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.
Super Homem
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
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Que o mundo masculino tudo me daria
Do que eu quisesse ter
Que nada, minha porção mulher
Que até então se resguardara
É a porção melhor que trago em mim agora
É o que me faz viver
Quem dera pudesse todo homem compreender
Ó mãe, quem dera
Ser o verão no apogeu da primavera
E só por ela ser
Quem sabe o super-homem venha nos restituir a glória
Mudando como um Deus o curso da história
Por causa da mulher
The song "Super Homem" by Caetano Veloso & Gilberto Gil is a reflection on gender roles and the struggles of societal expectations. The lyrics depict the disillusionment with the belief that simply being a man would provide everything one could want in life. The singer realizes that the feminine part of themselves, which had previously been suppressed, is essential to their wellbeing and makes life worth living. The song suggests that both men and women would benefit from embracing the qualities of both genders, rather than adhering to strict gender norms.
The chorus of the song expresses the desire for men to understand the value and importance of women. The lyrics ask for the mother's (a symbol of feminine power and nurturing) wish to become true, for men to experience the same glory that women do. The metaphor of 'being the summer at the height of spring' signifies being the best version of oneself, full of vitality and growth, and having that be enough only to please oneself and not anyone else.
Overall, "Super Homem" celebrates the fluidity of gender roles and the importance of embracing one's true self, regardless of societal expectations. The song promotes a world where gender is not a limiting factor, and everyone is appreciated for their unique qualities.
Line by Line Meaning
Um dia vivi a ilusão de que ser homem bastaria
Once upon a time, I believed that just being a man would be enough
Que o mundo masculino tudo me daria
That the male-dominated world would grant me everything I desire
Do que eu quisesse ter
Anything that I wished for
Que nada, minha porção mulher
But no, my feminine side
Que até então se resguardara
The part of me that was hidden away
É a porção melhor que trago em mim agora
Is the best part of me that I carry within me now
É o que me faz viver
It is what gives me life
Quem dera pudesse todo homem compreender
If only every man could understand
Ó mãe, quem dera
Oh mother, if only
Ser o verão no apogeu da primavera
To be the summer at the peak of spring
E só por ela ser
And just because of her
Quem sabe o super-homem venha nos restituir a glória
Who knows, perhaps Superman will come and restore our glory
Mudando como um Deus o curso da história
Altering the course of history like a god
Por causa da mulher
All because of the woman
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind