Elis Regina Carvalho Costa (March 17, 1945, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul… Read Full Bio ↴Elis Regina Carvalho Costa (March 17, 1945, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil – January 19, 1982, São Paulo, Brazil), better known as Elis Regina, was a Brazilian singer and one of the biggest names of MPB. Known for her vocal competence, musicianship and stage presence, she was acclaimed both in Brazil and internationally.

In the '60s, Elis was a leader and a standard-bearer in defense of Brazilian popular music, heavily contributing to the formation of the MPB label, with commercial and ideological characteristics at the same time. She was the first major artist to emerge from music festivals in the 1960s and detached herself from the Bossa Nova aesthetic through the use of her vocal range and drama. Initially, her style was influenced by radio singers, especially Ângela Maria. After four unsuccessful studio albums — Viva a Brotolândia (1961), Poema de Amor (1962), Elis Regina (1963), O Bem do Amor (1963) — Elis was the biggest revelation of the TV Excelsior festival in 1965, when he sang "Arrastão" by Vinícius de Moraes and Edu Lobo. This feat would guarantee him the invitation to act on television and, shortly afterwards, the title of first star of Brazilian popular song, when he started to command, alongside Jair Rodrigues, one of the two most important Brazilian popular music programs, O Fino da bossa. In 1967, she married Ronaldo Bôscoli, then director of O Fino da Bossa. From 1972, Elis began a relationship with César Camargo Mariano, which would last until 1981, in one of the most successful partnerships in Brazilian Popular Music.

She sang many genres: MPB, bossa nova, samba, rock and jazz. Interpreting songs like "Madalena", "Águas de Março", "Atrás da Porta", "Como Nosso Pais", "O Bêbado e a Equilibrista" and "Querellas do Brasil", he recorded moments of happiness, love, sadness and patriotism. Throughout his career, he stood out for also singing songs by artists, still little known, such as Milton Nascimento, Ivan Lins, Belchior, Renato Teixeira, Aldir Blanc, João Bosco, helping to launch them and publicize their works. , boosting them in the Brazilian music scene. Among other partnerships, the duets she had with Jair Rodrigues, Tom Jobim and Rita Lee are famous. With her second husband, pianist César Camargo Mariano, she consecrated a long work of great creativity and musical consistency and, in technical terms, was considered the best brazilian singer. His most memorable artistic presence is perhaps registered on the albums Em Pleno Verão (1970), Elis (1972), Elis (1973), Elis & Tom (1974), Elis (1974), Falso Brilhante (1976), Transversal do Tempo (1978). ), Essa Mulher (1979), Saudade do Brasil (1980) and Elis (1980). She was the first person to inscribe her own voice as if it were an instrument, in the Order of Musicians of Brazil. In 2013, she was elected the best female voice in Brazilian music by Rolling Stone Magazine. Elis was also mentioned in the list of the greatest artists in Brazilian music, ranking 14th, being the best-placed woman. In November of the same year, a musical was premiered in honor of her Elis, the musical.

Elis Regina died prematurely at the age of 36, at the height of her career, causing strong commotion in the country and leaving a vast body of work in Brazilian popular music. Although there were controversies and disputes as to the cause of death, the tests showed that the cause was the consumption of cocaine associated with alcohol, which caused a cardiac arrest.

Inútil Paisagem
Elis Regina Lyrics

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Mas pra que
Pra que tanto céu
Pra que tanto mar
Pra que
De que serve esta onda que quebra
E o vento da tarde
De que serve a tarde
Inútil paisagem

Pode ser
Que não venhas mais
Que não voltes nunca mais
De que servem as flores que nascem
Pelos caminhos
Se o meu caminho
Sozinho é nada

De que servem as flores que nascem
Pelos caminhos
Se o meu caminho
Sozinho é nada

É nada
É nada

Overall Meaning

Elis Regina's song Inútil Paisagem is a beautiful and melancholic reflection about the meaning and purpose of life when one feels lost and alone. The lyrics convey a sense of existential despair, questioning the point of all the beauty in nature when the singer feels hopeless and alone. The opening lines "Mas pra que/Pra que tanto céu/Pra que tanto mar/Pra que" suggest a feeling of overwhelming insignificance in the face of the vastness of the world. The singer wonders what the purpose of the ocean and the sky is, and what good it does to have the waves breaking and the afternoon breeze blowing if they don't bring her any comfort. The phrase "inútil paisagem" ("useless landscape") expresses this sense of futility and suggests that the beauty of nature is powerless to alleviate the singer's inner pain.

The second verse continues this theme of meaninglessness and futility, as the singer wonders whether anyone or anything will ever bring her joy again. She questions the value of the flowers that grow along the roadsides, which are a symbol of natural beauty and renewal, but seem meaningless to her because she feels so alone. The repetition of the phrase "De que servem" ("What good are") emphasizes the singer's sense of emptiness, as if she's asking herself what the point of everything is. In the final lines, she declares that her path is nothing, reinforcing the feeling of despair and hopelessness that pervades the entire song.

Overall, Elis Regina's "Inútil Paisagem" is a moving reflection on the human experience of loneliness and the struggle to find meaning in life. The beauty of nature may offer some comfort, but when one is lost and alone, it can seem powerless to alleviate one's inner pain. The song is a poignant reminder that even the most beautiful things in life can seem meaningless when one feels disconnected from oneself and others.

Line by Line Meaning

Mas pra que
What is the purpose

Pra que tanto céu
Of having so much sky

Pra que tanto mar
Of having so much sea

Pra que
What is the point

De que serve esta onda que quebra
What is the use of this breaking wave

E o vento da tarde
And the afternoon wind

De que serve a tarde
What is the purpose of the afternoon

Inútil paisagem
Useless landscape

Pode ser
It's possible

Que não venhas mais
That you may not come anymore

Que não voltes nunca mais
That you may never return