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.
Vou andando
Jorge Ben Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Andando, eu vou
Eu vou andando sem saber
Até encontrar o meu amor
Que foi-se embora sem dizer adeus
Que jurou pra mim ser só meu
Amor!
Meu amor, volta pra mim
Não posso mais, não quero viver assim
Sem o meu céu
Sem a minha luz
Sem o meu sol
Sem você
Que é toda a razão do meu viver
Meu amor!
Jorge Ben's song "Vou andando" is a classic Brazilian samba tune from the 1970s that speaks to the melancholic search for lost love. The song opens with the singer walking aimlessly, not sure where exactly he is going. He then expresses his desire to find his love who left without saying goodbye, claiming to have been faithful to him. The chorus repeats the phrase "I'm walking, I'm walking" as a metaphor for the singer's journey of self-discovery and search for his lost love.
In the second verse, the singer directly addresses his love, begging her to come back to him because he cannot imagine living without her. He begs her to return the joy and light that she brought to his life, which he now sorely misses. The overall mood of the song is one of sadness, contemplation, and longing, with the singer using his physical journey as a metaphor for his emotional one.
Line by Line Meaning
Eu vou andando sem saber aonde ir
I am walking without any direction or purpose
Andando, eu vou
I keep on walking
Eu vou andando sem saber
I am just wandering aimlessly
Até encontrar o meu amor
Until I find my love
Que foi-se embora sem dizer adeus
My love left without saying goodbye
Que jurou pra mim ser só meu
And promised to only be mine
Meu amor!
My love!
Meu amor, volta pra mim
My love, come back to me
Não posso mais, não quero viver assim
I can't and don't want to live like this anymore
Sem o meu céu
Without my sky
Sem a minha luz
Without my light
Sem o meu sol
Without my sun
Sem você
Without you
Que é toda a razão do meu viver
You are the only reason for my existence
Meu amor!
My love!
Contributed by Mila E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.