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.
O últimito romântico
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
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Tomar o mundo feito coca-cola
Fazer da minha vida sempre o meu passeio público
E ao mesmo tempo fazer dela o meu caminho só, único
Talvez eu seja o último romântico
Dos litorais desse Oceano Atlântico
Só falta reunir a zona norte à zona sul
Só falta te querer
Te ganhar e te perder
Falta eu acordar
Ser gente grande pra poder chorar
Me dá um beijo, então
Aperta minha mão
Tolice é viver a vida assim sem aventura
Deixa ser
Pelo coração
Se é loucura então melhor não ter razão
Só falta te querer
Te ganhar e te perder
Falta eu acordar
Ser gente grande pra poder chorar
Me dá um beijo, então
Aperta minha mão
Tolice é viver a vida assim sem aventura
Deixa ser
Pelo coração
Se é loucura então melhor não ter razão
The lyrics of Caetano Veloso's song, "O último romântico" or "The Last Romantic," talk about a desire to leave behind the old ways and embrace the modern world. The singer talks about wanting to take the world like Coca-Cola and make his life a public exhibition while still maintaining his own unique path. He feels like he may be the last romantic of the coastal areas of the Atlantic Ocean, and he wants to unite the North Zone with the South Zone while lighting up life in the face of death.
The singer admits that there are some things that he lacks, such as the willingness to love, to win and lose, and to grow up to be able to cry. He yearns for a kiss and for someone to hold his hand, acknowledging that it's foolish to live life without adventure. He realizes that if he follows his heart, he may be seen as crazy and irrational, but he would rather have that than be reasonable and without passion.
Overall, the song is about wanting to break free of societal expectations and conformity and live a life guided by passion and emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Faltava abandonar a velha escola
I needed to leave behind the old ways of thinking and behaving
Tomar o mundo feito coca-cola
To take the world like it's an easy commodity and consume it like a product
Fazer da minha vida sempre o meu passeio público
To make my life a public exhibition and perform it for others to see
E ao mesmo tempo fazer dela o meu caminho só, único
But also to make it my unique and solitary path
Talvez eu seja o último romântico
Perhaps I am the last romantic
Dos litorais desse Oceano Atlântico
Of the coasts of this Atlantic Ocean
Só falta reunir a zona norte à zona sul
All that's left is to unite the north and south zones
Iluminar a vida já que a morte cai do azul
To bring light to life since death falls from the blue sky
Só falta te querer
All that's left is to want you
Te ganhar e te perder
To win or lose you
Falta eu acordar
I'm still missing awakening
Ser gente grande pra poder chorar
To become an adult in order to be able to cry
Me dá um beijo, então
So give me a kiss
Aperta minha mão
And hold my hand tight
Tolice é viver a vida assim sem aventura
Foolishness is to live life without any adventures
Deixa ser
Just let it be
Pelo coração
Follow your heart
Se é loucura então melhor não ter razão
If it's madness, then it's better not to have a reason
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SERGIO CARDOSO F DE ALMEIDA, ANTONIO CICERO CORREIA LIMA, LULU SANTOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Luciano França Ramos
O que posso dizer desse maravilhoso vídeo? Meu Deus é maravilhoso demais ouvir Caetano cantando essa maravilhosa canção de Lulu Santos com o luxuoso acompanhamento de Jaques Morelembaum! Se o céu existe posso prová-lo sempre que vejo este vídeo!
Luana Dias
Tolice é viver a vida sem aventuras....se é loucura, então, melhor não ter razão...caralhooooooooooooooooooooooo, amei!
Belén Congo Piñeiro
Lo mejor voz de todas........es imnotizante tu timbre y tu ser.....me encantasVeloso.....gracias a tu música me volví a enamorar de mi misma y del romanticismo
ninigreen7
Que arranjo MARAVILHOSO!! es este CELLO esta LINDISSIMO!!! Caetano nao necessita elogios ELE E O MAXIMO!!!
ze roberto Leoncio
CAETANO VELOSO CONSEGUE FAZER ESSA MÚSICA FICAR AINDA MAIS BONITA...ESPETACULAR!!!!
LouisBr13
Isso é ARTE, com todas as letras maiúsculas
Henrique Indio do Brasil
Definitivamente, uma das melhores interpretações de caetano
daniel alves machado
nao acredito que vc comento isso ... sono ? letra maravilhosa e o cello maravilhoso, expressao total de arte!
JULIO VIZCARDO
Lágrimas de felicidad de tener a quien poder dedicarle es canción
Eric Ono
se algum dia o caetano veloso tiver o prazer de tocar uma música sua, considere-se grande. lulu santos, você é foda!!