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.
Saídas e Bandeiras nº 2
Milton Nascimento Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
O que vocês fariam pra sair dessa maré?
O que era pedra vira corpo
Quem vai ser o segundo a me responder?
Andar por avenidas enfrentando o que não dá mais pé
Juntar todas as forças pra vencer essa maré
O que era pedra vira homem
In Milton Nascimento's song Saídas e Bandeiras nº 2, the lyrics talk about a difficult situation that needs to be overcome. The first two lines ask the listener what they would do in a situation where things are not going well and seem impossible to continue. The following lines suggest finding a way out of this difficult situation or "maré" (sea tide) by turning "what was a stone into a body" or transforming something hard and unyielding into something alive and malleable. The final line speaks directly to the listener, asking who will be the second person to respond to this call to action.
Overall, the lyrics evoke a sense of urgency and the need for action. The use of imagery, such as the transforming of a stone into a body, conveys the idea that even the most difficult situation can be overcome with persistence and determination. The final line suggests that the success of this endeavor relies on people working together and responding to the call to action.
Line by Line Meaning
O que vocês diriam dessa coisa que não dá mais pé?
What would you say about this hopeless situation?
O que vocês fariam pra sair dessa maré?
What would you do to overcome this difficult moment?
O que era pedra vira corpo
What was once a stone becomes a man
Quem vai ser o segundo a me responder?
Who will be the second one to answer me?
Andar por avenidas enfrentando o que não dá mais pé
Walking through avenues facing what seems impossible
Juntar todas as forças pra vencer essa maré
Gathering all our strength to overcome this difficult moment
O que era pedra vira homem
What was once a stone becomes a man
E um homem é mais sólido que a maré
And a man is more solid than the tide
Contributed by Lily K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.