A self-taught guitarist and singer, Gilberto moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1950 and joined the vocal group Garotos da Lua ("The Boys of the Moon") as their lead singer. After a year and a half, he was kicked out of the group for his lack of discipline and spent the next several years in a marginal existence. Eventually, he found his way, creating a new way to express himself in voice and on the guitar. The result of his obsessive experiments became known as bossa nova.
Bossa nova is a refined version of samba, deemphasizing the percussive aspect of its rhythm and enriching the melodic and harmonic content. Rather than relying on the traditional Afro-Brazilian percussive instruments, bossa nova usually utilizes a drum set. João Gilberto often eschews all accompaniment, using only his guitar, which he uses as a percussive as well as a harmonic instrument. The singing style he developed is almost whispering, economical, and without vibrato. He creates his tempo tensions by singing ahead or behind the guitar.
This style, which Gilberto introduced in 1957, created a sensation in the musical circles of Rio's Zona Sul, and many young guitarists sought to imitate it. It was first heard on record in 1958 when João Gilberto accompanied singer Elizete Cardoso in a recording of "Chega de Saudade", a song by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes. Shortly after this recording, João Gilberto made his own debut single of the same song, followed by the 1959 LP, Chega de Saudade. The song became a hit, launching Gilberto's career and the bossa nova craze.
Besides a number of Jobim compositions, the album Chega de Saudade featured older sambas and popular songs from the 1940s and '50s, all performed in the distinctive bossa nova style. This album was followed by two more in 1960 and 1961, by which time the singer featured new songs by a younger generation of performer/composers such as Carlos Lyra and Roberto Menescal.
By 1962, bossa nova had been embraced by such North American jazz musicians as Herbie Mann, Charlie Byrd, and Stan Getz, who invited Gilberto and Jobim to collaborate on what became one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time, Getz/Gilberto. Through this album, Gilberto's wife, Astrud, became an international star, and the Jobim/de Moraes composition "The Girl from Ipanema" became a worldwide pop music standard for the ages.
João Gilberto continued to perform through the 1960s but did not release another studio album until João Gilberto en México, recorded in 1970 during a period of residence in Mexico. João Gilberto, aka the "White Album" (1973), featured hypnotic minimalist execution and is widely considered to be his best album. The year 1976 saw the release of The Best of Two Worlds, a reunion with Stan Getz, featuring singer Miúcha, sister of Chico Buarque, who had become Gilberto's second wife in April 1965. Amoroso (1977) backed Gilberto with the lush string orchestration of Claus Ogerman, who had provided a similar sound to Jobim's instrumental recordings in the late 1960s and early 1970s. As had been the case for all of Gilberto's albums, the album consisted mostly of Jobim compositions, mixed with older sambas and an occasional North American standard from the 1940s.
Having lived in the US since 1962, João Gilberto returned to Brazil in 1980. The following year saw the release of Brasil, with guests Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, who in the late 1960s had founded the Tropicalia movement, a fusion of Brazilian popular music with foreign pop. The 1991 release, João, with orchestrations by Clare Fischer, was unusual in its lack of even a single Jobim composition, instead featuring songs in English, French, Italian, and Spanish, plus old sambas and the solitary contemporary song "Sampa" (Caetano Veloso). Also released in 1991 was the album Canto Do Pajé by Veloso's sister Maria Bethânia on which Bethânia and Gilberto sing an intimate duet Maria/Linda Flor (Barroso, Peixoto, Vogler, Costa, and Pôrto) accompanied solely by his guitar. João Voz e Violão (2000) was an homage to the music of Gilberto's youth as well as a nod to producer Caetano Veloso.
Evenly interspersed with these studio recordings have been the live recordings, Live in Montreux; João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira; Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar; Live at Umbria Jazz, and Live in Tokyo.
While all of Gilberto's albums since Getz/Gilberto have been released on CD, the first three domestic albums were released in 1988 by EMI on a single CD entitled The Legendary João Gilberto: The Original Bossa Nova Recordings (1958-1961). The disc also included three tracks from the singer's 1959 Orfeu Negro EP: "Manhã de Carnaval," O Nosso Amor, and A Felicidade, the latter two merged into a single medley track to fit within the recording time of a CD. After its release, Gilberto successfully sued to have the title removed from sale as an unauthorized release of his artistic works.
João Gilberto has long had a reputation as an eccentric recluse and a nearly neurotic perfectionist. He lives in an apartment in Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, refusing all interviews and avoiding crowds. He has been known to walk out on performances in response to an audience he considers disrespectful or out of theaters possessing acoustics below his standards, and at times demands that the air conditioning be turned off at concert venues. Yet he continues to perform to sell-out crowds in Brazil as well as in Europe, North America, and Japan.
Discography:
1959 - Chega de Saudade (Odeon)
1960 - O Amor, o Sorriso e a Flor (Odeon)
1961 - João Gilberto (Odeon)
1962 - The Boss of the Bossa Nova (Atlantic)
1963 - The Warm World of João Gilberto (Atlantic)
1964 - Getz/Gilberto (Verve)
1965 - Herbie Mann & João Gilberto (Atlantic)
1974 - João Gilberto en Mexico (PolyGram)
1976 - Best of Two Worlds (Columbia)
1977 - Amoroso (Warner Brothers)
1981 - Brasil (Warner Brothers)
1986 - João Gilberto Live in Montreux (WEA)
1991 - João (PolyGram)
2000 - João Voz e Violão (Universal)
2002 - Live at Umbria Jazz (Egea)
2004 - João Gilberto in Tokyo (Verve)
Se E Por Falta De Adeus
João Gilberto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vá se embora desde já
Se é por falta de adeus
Não precisa mais ficar
Seus olhos vivem dizendo
O que você teima em querer esconder
A tarde parece que chora
Este sonho morrer
Não precisa iludir
Nem fingir e nem chorar
Não precisa dizer
O que eu não quero escutar
Deixe meus olhos vazios
Vazios de sonhos
E dos olhos seus
Não é preciso ficar
Nem querer enganar
Só por falta de adeus
The lyrics to João Gilberto's song "Se E Por Falta De Adeus" convey a deep sense of emotional honesty and introspection. The phrase "Se é por falta de adeus" (If it is for lack of goodbye) suggests a departure or separation, possibly from a romantic relationship or a situation that is no longer sustainable. The tone is calm and resigned, urging the other person to leave if they are unable to say goodbye properly. This lack of closure is causing emotional distress, and the singer acknowledges that it is better to part ways now rather than prolonging the inevitable pain.
The lyrics highlight the struggle between what one feels and what is being expressed outwardly. The line "Seus olhos vivem dizendo o que você teima em querer esconder" (Your eyes keep saying what you insist on wanting to hide) speaks to the contradiction between the unspoken truth and the attempts to conceal genuine feelings. The imagery of the afternoon weeping in sorrow at witnessing the demise of a dream emphasizes the melancholy and irreversible nature of the situation. The singer perceives the futility of pretending and prefers a raw, unadorned reality over false pretenses.
In the following stanzas, the song addresses the futility of deceit and manipulation in interpersonal relationships. The lines "Não precisa iludir / Nem fingir e nem chorar" (There's no need to deceive / Or pretend or cry) underscore the desire for honesty and clarity in communication. The singer urges the other person not to say things they do not truly mean, demonstrating a preference for a clear and honest exchange, even if it means facing uncomfortable truths. This rejection of falsehood and manipulation reflects a commitment to authenticity and integrity in human connections.
The concluding lines of the song emphasize the simplicity and finality of the situation. The plea to "Deixe meus olhos vazios / Vazios de sonhos / E dos olhos seus" (Let my eyes be empty / Empty of dreams / And of yours) conveys a sense of liberation from illusion and false hopes. The repetition of "Só por falta de adeus" (Just for lack of goodbye) poignantly conveys the importance of closure and acceptance in moving forward. Ultimately, the song captures the bittersweet essence of parting ways with grace and honesty, acknowledging the pain of separation while embracing the necessity of letting go for the sake of personal growth and emotional well-being.
Line by Line Meaning
Se é por falta de adeus
If it's because of the lack of a farewell
Vá se embora desde já
Go away right now
Se é por falta de adeus
If it's because of the lack of a farewell
Não precisa mais ficar
You don't need to stay anymore
Seus olhos vivem dizendo
Your eyes keep on saying
O que você teima em querer esconder
What you insist on wanting to hide
A tarde parece que chora
The afternoon seems to cry
Com pena de ver
With sorrow to see
Este sonho morrer
This dream die
Não precisa iludir
You don't need to deceive
Nem fingir e nem chorar
Nor pretend or cry
Não precisa dizer
You don't need to say
O que eu não quero escutar
What I don't want to hear
Deixe meus olhos vazios
Let my eyes empty
Vazios de sonhos
Empty of dreams
E dos olhos seus
And of your eyes
Não é preciso ficar
You don't need to stay
Nem querer enganar
Nor want to deceive
Só por falta de adeus
Just for the absence of a farewell
Lyrics © CORCOVADO MUSIC CORPORATION
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jenifer Lohan
Se é por falta de adeus
Vá se embora desde já
Se é por falta de adeus
Não precisa mais ficar
Seus olhos vivem dizendo
O que você teima em querer esconder
A tarde parece que chora
Com pena de ver
Este sonho morrer
Não precisa iludir
Nem fingir e nem chorar
Não precisa dizer
O que eu não quero escutar
Deixe meus olhos vazios
Vazios de sonhos
E dos olhos seus
Não é preciso ficar
Nem querer enganar
Só por falta de adeus
Paula Priscila
"A tarde parece que chora com pena de ver este sonho morrer
[...]
Deixe meus olhos vazios, vazios de sonhos
E dos olhos seus" 🎶
Vai com Deus, João Gilberto!
Obrigada por tudo que fez pela nossa cultura.
Paula Priscila
@Andrew Adler hahaha obrigada 🌹❤️🎶
Andrew Adler
É tão legal ver seus comentários nesses vários vídeos de Bossa Nova haha
Laodicea Hale
posso ouvi-lo todo o dia , n cansa e relaxa, e nos dá uma paz....é o q sinto...adoooorooo....
Adalberto Queiroz
Eu fui a esse espetáculo. João criou um episódio difícil porque o espaço servia bebidas e ele mandou parar para poder começar o show...Bem João Gilberto. Show que seguiu.
Jenifer Lohan
Se é por falta de adeus
Vá se embora desde já
Se é por falta de adeus
Não precisa mais ficar
Seus olhos vivem dizendo
O que você teima em querer esconder
A tarde parece que chora
Com pena de ver
Este sonho morrer
Não precisa iludir
Nem fingir e nem chorar
Não precisa dizer
O que eu não quero escutar
Deixe meus olhos vazios
Vazios de sonhos
E dos olhos seus
Não é preciso ficar
Nem querer enganar
Só por falta de adeus
jaspion
Esses acordes do João são melódicos, repletos de dissonantes que enriquecem sobremaneira a música.
Guilherme Sá
Droga. Queria ter feito esse comentário antes. ;)
Thiago Henrick
Falou tudo!
Ricardo Mindêllo
GRANDE CRIADOR !! ARTE É ISSO, BELEZA, INOVAÇÃO E ORIGINALIDADE ÚNICA.