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.
Louco Por Voce
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
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Louco por você
Nada esquece de armar uma lágrima
Que às vezes vem bater
Na cara onda do mar até gritar de felicidade
Tarde cinza, lágrima prismática
Louco por você
Porque não sei dizer
Saiba diga você agora é tarde felicidade vem
Tudo o que ressalta quer me ver chorar
Louco por você
Nada esquece de armar uma lágrima
Que às vezes vem bater
Na cara onda do mar até gritar de felicidade
Tarde cinza, lágrima prismática
Louco por você
Cor multiplicada, som, palavra má
Porque não sei dizer
Saiba diga você agora é tarde felicidade vem
Diga você agora é tarde felicidade vem
Nada esquece de armar uma lágrima
Que às vezes vem bater
Na cara onda do mar até gritar de felicidade
Tarde cinza, lágrima prismática
Louco por você
Cor multiplicada, som, palavra má
Porque não sei dizer
Saiba diga você agora é tarde felicidade vem
The lyrics to Caetano Veloso's song "Louco Por Voce" convey a deep sense of longing and desire for someone. The singer describes how everything that stands out in his life only wants to make him cry, emphasizing the intensity of his emotions. The repeated phrase "Louco por você" translates to "Crazy for you," indicating the strong obsession and infatuation the singer has for this person.
The singer further expresses that nothing forgets to set up a tear, suggesting that even in moments of happiness, sadness always lurks, ready to hit him. This is metaphorically compared to a wave in the sea crashing on his face, triggering both pain and bliss simultaneously. The mention of a "prismatic tear" and a "multiplied color," along with the reference to sound and bad words, adds a sense of complexity and confusion to the singer's emotions, indicating his struggle to express his feelings adequately.
The lyrics end with the singer encouraging the person he is longing for to speak up, as it is now late and the happiness he seeks is approaching. This line could be interpreted as a plea for the person to reciprocate his feelings or to communicate their intentions, as the singer's yearning has reached a point where he can no longer wait. The repeated phrase "Diga você agora é tarde felicidade vem" translates to "You say it now, happiness is coming late," highlighting the urgency and anticipation the singer feels for a response.
Overall, the lyrics to "Louco Por Voce" encapsulate the complexity of intense desire and the desperation for emotional connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Tudo o que ressalta quer me ver chorar
Everything that stands out wants to make me cry
Louco por você
Crazy for you
Nada esquece de armar uma lágrima
Nothing forgets to set up a tear
Que às vezes vem bater
That sometimes comes to hit
Na cara onda do mar até gritar de felicidade
In the face of the ocean wave until screaming with happiness
Tarde cinza, lágrima prismática
Gray afternoon, prismatic tear
Cor multiplicada, som, palavra má
Multiplied color, sound, bad word
Porque não sei dizer
Because I don't know how to say
Saiba diga você agora é tarde felicidade vem
Know, tell me, now it's late happiness comes
Diga você agora é tarde felicidade vem
Tell me now, it's late happiness comes
Nada esquece de armar uma lágrima
Nothing forgets to set up a tear
Que às vezes vem bater
That sometimes comes to hit
Na cara onda do mar até gritar de felicidade
In the face of the ocean wave until screaming with happiness
Tarde cinza, lágrima prismática
Gray afternoon, prismatic tear
Cor multiplicada, som, palavra má
Multiplied color, sound, bad word
Porque não sei dizer
Because I don't know how to say
Saiba diga você agora é tarde felicidade vem
Know, tell me, now it's late happiness comes
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Caetano Emmanuel Viana Teles Veloso
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind