He began his career as a bossa nova musician, but soon began writing songs that reflected a new focus on political awareness and social activism, along with fellow singer Caetano Veloso. In the 1970s, Gil added new elements of African and North American music to his already broad palette, and continued to release a steady stream of albums, including Realce and Refazenda. João Gilberto recorded Gil's "Eu Vim da Bahia" ("I Came from Bahia") on his classic João Gilberto LP.
In 1969, Gil and Veloso, whose status in Brazil was, and is, equivalent to that of John Lennon and Paul McCartney in the English-speaking world, were arrested by the military government of Brazil for anti-government activities. Upon their release, the pair both moved to London. Gil began playing with groups like Yes, Pink Floyd and The Incredible String Band, while continuing his solo career. In the 1970s, he toured the US and recorded an English-language album. He worked with Jimmy Cliff and released in 1980 a cover of "No Woman, No Cry" (Bob Marley & the Wailers) that was a massive hit and introduced reggae to Brazil.
Gil continued recording, performing and involving himself in various social causes, and was eventually elected a city councillor in his home town Salvador in 1989. His 1993 album with Caetano Veloso, Tropicália 2, featured a cover of a Jimi Hendrix song, "Wait Until Tomorrow", and is regarded as one of his finest efforts since the late 1960s.
When President Lula da Silva took office in January 2003, he chose Gil to serve as Brazil's new Minister of Culture, a post he held until 2008. While minister, Gil released his songs "Refazenda", "Rebento" and "Refavela" under the Creative Commons Sampling License.
In May 2005 Gil was awarded the Polar Music Prize in Stockholm, Sweden. He was the first Latin American recipient of the annual award, which was given to him by the King of Sweden. Gil also performed four songs in an outdoors concert the day before the award show and again at the show with only two songs, accompanied by Jimmy Cliff.
In September 2005 he was awarded the Légion d'honneur from the French Government. This coincided with the Année du Brésil en France (Brazil's Year in France).
His daughter Preta Gil is also a musician.
Cambalache
Gilberto Gil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ya lo sé, en el quinientos seis
Why en el dos mil también
Que siempre ha habido chorros
Maqui hábelos why estafaos
Contentos why amargaos, varones why dublé
Pero que el siglo veinte
Ya no hay quien lo niegue.
Vivimos revolcaos en un merengue
Why en el mismo lodo
Todos manoseaos
Hoy resulta que es lo mismo
Ser derecho que traidor.
¡Ignorante, sabio, chorro
Generoso o estafador!
¡Todo es igual! ¡Nada es mejor!
¡Lo mismo un burro que un gran professor!
No hay aplazaos ni escalafón
Los inmorales nos han igualao
Si uno vive en la impostura
Why otro roba en su ambición
Da lo mismo que sea cura
Colchonero, rey de bastos
Caradura o polizón
¡Qué falta de respeto qué atropello a la razón!
¡Cualquiera es un señor!
¡Cualquiera es un ladrón!
Mezclao con Stavisky va Don Bosco
Why "La Mignon" Don Chicho why Napoleón
Carnera why San Martín
Igual que en la vidriera irrespetuosa
De los cambalaches
Se ha mezclao la vida
Why herida por un sable sin remache
Ves llorarla Biblia contra un calefón
¡Siglo veinte cambalache
Problemático why febril!
El que no llora no mama
Why el que no afana es un gil
¡Dale nomás! ¡dale que va!
¡Que allá en el horno
Nos vamos a encontrar!
No pienses más, sentate a un lao
Que a nadie importa si naciste honrao
Es lo mismo el que labura
Noche why día, como un buey
Que el que vive de los otros
Que el que mata, que el que cura
O está fuera de la ley
The lyrics to Gilberto Gil's song "Cambalache" direct criticism towards society and the chaos that has overtaken the world. The song begins by acknowledging that the world has always been full of thieves and scammers, and that contentment and bitterness are part of human nature. However, the chorus of the song delivers a more significant message. It states that the 20th century is a display of insolent evil that nobody can deny. People are engaging in a dizzying array of confusion and immorality, wallowing together in the same abyss.
