Nascimento was born in Rio de Janeiro, and grew up in Três Pontas, Minas Gerais. His mother was the maid Maria do Carmo Nascimento. When he was just a few months old, the boy was adopted by the family for whom his mother had previously worked: the couple Josino Brito Campos (a banker, mathematics teacher and electronic technician) and Lília Silva Campos (a music teacher). He lived in the boroughs of Laranjeiras and Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro. When he was 18 months old, his biological mother died and he moved with his adoptive parents to the city of Três Pontas, in the State of Minas Gerais.
In the earlier stages of his career, Nascimento played in two samba groups, Evolussamba and Sambacana. In 1963 he moved to Belo Horizonte, and his friendship with the Borges brothers (Marilton, Márcio e Lô Borges) led to the Clube da Esquina ("corner club") movement. Other members included Beto Guedes, Toninho Horta, Wagner Tiso, and Flavio Venturini.
Nascimento is famous for his chime-clear falsetto and tonal range, as well for highly acclaimed songs such as "Canção da América" ("Song from America") and "Coração de Estudante" ("Student's Heart"). The lyrics of "Coração de Estudante" remembers the funeral of the student Edson Luís, killed by police officers in 1968. The song became the hymn for the diretas Já campaign in 1984 and it was also played in the funeral of the late president Tancredo Neves the next year, who died before assuming the presidency.
While his reputation within Brazil was firmly established with his Clube da Esquina works, Nascimento's international breakthrough came with his appearance on jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter's 1974 album "Native Dancer". This led to widespread acclaim, and collaborations with American stars such as Paul Simon, James Taylor, and Pat Metheny.
Through his friendship with guitarist Warren Cuccurullo, Nascimento came to work with the pop-rock band Duran Duran in 1993. Nascimento co-wrote and performed (in the Portuguese language) the song "Breath After Breath", featured on the band's 1993 album "Duran Duran". He also performed with the band in concert when they toured in Brazil, in support of that album. Nascimento earned a Grammy award for "Best World Music Album" in 1998 for his album "Nascimento", and was also nominated in 1991 and 1995.
Courage
Milton Nascimento Lyrics
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I didn't have too much to say
I was needing some inspiration
And you just got in my way
I took a shot at an easy target
You were too stunned to say anything
You were the unsuspecting martyr
You were not the most dangerous game
Bring my courage back now
Bring it back to me
I'm tired of being afraid of what I can't change
I want to be living free
Well it could be that I was mistaken
Or maybe I deceived myself
But it's hard to understand somebody
Doesn't want to understand himself
There's an ocean of unlatched windows
And a world of unlocked homes
The only reason anybody can still feel safe
Is most people still knock on the door
Bring my courage back now
Would you bring it back to me
I'm tired of being afraid of what I can't change
I want to be living free
I don't want to be a prisoner
Bound in these chains
Don't want to be a prisoner
I want to be free again
And though we all return to dust
There's a lot of us in a terrible rush
Some take the road to Damascus
Some take the road to Hell
I'll take Highway One to the evergreens
And everything will turn out well
Bring my courage back now
Would you bring it back to me
I'm tired of being afraid of what I can't change
I want to be living free
I don't want to be a prisoner
Bound in these chains
Slave to my fear
I want to be free again
I want to be free again
In "Courage" by Milton Nascimento, the singer is reflecting on a conversation they had with someone who unintentionally made them feel inadequate. The singer admits to taking an easy shot at the person in response to their own insecurities, causing the other person to become a "martyr" of sorts. The singer then laments their own fear and lack of courage, wishing for it to be restored so they can be liberated from the chains of their own anxieties. They recognize that their fear is limiting their ability to live freely and reach their full potential.
The second verse expands on the idea of fear and limitations. The singer suggests that perhaps people only feel safe because most people still knock on doors rather than enter without permission. They acknowledge that understanding oneself can be difficult, and that there are many possibilities and opportunities available in life. However, they still feel bound by their own fears and limitations. The bridge of the song acknowledges that we will all eventually return to dust, but also notes that many of us are in a hurry to get there.
Overall, "Courage" is a song about the internal struggles that hold us back from living boldly and reaching our full potential. It acknowledges the difficulty of understanding oneself and the ways in which we unintentionally hurt others when we feel insecure. The singer expresses a desire to break free from their chains and find the courage to live freely.
Line by Line Meaning
At the start of the conversation
At the beginning of this interaction
I didn't have too much to say
I didn't have a lot to contribute
I was needing some inspiration
I was in search of inspiration
And you just got in my way
But you became an obstacle
I took a shot at an easy target
So I went after an easy target
You were too stunned to say anything
You were too shocked to reply
You were the unsuspecting martyr
But you ended up being the victim
You were not the most dangerous game
You weren't the most difficult opponent
Bring my courage back now
Help me regain my courage
Bring it back to me
Bring it back into my life
I'm tired of being afraid of what I can't change
I'm exhausted from being fearful of things I can't control
I want to be living free
I want to live without any constraints
Well it could be that I was mistaken
Perhaps I was mistaken
Or maybe I deceived myself
Or maybe I lied to myself
But it's hard to understand somebody
It's difficult to comprehend a person
Doesn't want to understand himself
Who doesn't want to understand themselves
There's an ocean of unlatched windows
There are many opportunities available
And a world of unlocked homes
And many open doors in this world
The only reason anybody can still feel safe
The only reason people feel secure
Is most people still knock on the door
Is because most people still follow the proper procedure
Would you bring it back to me
Can you please help me restore my bravery
I don't want to be a prisoner
I don't wish to be confined
Bound in these chains
Or trapped by these limitations
Slave to my fear
To be enslaved to my fears
I want to be free again
I desire to regain my liberty
And though we all return to dust
Despite the fact that we all eventually die
There's a lot of us in a terrible rush
Many of us are in a great hurry
Some take the road to Damascus
Some individuals choose a spiritual path
Some take the road to Hell
While others choose a path of evil
I'll take Highway One to the evergreens
I will take an alternative, scenic route
And everything will turn out well
And everything will work out better in the end
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: GLEN PHILLIPS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind