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.
Soy Loco Por Ti America
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yo voy traer una mujer playera
Que su nombre sea Marti
Que su nombre sea Marti
Soy loco por ti de amores
Tenga como colores
La espuma blanca
Y el cielo como bandera
Y el cielo como bandera
Soy loco por ti, América
Soy loco por ti de amores
Sorriso de quase nuvem
Os rios, canções, o medo
O corpo cheio de estrelas
O corpo cheio de estrelas
Como se chama amante
Desse país sem nome
Esse tango, esse rancho
Esse povo, dizei-me, arde
O fogo de conhecê-la
O fogo de conhecê-la
Soy loco por ti, América
Soy loco por ti de amores
El nombre del hombre muerto
Ya no se puede decirlo, quién sabe?
Antes que o día arrebente
Antes que o día arrebente
El nombre del hombre muerto
Antes que a definitiva
Noite se espalhe em Latino américa
El nombre del hombre
Es pueblo, el nombre
Del hombre es pueblo
Soy loco por ti, América
Soy loco por ti de amores
Espero o manhã que cante
El nombre del hombre muerto
Não sejam palavras tristes
Soy loco por ti de amores
Um poema ainda existe
Com palmeiras, com trincheiras
Canções de guerra
Quem sabe canções do mar
Ai hasta te comover
Ai hasta te comover
Soy loco por ti, América
Soy loco por ti de amores
Estou aqui de passagem
Sei que adiante
Um dia vou morrer
De susto, de bala ou vício
De susto, de bala ou vício
Num precipício de luzes
Entre saudades, soluços
Eu vou morrer de bruços
Nos braços, nos olhos
Nos braços de uma mulher
Nos braços de uma mulher
Mais apaixonado ainda
Dentro dos braços da camponesa
Guerrilheira, manequim, ai de mim
Nos braços de quem me queira
Nos braços de quem me queira
Soy loco por ti, América
Soy loco por ti de amores
The song Soy loco por ti, América by Caetano Veloso expresses the deep love the singer has for Latin America, its culture, its people, and its natural beauty. The first verse talks about the singer bringing a beach woman named Marti to America, naming her after José Martí, a Cuban poet and revolutionary leader who fought for the independence of his country. The chorus repeats the singer's obsession with America, especially in terms of love, and how the white foam of its beaches and the blue sky above symbolize the colors of its people.
The second verse describes the beauty of America's landscape, with its rivers, songs, and stars, and raises the question of who is the lover of this unnamed country, represented by its tango, rancho, and people. The singer wants to feel the fire of discovery and love for this land. The chorus repeats the phrase, highlighting the singer's passion.
The third verse references the death of a man whose name cannot be uttered anymore, either because it is forgotten or for political reasons. The singer hopes that the morning will bring a different story than sad words, as he is still crazily in love with America, where there are still poems to be written, palm trees to be seen and sung about, and war songs that may turn into songs of the sea.
Line by Line Meaning
Soy loco por ti, América
I am crazy for you, America.
Yo voy traer una mujer playera
I am going to bring a beach woman.
Que su nombre sea Marti
Whose name is Marti.
Soy loco por ti de amores
I am crazy for you in loves.
Tenga como colores
Have as colors.
La espuma blanca
The white foam.
De Latinoamérica
Of Latin America.
Y el cielo como bandera
And the sky as a flag.
Sorriso de quase nuvem
Almost cloud smile.
Os rios, canções, o medo
The rivers, the songs, the fear.
O corpo cheio de estrelas
The body full of stars.
Como se chama amante
What is the lover's name.
Desse país sem nome
Of this nameless country.
Esse tango, esse rancho
This tango, this ranch.
Esse povo, dizei-me, arde
This people, tell me, burns.
O fogo de conhecê-la
The fire of knowing her.
El nombre del hombre muerto
The name of the dead man.
Ya no se puede decirlo, quién sabe?
It can no longer be said, who knows?
Antes que o día arrebente
Before the day breaks.
Antes que a definitiva
Before the definitive.
Noite se espalhe em Latino américa
Night spreads throughout Latin America.
El nombre del hombre
The name of the man.
Es pueblo, el nombre
It is the people, the name.
Espero o manhã que cante
I hope for the morning that sings.
Não sejam palavras tristes
May they not be sad words.
Um poema ainda existe
A poem still exists.
Com palmeiras, com trincheiras
With palm trees, with trenches.
Canções de guerra
War songs.
Quem sabe canções do mar
Who knows sea songs.
Ai hasta te comover
Oh, until it moves you.
Estou aqui de passagem
I am here passing through.
Sei que adiante
I know that ahead.
Um dia vou morrer
One day I will die.
De susto, de bala ou vício
Of fright, bullet or addiction.
Num precipício de luzes
In a cliff of lights.
Entre saudades, soluços
Between longing, sobs.
Eu vou morrer de bruços
I will die face down.
Nos braços, nos olhos
In the arms, in the eyes.
Nos braços de uma mulher
In the arms of a woman.
Mais apaixonado ainda
Even more in love.
Dentro dos braços da camponesa
Inside the arms of the peasant.
Guerrilheira, manequim, ai de mim
Guerrilla, mannequin, oh me.
Nos braços de quem me queira
In the arms of whoever wants me.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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