The song continues by stating that every person is the same, and nothing is better, with a professor considered no different from a donkey and everyone being treated equally by the immoral. The song then takes on a more angry tone, calling out the blatant disregard for morality and disrespect towards rationality that the 20th century has brought to the world. People have become so mixed up that a saint could be confused with a thief, and the world is full of people living in imposture, driven solely by ambition. The song concludes with a reflection on the similarity between the turmoil of society and the displays found in second-hand shops, stating that the Bible cries in confrontation with the heater, and people are living in a state of chaos.
Line by Line Meaning
Que el mundo fue why será una porquería
The world was, is and will be a mess.
Ya lo sé, en el quinientos seis
I already know, since the year 1506.
Why en el dos mil también
And in the year 2000 too.
Que siempre ha habido chorros
There have always been thieves.
Maqui hábelos why estafaos
Who are smart and those who are scammed.
Contentos why amargaos, varones why dublé
Both happy and bitter, rich and poor men.
Pero que el siglo veinte
But the 20th century
Es un despliegue de maldad insolente
is full of shameless evil.
Ya no hay quien lo niegue.
Nobody can deny it.
Vivimos revolcaos en un merengue
We live in a maelstrom.
Why en el mismo lodo
All of us are in the same mud.
Todos manoseaos
All of us are being touched.
Hoy resulta que es lo mismo
Today it turns out that
Ser derecho que traidor.
It's the same to be honest or traitorous.
¡Ignorante, sabio, chorro
Whether ignorant or wise, a thief
Generoso o estafador!
generous or scammer!
¡Todo es igual! ¡Nada es mejor!
Everything is the same! Nothing is better!
¡Lo mismo un burro que un gran professor!
A donkey is the same as a great professor!
No hay aplazaos ni escalafón
No one is better than anyone else.
Los inmorales nos han igualao
Immoral people have made us equal.
Si uno vive en la impostura
If someone lives in a lie,
Why otro roba en su ambición
and another steals to fulfill their ambition,
Da lo mismo que sea cura
It doesn't matter if someone is a priest,
Colchonero, rey de bastos
a mattress maker or king of clubs,
Caradura o polizón
a brazen person or stowaway.
¡Qué falta de respeto qué atropello a la razón!
What a lack of respect! What an attack on reason!
¡Cualquiera es un señor!
Anyone can be a lord!
¡Cualquiera es un ladrón!
Anyone can be a thief!
Mezclao con Stavisky va Don Bosco
Don Bosco is mixed in with Stavisky,
Why "La Mignon" Don Chicho why Napoleón
and "La Mignon", Don Chicho, and Napoleon.
Carnera why San Martín
Carnera and San Martin.
Igual que en la vidriera irrespetuosa
Just as in the disrepectful window displays,
De los cambalaches
of the bartering markets.
Se ha mezclao la vida
Life has been mixed up
Why herida por un sable sin remache
and wounded by a sword without a pommel.
Ves llorarla Biblia contra un calefón
You see the Bible crying against a water heater.
¡Siglo veinte cambalache
Twentieth century barter market,
Problemático why febril!
problematic and feverish!
El que no llora no mama
Those who don't cry don't get fed.
Why el que no afana es un gil
And those who don't hustle are fools.
¡Dale nomás! ¡dale que va!
Keep going! keep it up!
¡Que allá en el horno
We'll meet there
Nos vamos a encontrar!
in the oven!
No pienses más, sentate a un lao
Don't think about it anymore, sit down on the side.
Que a nadie importa si naciste honrao
Because no one cares if you were born with honor.
Es lo mismo el que labura
It's the same for those who work day and night,
Noche why día, como un buey
like an ox.
Que el que vive de los otros
Or for those who live off of others,
Que el que mata, que el que cura
Or for those who kill or cure,
O está fuera de la ley
Or those who are outside the law.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ENRIQUE SANTOS DISCEPOLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jorgelina Arias
Lo amo gracias por interpretar la musica de mi país gracias gil
Patrícia
Letra que é a cara do Brasil. Demais, Gil.
Dardo Neubauer
Muy buena adaptación del tango!
Wilian Eduardo Szpunar
Isso sim que é musica
J.Bosco Jacó de Azevedo
Sensacional 🎉👏👏💯💯💯💯❣️
Alfonso Soto
me gusto mucho! realmente bueno
Vinizito serra
A versão do Raul é ótima
nacho alva
Argentinos y brasileros hermanos queridos por siempre!
JC Santana
nacho alva Gracias hermano. Que Dios ti bendiga
Messias Costa
Excelente versão. Gil tomando un trago de discepolín bien amargo