Gilberto Gil (born 26 June, 1942) is a Brazilian singer, guitarist and song… Read Full Bio ↴Gilberto Gil (born 26 June, 1942) is a Brazilian singer, guitarist and songwriter, and Brazil's former minister of culture.

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.

Edyth Cooper
Gilberto Gil Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Asinhas de anjo barroco
Bochechas de anjo barroco
Nádegas de anjo barroco
Bugigangas, velhos pincéis

Cem mil réis de carne com osso
Cem mil réis de queijo de prato
Cem mil réis de filó barato

Gesso, cola, tintas, telões

Abstrações, visões coloridas
Cena do balé dos anões
No ateliê da louca varrida
Dando, rindo, lendo Camões

Representações de cenas proibidas
Obcenas obsessões
No ateliê da louca varrida
Vivendo, varrendo os salões

Edyth Cooper, Edyth Cooper
Edyth Cooper, vem me consolar
Edyth Cooper, Edyth Cooper
Faz minha vassoura voar
Edyth Cooper, Edyth Cooper
Os morcegos vão me chupar - será?
Edyth Cooper, Edyth Cooper
Sem você eu vou me borrar de tinta
Eu vou me pintar de gesso

Eu vou me engessar de cola
Eu vou descolar de medo

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Gilberto Gil's song "Edyth Cooper" describe the life of a woman who is an artist and lives in her own world of creativity. The first few lines of the song portray the woman's appearance as "baroque angel wings", "angel cheeks", and "angel buttocks", followed by "old brushes" and "trinkets", suggesting that she is an artist who works in her own studio surrounded by her art supplies. The next stanza describes her life in terms of what she eats and how she lives, with "one hundred thousand kings of meat with bone", "one hundred thousand kings of prato cheese", and "one hundred thousand kings of cheap muslin" suggesting that she lives a simple life without excess.

The rest of the lyrics describe the woman's artistic process, with "abstractions" and "colored visions" and scenes of the "dwarf ballet". The most striking imagery in the song is the portrayal of the woman as a "crazy madwoman" who lives in her studio, who creates "obscene obsessions" and "prohibited scenes". The chorus of the song repeats the name "Edyth Cooper" over and over, which further emphasizes the importance of this character in the song.

Overall, "Edyth Cooper" is a song about the life of a woman who is an artist, and who lives her life in service to her art. The lyrics portray the woman as dedicated, creative, and somewhat eccentric, living a simple life in pursuit of her creative vision.

Line by Line Meaning

Asinhas de anjo barroco
Delicate wings of baroque angelic resemblance

Bochechas de anjo barroco
Rosy cheeks of angelic baroque features

Nádegas de anjo barroco
Buttocks of angelic baroque resemblance

Bugigangas, velhos pincéis
Trinkets and old brushes

Cem mil réis de carne com osso
Cheap meat with bones

Cem mil réis de queijo de prato
Cheap cheese

Cem mil réis de filó barato
Cheap fabric

Gesso, cola, tintas, telões
Plaster, glue, paints, and canvases

Abstrações, visões coloridas
Abstract, colorful visions

Cena do balé dos anões
Dance scene of dwarves

No ateliê da louca varrida
In the workshop of a crazy, swept-away woman