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.
Labirinto
Gilberto Gil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Contrabandearei tudo
O que penso e o que sinto
Pelo imenso labirinto
Sem fim maior ô ô ô
Do que o labirinto
Do minotauro em Creta
Esta lei ninguém decreta
Será que o profeta
Sempre prega no deserto?
Eis por que talvez
Você nunca esteja aqui por perto
Mas estas coisas assim
Nós nunca jamais vamos saber ao certo
Ô ô ô ô
Ô ô ô ô
Gilberto Gil's song Labirinto, written by Jorge Mautner & Nelson Jacobina, is a lyrical reflection on the complexities of understanding one's own thoughts and feelings, and the ways that these internal states can lead us through the winding paths of life. The lyrics speak to the idea of smuggling one's own ideas and emotions, as if they were contraband, through the labyrinth of existence. This sense of illicitness is further emphasized in the comparison to the labyrinth of the minotaur in Creta, as if finding one's way through the twists and turns of life were a kind of dangerous game.
But despite the difficulties of navigating this labyrinth, the singer of the song is drawn inexorably forward by the law of love, a force beyond human control. This law is not something that can be decreed by any authority, but rather something that exists outside of human comprehension. The reference to the prophet preaching in the desert suggests that this law is not something that is readily accessible or understandable, and that it may require a certain amount of spiritual or emotional insight to grasp.
Ultimately, the song suggests a sense of uncertainty and ambiguity about the forces that guide us through life, and the ways that we make our way through the world. The repetitions of the chorus, with its indistinct sounds of "Ô ô ô ô", suggest a kind of existential confusion, a sense that the ultimate meaning of our existence may be always beyond our reach. At the same time, the song's sense of mystery and introspection is an invitation to explore the depths of our own emotions and desires, and to embrace the labyrinthine path of our own lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Contrabandearei tudo
I will smuggle everything
O que penso e o que sinto
What I think and what I feel
Pelo imenso labirinto
Through the immense labyrinth
Sem fim maior ô ô ô
Without a greater end
Do que o labirinto
Than the labyrinth
Do minotauro em Creta
Of the minotaur in Crete
A lei do amor me arrasta
The law of love drags me
Esta lei ninguém decreta
No one decrees this law
Será que o profeta
Could it be that the prophet
Sempre prega no deserto?
Always preaches in the desert?
Eis por que talvez
That's why maybe
Você nunca esteja aqui por perto
You are never around here
Mas estas coisas assim
But these things are like this
Nós nunca jamais vamos saber ao certo
We will never know for sure
Ô ô ô ô
Ô ô ô ô
Ô ô ô ô
Ô ô ô ô
Contributed by Henry Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.