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.
Tudo Diferente
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
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Todas as trilhas caminham pra gente se achar, viu
Eu ligo no sentido de meia verdade
Metade inteira chora de felicidade
A qualquer distância o outro te alcança
Erudito som de batidão
Dia e noite céu de pé no chão
Todos caminhos trilham pra a gente se ver
Todas as trilhas caminham pra gente se achar, né
Eu ligo no sentido de meia verdade
Metade inteira chora de felicidade
A qualquer distância o outro te alcança
Erudito som de batidão
Dia e noite céu de pé no chão
O detalhe que o coração atenta
Todos caminhos trilham pra a gente se ver
Todas as trilhas caminham pra gente se achar, né
Eu ligo no sentido de meia verdade
Metade inteira chora de felicidade
A qualquer distância o outro te alcança
Erudito som de batidão
Dia e noite céu de pé no chão
O detalhe que o coração atenta
A qualquer distância o outro te alcança
Erudito som de batidão
Dia e noite céu de pé no chão
O detalhe que o coração atenta
Você passa, eu paro
Você faz, eu falo
Mas a gente no quarto sente o gosto bom que o oposto tem
Não sei, mas sinto, uma força que embala tudo
Falo por ouvir o mundo, tudo diferente de um jeito bate
Todos caminhos trilham pra a gente se ver
Todas as trilhas caminham pra gente se achar, viu
Eu ligo no sentido de meia verdade
Metade inteira chora de felicidade
A qualquer distância o outro te alcança
Erudito som de batidão
Dia e noite céu de pé no chão
O detalhe que o coração atenta
The lyrics of Caetano Veloso's song "Tudo Diferente" explore the idea of interconnectedness and the power of opposites. The first verse suggests that all paths lead to the meeting of two people, and all journeys lead to their discovery of each other. The lines "Eu ligo no sentido de meia verdade // Metade inteira chora de felicidade" can be interpreted as reflecting on the idea that sometimes only half-truths or incomplete understanding are enough to bring joy and fulfillment.
The chorus repeats the concept that at any distance, one can reach the other, emphasizing the idea that there are no barriers when it comes to connecting with someone. The references to "erudito som de batidão" (erudite sound of the groove) and "dia e noite céu de pé no chão" (day and night, sky standing on the ground) suggest a blending of contrasting elements, perhaps alluding to the merging of different musical genres and the unity of opposites.
The phrase "o detalhe que o coração atenta" (the detail that the heart pays attention to) highlights the importance of paying attention to the small things that deeply touch the heart. The bridge section expresses the idea that even though two people may have different actions or perspectives, their time together in the bedroom reveals the beauty and satisfaction that comes from the opposite qualities they possess.
Overall, "Tudo Diferente" encourages a sense of openness, celebration of opposites, and the recognition of the power of connections between people.
Line by Line Meaning
Todos caminhos trilham pra a gente se ver
All paths lead us to meet each other
Todas as trilhas caminham pra gente se achar, viu
All trails walk towards us finding each other, you know
Eu ligo no sentido de meia verdade
I connect in the sense of half-truth
Metade inteira chora de felicidade
Half whole cries with happiness
A qualquer distância o outro te alcança
At any distance, the other reaches you
Erudito som de batidão
Erudite sound of a heavy beat
Dia e noite céu de pé no chão
Day and night, sky on the ground
O detalhe que o coração atenta
The detail that the heart pays attention to
Você passa, eu paro
You pass by, I stop
Você faz, eu falo
You do, I speak
Mas a gente no quarto sente o gosto bom que o oposto tem
But in the bedroom, we feel the good taste that the opposite has
Não sei, mas sinto, uma força que embala tudo
I don't know, but I feel a force that rocks everything
Falo por ouvir o mundo, tudo diferente de um jeito bate
I speak from listening to the world, everything hits in a different way
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Andre Negrao De Carvalho
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind