
And it's ok
And that's perfectly fine for me
Green grass, blue eyes, gray sky, God bless
I behold the beauty of nature around me and feel grateful to God for it
Silent pain and happiness
There is a mixture of both joy and sorrow, which I experience silently
I came around to say yes, and I say
I seem to have arrived at a point where I can only say 'yes'
But my eyes
However, my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
Always look up at the sky and search for UFOs in wonderment
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Caetano Emmanuel Viana Teles Veloso
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kauê Gudin
I'm wandering round and round nowhere to go
I'm lonely in London, London is lovely so
I cross the streets without fear
Everybody keeps the way clear
I know, I know no one here to say hello
I know they keep the way clear
I am lonely in London without fear
I'm wandering round and round here nowhere to go
While my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
While my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
Oh Sunday, Monday, autumn pass by me
And people hurry on so peacefully
A group approaches a policeman
He seems so pleased to please them
It's good at least to live and I agree
He seems so pleased at least
And it's so good to live in peace and
Sunday, Monday, years and I agree
While my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
While my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
I choose no face to look at
Choose no way
I just happen to be here
And it's okay
Green grass, blue eyes, gray sky, God bless
Silent pain and happiness
I came around to say yes, and I say
Green grass, blue eyes, gray sky, God bless
Silent pain and happiness
I came around to say yes, and I say
But my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
Yes my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
While my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
Oh my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
Yes my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
While my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
Oh my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
While my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
Yes my eyes
Go looking for flying saucers in the sky
Armando Andrade
SUPER 🌻
Andrew Hughes
loveeee
amorzz100
Sweet
edivan antonio santos
Obrigado pota