Brazilian guitarist and singer. The son of Dorival Caymmi and Stella Maris … Read Full Bio ↴Brazilian guitarist and singer. The son of Dorival Caymmi and Stella Maris and brother of Nana Caymmi and Danilo Caymmi's studied piano, guitar and music theory since childhood. His professional debut happened when he accompanied sister Nana on a concert. His main influence comes from his father, João Gilberto, Tom Jobim, Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald. In the 1960s, he became a producer, arranger and musical director. His career as a songwriter stood out in that same period, when he had songs interpreted by MPB-4 ("Cantigo"), Nana Caymmi ("Saveiros", with Nelson Motta) and Elis Regina ("O Cantador", with Nelson Motta) in festivals. In the 1970s, he wrote music scores for movies and television shows, and in the 80s he turned toward the international market, settling in Los Angeles. Dori's peculiar way of playing the guitar, with unconventional tunings and creative harmonies, has helped projecting his career outside of Brasil. Other hits: "De Onde Vens" (with N. Motta), recorded by Elis and Nara Leão, and "Festa", recorded by Jair Rodrigues, Elis and Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66.

Tati A Garota
Dori Caymmi Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Era uma criança tão singela
Só que Deus pôs dentro dela
Um mistério da tristeza

Era inocente
Sem saber que a dor que sente
É uma herança de uma dor maior
Com esse olhar tão só

Caminha essa criança tão sozinha
Numa estrada que não volta nunca mais

Ah, se eu pudesse fazer
Você jamais crescer
Eu ia cuidar de você

Qual nada
É uma criança já marcada
À mercê de triste herança

Solidão, dor e distância
A viver a infância como nunca mais

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Dori Caymmi's song "Tati, A Garota" convey a sense of vulnerability and sadness surrounding a young girl who has been burdened with an unexplainable sorrow. The lines "Só que Deus pôs dentro dela/ Um mistério da tristeza" suggests that this sadness may be something that was given to her divinely or that it is a mysterious force that she cannot understand. The girl's innocent and helpless nature is further emphasized in the line "Era inocente/ Sem saber que a dor que sente/ É uma herança de uma dor maior," which suggests that she is unknowingly carrying a burden that is beyond her comprehension.

The song describes her as walking alone on a road "que não volta nunca mais" which creates a sense of finality and loss. The chorus, "Ah, se eu pudesse fazer/ Você jamais crescer/ Eu ia cuidar de você/ Qual nada" expresses the artist's desire to protect the girl, but ultimately acknowledges that it is impossible to shelter her from the sadness and loneliness she must face. The final line "A viver a infância como nunca mais" crystallizes the sense of finality implied earlier, that this girl's youth and innocence cannot be recovered.

Overall, the song captures a feeling of helplessness in the face of a tragedy that is beyond our control, evoking empathy for those who are forced to endure pain in spite of their youth and innocence.

Line by Line Meaning

Era uma criança tão singela
She was a simple child

Só que Deus pôs dentro dela
But God put something inside her

Um mistério da tristeza
A mystery of sadness

Era inocente
She was innocent

Sem saber que a dor que sente
Without knowing the pain she feels

É uma herança de uma dor maior
Is an inheritance of a bigger pain

Com esse olhar tão só
With such a lonely gaze

Caminha essa criança tão sozinha
This child walks so alone

Numa estrada que não volta nunca mais
On a road that never comes back

Ah, se eu pudesse fazer
Oh, if I could make

Você jamais crescer
You never grow up