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.
Something Good
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
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Perhaps I had a miserable youth
But somewhere in my wicked miserable past
I must have had a moment of truth
For here you are
Standing there
Loving me
So somewhere in my youth
Or childhood
I must have done something good
Nothing comes from nothing
Nothing ever could
So somewhere in my youth or childhood
I must have done something good
Here you are standing here
Loving me
Whether or not you should
So somewhere in my youth or childhood
I must have done something good
Nothing comes from nothing
Nothing ever could
So some where in my youth or child
Or childhood
I must have done something
Something good
"Something Good" by Caetano Veloso is a song about self-reflection and gratitude for the love that the singer has in their life. The song is reflective of the singer's past, taking into account the possibility of a rough childhood and youth, but suggests that there may have been a defining moment of truth that shaped the person they have become. The song goes on to express the singer's awe of being loved despite their possible inner turmoil or negative experiences. The repetition of the phrase "somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good" emphasizes the uncertainty of the singer's past, but also the affirmation that they are deserving of love.
The song evokes a sense of reflection, introspection, and vulnerability. It prompts listeners to consider their own past and how it has shaped them into the person they are today. It also encourages gratitude for the love that one may have in their life, recognizing that it is possible to receive love despite one's troubled past.
Overall, "Something Good" is a beautiful and introspective ballad that encourages listeners to reflect on their past and be grateful for the love they have in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Perhaps I had a wicked childhood
I may have had a childhood full of evil, misbehavior, or immorality.
Perhaps I had a miserable youth
I may have had a youth full of sadness, suffering, or unhappiness.
But somewhere in my wicked miserable past
Despite my past being full of wickedness or misery, there was a moment or experience that changed me.
I must have had a moment of truth
I must have experienced something that revealed the truth or altered my perception of reality.
For here you are
Standing there
Loving me
Whether or not you should
The person singing is surprised that someone continues to love them, even if it may not be in their best interest.
Nothing comes from nothing
Nothing ever could
The idea that anything that exists must come from something else, and cannot come from nothing.
So somewhere in my youth or childhood
I must have done something good
The person singing believes that there must have been some good action they did in the past, even if they do not remember it clearly.
Here you are standing here
Loving me
Whether or not you should
Reiterating the surprising fact that someone is still loving them despite their past.
So somewhere in my youth or childhood
I must have done something good
Second repetition of the belief that there must have been some good action in the past that caused someone to continue to love them.
Something good
The idea that despite having a past full of negativity, there is something good in the person and in the world around them.
Lyrics © IMAGEM U.S. LLC
Written by: RICHARD RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind