His characteristic style fuses rock and roll, samba, bossa nova, jazz, maracatu, funk, ska and even hip hop, with lyrics that mix humor and satire, as well as themes esoteric. Jorge's work has a unique importance for Brazilian music, as it incorporates new elements in swing and guitar playing, with characteristics of North American rock, soul and funk. Furthermore, he brought Arab and African influences, coming from his mother, born in Ethiopia.
He influenced sambalanço and samba-rock and was covered and honored by countless exponents of the new generations of Brazilian music, such as Mundo Livre S/A, Os Paralamas do Sucesso, Skank, Fernanda Abreu, Racionais MC's and Belô Velloso. Jorge Ben Jor exploded with the song "Mas, Que Nada!" and, soon after, ratified his talent with another great hit, "Chove Chuva". Two songs that were neither bossa nova nor samba. Purists thought his music was too modern. It was difficult for musicians at the time to follow him, so much so that his first albums were recorded with a group that played samba jazz at Beco das Garrafas, Meirelles e os Copa 5, led by saxophonist J. T. Meirelles.
Eu Vou Torcer
Jorge Ben Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pela alegria, pelo amor
Pelas moças bonitas
Eu vou torcer, eu vou
Pelo inverno, pelo sorriso
Pela primavera, pela namorada
Pelo verão, pelo céu azul
Pelo verde lindo desse mar
Pelas moças bonitas eu vou torcer, eu vou
Eu vou torcer pela paz
Pela alegria, pelo amor
Pelas moças bonitas
Eu vou torcer, eu vou
Pelas coisas úteis que se pode comprar
Com dez cruzeiros
Pelo bem estar, pela compreensão
Pela agricultura celeste, pelo coração
Pelo jardim da cidade, pela sugestão
Pelo Santo Tomás de Aquino
Pelo meu irmão
Pelo Gato Barbieri
Pelo mengão
Pelo meu amigo que sofre do coração
Pelas moças bonitas
Eu vou torcer, eu vou
Eu vou torcer pela paz
Pela alegria, pelo amor
Pelas moças bonitas
Eu vou torcer, eu vou
Pelas dondocas bonitas
Eu vou torcer, eu vou
The lyrics to Jorge Ben's song "Eu Vou Torcer" express the singer's desire to root for all things positive and beautiful in the world. The first stanza emphasizes his support for peace, joy, love, and beautiful women. He repeats his intention to root for these things in the chorus. The second stanza dives deeper into specific examples of what he wants to cheer on. He mentions seasons, smiles, girlfriends, blue skies, autumn, dignity, and the gorgeous green sea. He then segues to rooting for things money can buy, such as well-being and understanding. He follows this by expressing his support for things that cannot be bought, like celestial agriculture, hearts, city gardens, and the philosopher Saint Thomas Aquinas. He makes a personal invocation to root for his brother, Gato Barbieri (an Argentine saxophonist popular in Brazil at the time), the Flamengo soccer club, and a friend who is suffering from heart problems. He ends where he began, rooting for beautiful women ("moças bonitas") and adding "dondocas bonitas" (beautiful high-class women) to the mix.
Overall, "Eu Vou Torcer" appears to be a joyful celebration of life, expressing a whimsical desire to root for everything that is positive, beautiful, and meaningful. The song's upbeat rhythms and catchy melody reinforce this message of optimism and hope.
Line by Line Meaning
Eu vou torcer pela paz
I will cheer for peace
Pela alegria, pelo amor
For joy, for love
Pelas moças bonitas
For beautiful girls
Eu vou torcer, eu vou
I will cheer, I will
Pelo inverno, pelo sorriso
For winter, for smiles
Pela primavera, pela namorada
For spring, for my girlfriend
Pelo verão, pelo céu azul
For summer, for the blue sky
Pelo outono, pela dignidade
For autumn, for dignity
Pelo verde lindo desse mar
For the beautiful green of this sea
Pelas moças bonitas eu vou torcer, eu vou
I will cheer for beautiful girls
Pelas coisas úteis que se pode comprar
For useful things one can buy
Com dez cruzeiros
With ten cruzeiros
Pelo bem estar, pela compreensão
For well-being, for understanding
Pela agricultura celeste, pelo coração
For celestial agriculture, for the heart
Pelo jardim da cidade, pela sugestão
For the city garden, for suggestion
Pelo Santo Tomás de Aquino
For Saint Thomas Aquinas
Pelo meu irmão
For my brother
Pelo Gato Barbieri
For Gato Barbieri
Pelo mengão
For the mengão
Pelo meu amigo que sofre do coração
For my friend who suffers from heart problems
Pelas dondocas bonitas
For the beautiful ladies
Contributed by Kaylee G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.