Milton Nascimento (born 26 October, 1942) is a Brazilian songwriter, singer… Read Full Bio ↴Milton Nascimento (born 26 October, 1942) is a Brazilian songwriter, singer, and guitarist, who is considered one of the foremost icons of Brazilian popular music. His work spans a multitude of genres, from contemporary folk to jazz, and is often rooted in the traditional and indigenous music of the country.

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.

Frenesí
Milton Nascimento Lyrics

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Bésame tú a mí
Bésame igual que mi boca te besó
Dame el frenesí
Que mi locura te dió
Quién si no fui yo
Pudo enseñarte el camino del amor
Muerta mi altivez
Cuando mi orgullo rodó a tus pies

Quiero que vivas solo para mí
Y que tu vayas por donde yo voy
Para que mi alma sea no más de ti
Bésame con frenesí
Dame la luz que tiene tu mirar
Y la ansiedad que entre tus labios vi
Esa locura de vivir y amar
Que es más que amor frenesí
Hay en el beso que te di
Alma piedad corazón
Dime que sabes tu sentir
Lo mismo que siento yo

Quiero que vivas solo para mí
Y que tu vayas por donde yo voy

Para que mi alma sea no más de ti
Bésame con frenesí

Overall Meaning

In Milton Nascimento's iconic song Frenesi, the singer passionately sings about a deep desire to be loved and to receive the same intensity in return. The lyrics speak directly to a lover, asking them to kiss with the same fervor that the singer has given to them. The singer acknowledges their own vulnerability, admitting that their pride has fallen at the feet of their beloved. The chorus exclaims the desire for the lover to live only for the singer and to follow them wherever they go so that their soul may belong solely to the singer. The song is full of adoration, desperation, and the raw emotion of a love that is all-consuming.

The lyrics of Frenesi display the yearning and intensity of young love. The singer's plea for his beloved to live solely for him shows how strongly he feels about their relationship. His desire for the same level of affection from his lover conveys the depth of his love for them. The metaphor of "frenesi" (which translates to frenzy) portrays the overwhelming sense of passion that emanates from the singer's heart. The song is timeless in its depiction of the all-consuming effects of love.

Line by Line Meaning

Bésame tú a mí
Kiss me, just like I kissed you

Bésame igual que mi boca te besó
Kiss me in the same way that I kissed you

Dame el frenesí
Give me the frenzy

Que mi locura te dió
That my madness gave you

Quién si no fui yo
Who other than me

Pudo enseñarte el camino del amor
Could have taught you the way of love

Muerta mi altivez
My arrogance has died

Cuando mi orgullo rodó a tus pies
When my pride fell at your feet

Quiero que vivas solo para mí
I want you to live only for me

Y que tu vayas por donde yo voy
And that you go where I go

Para que mi alma sea no más de ti
So that my soul belongs exclusively to you