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.
Guardanapos de papel
Milton Nascimento Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que chegam sem tambores nem trombetas
Trombetas e sempre aparecem quando
Menos aguardados, guardados, guardados
Entre livros e sapatos, em baús empoeirados
Saem de recônditos lugares, nos ares, nos ares
Onde vivem com seus pares, seus pares
Seus pares e convivem com fantasmas
Que te pintam as olheiras
E te pedem que não chores
Suas ilusões são repartidas, partidas
Partidas entre mortos e feridas, feridas
Feridas mas resistem com palavras
Confundidas, fundidas, fundidas
Ao seu triste passo lento
Pelas ruas e avenidas
Não desejam glórias nem medalhas, medalhas
Medalhas, se contentam
Com migalhas, migalhas, migalhas
De canções e brincadeiras com seus
Versos dispersos, dispersos
Obcecados pela busca de tesouros submersos
Fazem quatrocentos mil projetos
Projetos, projetos, que jamais são
Alcançados, cansados, cansados nada disso
Importa enquanto eles escrevem, escrevem
Escrevem o que sabem que não sabem
E o que dizem que não devem
Andam pelas ruas os poetas, poetas, poetas
Como se fossem cometas, cometas, cometas
Num estranho céu de estrelas idiotas
E outras e outras
Cujo brilho sem barulho
Veste suas caudas tortas
Na minha cidade tem canetas, canetas, canetas
Esvaindo-se em milhares, milhares, milhares
De palavras retrocedendo-se confusas, confusas
Confusas, em delgados guardanapos
Feito moscas inconclusas
Andam pelas ruas escrevendo e vendo e vendo
Que eles vêem nos vão dizendo, dizendo
E sendo eles poetas de verdade
Enquanto espiam e piram e piram
Não se cansam de falar
Do que eles juram que não viram
Olham para o céu esses poetas, poetas, poetas
Como se fossem lunetas, lunetas, lunáticas
Lançadas ao espaço e ao mundo inteiro
Inteiro, inteiro, fossem vendo pra
Depois voltar pro Rio de Janeiro
Guardanapos de Papel by Milton Nascimento speaks of poets in the artist's hometown who appear unexpectedly when least expected. These poets are described as creative individuals who thrive in their own company, whether in dusty shoeboxes or pages of books. They emerge from obscure places that only they and their kindred spirits inhabit, and they are often surrounded by multi-colored ghosts and illusions that inspire their creativity.
Through the use of powerful and emotive words, the lyrics describe how the poets live a life of struggle, fueled by their desire to see the world in their own unique way. They exist on the margins of society, finding hope in the smallest joys and comforts of life. Rather than seeking fame and fortune, these poets find solace in their writing, expressing their deepest thoughts and feelings in their verses.
Ultimately, the song is an ode to the beauty and power of words. The poets that populate its lyrics embody the essence of artistry, using their words to create something magical and meaningful from the turmoil of daily life.
Line by Line Meaning
Na minha cidade tem poetas, poetas
There are poets in my city, poets.
Que chegam sem tambores nem trombetas
They arrive without drums or trumpets.
Trombetas e sempre aparecem quando
Always appearing when
Menos aguardados, guardados, guardados
they are least expected, hidden, hidden
Entre livros e sapatos, em baús empoeirados
Among books and shoes, in dusty trunks,
Saem de recônditos lugares, nos ares, nos ares
they come from remote places, in the air, in the air
Onde vivem com seus pares, seus pares
Where they live with their peers, their peers
Seus pares e convivem com fantasmas
Their peers and they associate with ghosts
Multicores de cores, de cores
Multicolored colors, colors
Que te pintam as olheiras
That paint your dark circles
E te pedem que não chores
And ask you not to cry
Suas ilusões são repartidas, partidas
Their illusions are divided, shattered
Partidas entre mortos e feridas, feridas
Split between the dead and the wounded, wounded
Feridas mas resistem com palavras
Wounded, but they resist with words
Confundidas, fundidas, fundidas
Confused, merged, merged
Ao seu triste passo lento
At their slow, sad pace
Pelas ruas e avenidas
Through streets and avenues
Não desejam glórias nem medalhas, medalhas
They don't desire glory or medals, medals
Medalhas, se contentam
Medals, they are happy
Com migalhas, migalhas, migalhas
With breadcrumbs, breadcrumbs, breadcrumbs
De canções e brincadeiras com seus Versos dispersos, dispersos
Of songs and games with their scattered verses, scattered
Obcecados pela busca de tesouros submersos
Obsessed with the search for hidden treasures
Fazem quatrocentos mil projetos
They make four hundred thousand projects
Projetos, projetos, que jamais são
Projects, projects, that are never
Alcançados, cansados, cansados nada disso
Reached, tired, tired, none of that matters
Importa enquanto eles escrevem, escrevem
It matters while they write, write
Escrevem o que sabem que não sabem
They write what they know they don't know
E o que dizem que não devem
And what they say they shouldn't
Andam pelas ruas os poetas, poetas, poetas
The poets walk through the streets, poets, poets
Como se fossem cometas, cometas, cometas
As if they were comets, comets, comets
Num estranho céu de estrelas idiotas
In a strange sky of idiotic stars
E outras e outras
And others, and others
Cujo brilho sem barulho
Whose brightness is silent
Veste suas caudas tortas
Dresses their crooked tails
Na minha cidade tem canetas, canetas, canetas
In my city there are pens, pens, pens
Esvaindo-se em milhares, milhares, milhares
Vanishing into thousands, thousands, thousands
De palavras retrocedendo-se confusas, confusas
Of words receding in confusion, confusion
Confusas, em delgados guardanapos
Confused, on thin napkins
Feito moscas inconclusas
Like inconclusive flies
Andam pelas ruas escrevendo e vendo e vendo
They walk through the streets writing and seeing and seeing
Que eles vêem nos vão dizendo, dizendo
Telling us what they see, telling us
E sendo eles poetas de verdade
And being true poets
Enquanto espiam e piram e piram
While spying and going crazy and going crazy
Não se cansam de falar
They never tire of talking
Do que eles juram que não viram
About what they swear they didn't see
Olham para o céu esses poetas, poetas, poetas
These poets look at the sky, poets, poets
Como se fossem lunetas, lunetas, lunáticas
As if they were telescopes, telescopes, lunatics
Lançadas ao espaço e ao mundo inteiro
Launched into space and the whole world
Inteiro, inteiro, fossem vendo pra
Whole, whole, seeing for
Depois voltar pro Rio de Janeiro
Then return to Rio de Janeiro
Contributed by Maya E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.