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.
E A Gente Sonhando
Milton Nascimento Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
De um sol se entregando a um espaço de um céu assim
Alma do longo das ruas, vivendo uma vida que está pra ter fim
Gente reclama de tudo
Tristeza enfrentando
Acha tempo pra rir
Corre errante seu mundo
Vida inteira a partir
Há quem muito sofre, porque quer sofrer
Há quem muito chora ou que quer chorar
Há quem não quer nada e de tudo tem
E tendo de tudo, nunca tem ninguém
Gente de noite surgindo
Um sol foi sumindo e uma lua chegando
Muitos são lua no dia
Outros sol pela noite
E a gente sonhando
Sonhando...
The lyrics of Milton Nascimento's "E A Gente Sonhando" poetically describe the human condition of living and dreaming amidst the passing of time. The first verse portrays the fleeting nature of life and the sky that stretches above us. People walk along the streets, living a life that is inevitably drawing to a close. We are all like the sun - we rise and fall, but the sky remains the constant witness to our passing.
The second verse speaks to the paradoxes of life. People complain about everything and face sadness and hardship, yet they find time to laugh and enjoy themselves. Some people seem to have everything but feel empty inside, while others have very little but are content. The lyrics suggest that our experiences are determined by our own attitudes and desires.
The final verse brings together these themes of life, time, and human nature, with the day giving way to night and the sun to the moon. Many people can shift from one state to the other, like a "sun" by day and a "moon" by night, while others always remain in one position. Nevertheless, we keep dreaming through it all, perhaps because dreams offer a sense of hope, freedom, and adventure that transcend the constraints of our lives.
Overall, Nascimento's lyrics encourage us to reflect on how we are living our lives and what we want to achieve. They remind us that time is short and that our experiences are shaped by our choices and attitudes. Finally, they suggest that even amidst the passing of time, we can still find moments of beauty, meaning, and joy through our dreams and aspirations.
Line by Line Meaning
Gente de um dia se abrindo
People opening up to a day that is beginning.
De um sol se entregando a um espaço de um céu assim
The sun giving itself into a space of a sky like this.
Alma do longo das ruas, vivendo uma vida que está pra ter fim
Spirit of the long streets, living a life that is about to end.
Gente reclama de tudo
People complain about everything.
Tristeza enfrentando
Facing sadness.
Acha tempo pra rir
Finding time to laugh.
Corre errante seu mundo
Running aimlessly through their world.
Toda vida chegando
All life arriving.
Vida inteira a partir
Whole life starting over.
Há quem muito sofre, porque quer sofrer
There are those who suffer a lot, because they want to suffer.
Há quem muito chora ou que quer chorar
There are those who cry a lot or want to cry.
Há quem não quer nada e de tudo tem
There are those who want nothing and have everything.
E tendo de tudo, nunca tem ninguém
And having everything, they never have anyone.
Gente de noite surgindo
People emerging at night.
Um sol foi sumindo e uma lua chegando
A sun disappearing and a moon arriving.
Muitos são lua no dia
Many are moon during the day.
Outros sol pela noite
Others are sun during the night.
E a gente sonhando
And people dreaming.
Sonhando...
Dreaming...
Contributed by Lauren H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.