Gismonti began his formal music studies at the age of six on piano. After studying classical music for 15 years, he went to Paris to study orchestration and analysis with Nadia Boulanger and the composer Jean Barraqué, a disciple of Arnold Schönberg and Anton Webern. After his return to Brazil, Gismonti began to explore other musical genres. He was attracted by Maurice Ravel's approach to orchestration and chord voicings, as well as by choro, a Brazilian instrumental popular music featuring various types of guitars. In order to play this music he learned to play guitar, beginning on the 6-string classical instrument and switching to a ten-stringed guitar in 1973. He spent two years experimenting with different tunings and searching for new sounds. This exploration of timbre is further reflected in his use of kalimbas, shō, voice, bells, etc. By the early '70s, he had laid the groundwork for his current style which incorporated elements drawn from musicians as wide-ranging as Django Reinhardt and Jimi Hendrix. In the 1970s and 1980s he collaborated several times with Naná Vasconcelos recording for ECM. Some best-selling albums such as the Brazilian released eponymous Egberto Gismonti were never officially released in the US.
Café
Egberto Gismonti Lyrics
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We kissed and said goodbye today
I've known that girl for so long
I hope I'm not doin' wrong
To lose her from my mind somehow
For those she's gone, she haunts me now
I think I should make a start
To put her out of my heart
Give me another glass of wine
To heal this broken heart of mine
And help me ease my achin' mind
Of all the sorrow
For now, the wine's the only way
To help me pass the lonely day
Afraid of sleepless nights
And broken dreams tomorrow
It seems an old familiar score
That girl has left me twice before
Not long ago in my dreams
My dreams have come true, it seems
She'll call me on the phone and then
She'll say she wants me back again
But this time it was the end
Can't stand this game of pretend
Give me another glass of wine
To heal this broken heart of mine
And help me ease my achin' mind
Of all the sorrow
For now, the wine's the only way
To help me pass the lonely day
Afraid of sleepless nights
And broken dreams tomorrow
For now, the wine's the only way
To help me pass the lonely day
Afraid of sleepless nights
And broken dreams tomorrow
It was right here in this cafe
We kissed and said goodbye today
The song "Café" by Egberto Gismonti is a heart-wrenching ballad about lost love and the pain that comes with it. The song is about a man who has just said goodbye to a long-time girlfriend in a café. He knows he has known the girl for a long time, and he is not sure if he is doing the right thing by trying to forget her. He is haunted by her memory, even though she is no longer with him physically.
The man tries to drown his sorrows in wine and hopes it will help him forget the girl. However, he knows that wine is only a temporary solution and won't solve his problems in the long run. The song is about the fear of sleepless nights and broken dreams that he knows will come with his inability to let go of his past love. He is caught in a cycle of despair, knowing that the girl has left him twice before and that he cannot keep playing this game of pretend anymore.
Overall, the song is a touching reflection on the pain of lost love and the struggle to move on.
Line by Line Meaning
It was right here in this cafe
This is the place where my relationship with my now ex-girlfriend ended.
We kissed and said goodbye today
We parted ways after sharing a final kiss.
I've known that girl for so long
I have had a long-standing relationship with this girl.
I hope I'm not doin' wrong
I hope that moving on from this relationship is not a mistake.
To lose her from my mind somehow
I need to find a way to stop thinking about her and move on.
For those she's gone, she haunts me now
Even though she's no longer with me, she still lingers in my thoughts and memories.
I think I should make a start
I feel that I need to take the first steps in moving on from this relationship.
To put her out of my heart
I need to let go of the love I had for her and move on.
Give me another glass of wine
I need another drink to help me cope with the pain and sadness I feel.
To heal this broken heart of mine
I am hoping that drinking more wine will help to ease the pain of my broken heart.
And help me ease my achin' mind
I am hoping that the wine will also help me to forget about her and clear my head.
Of all the sorrow
I am looking to the wine as a way of escaping the sadness and suffering I feel.
For now, the wine's the only way
At this moment in time, drinking wine is the only source of comfort I can find.
To help me pass the lonely day
I am so lonely and sad that I need something to help ease the pain and dull the loneliness.
Afraid of sleepless nights
I am fearful of having to face long, lonely nights without her.
And broken dreams tomorrow
I am worried that I will never find love again and that I will be left with nothing but broken dreams.
It seems an old familiar score
This situation of being heartbroken and losing her is something that has happened before.
That girl has left me twice before
This is not the first time that she has ended the relationship and left me feeling heartbroken.
Not long ago in my dreams
Recently I've been dreaming about the chance that she may come back to me.
My dreams have come true, it seems
My dreams about her returning to me have not come to fruition.
She'll call me on the phone and then
I still have hope that she may call me and want to reconcile.
She'll say she wants me back again
If she calls me, I believe that she will tell me she wants us to try again.
But this time it was the end
However, deep down, I know that this is the final end of our relationship.
Can't stand this game of pretend
I cannot continue to pretend that everything is okay when it's not.
Writer(s): EGBERTO GISMONTI
Contributed by Joshua L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@matematicaefisicasuperiore166
Adoro essa música. A harmonia , a letra e o ritmo.. Tudo.
@lusylacerda1588
Absolutamente entregue à essa obra prima...perfeita. o disco Carmo é um dos discos da minha vida! 💙💙
@nilsonadriano5023
Só posso sentir gratidão por essa obra prima. Lindo disco, canção maravilhosae a letra fora de série..
@matematicaefisicasuperiore166
Essa música me representa. Egberto Gismonti merece todo o reconhecimento.
@analuciacamphora
pura poesia sonora!
@elciosantanna3374
Está música é demais.
@kattiaamin3256
Belíssima!
@jashinsuppa5344
Sem descrição 👌
@SurfLeleco
Pedrada.
Um dia a casa cae. ..
Cuica
@jpband
Letra profunda...