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.
Veja Esta Canção
Milton Nascimento Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
eu sei que só sei amar
e é este o meu destino
eu só sei amar, amar, amar
sou assim desde menino
quando a vida era um rio e eu nem sabia do mar
quando meu sonho futuro já era um dia cantar
e o que mais quero e preciso é sempre, sempre
te amar
veja esta canção que existe dentro de mim (3x)
eu sei que só sei amar
e é este o meu destino
eu só sei amar, amar, amar
sou assim desde menino
quando a vida era um rio e eu nem sabia do mar
quando meu sonho futuro já era um dia cantar
eu sei que só sei amar, amar
que mais quero e preciso é sempre, sempre
te amar
In Milton Nascimento's song "Veja Esta Canção," the lyrics express the singer's belief that his destiny is to love. He describes his lifelong passion for love, declaring that he has only ever known how to love and that it is his most fundamental need. The song stresses that the singer's love is constant and eternal, as he sings that he wants and needs to always love.
Throughout the song, Nascimento uses metaphors to describe his love, comparing it to a river that flows into the ocean and to a dream of singing that he had since he was young. The river symbolizes the continuous flow of love, while the dream of singing represents his unyielding desire to love. The soulful and passionate tone of the song reflects the intensity of the singer's emotions towards his love.
Line by Line Meaning
Veja esta canção que existe dentro de mim
This song is a part of me
eu sei que só sei amar
I know that I only know how to love
e é este o meu destino
And this is my destiny
eu só sei amar, amar, amar
I only know how to love, love, love
sou assim desde menino
I've been like this since I was a boy
quando a vida era um rio e eu nem sabia do mar
When life was a river and I didn't even know about the sea
quando meu sonho futuro já era um dia cantar
When my future dream was already to sing one day
que mais quero e preciso é sempre, sempre
What I want and need the most is to always, always
te amar
love you
veja esta canção que existe dentro de mim
This song is a part of me
eu sei que só sei amar,
I know that I only know how to love
amar, amar, amar, sou assim desde menino
Love, love, love, I've been like this since I was a boy
quando a vida era um rio e eu nem sabia do mar
When life was a river and I didn't even know about the sea
quando meu sonho futuro já era um dia cantar
When my future dream was already to sing one day
eu sei que só sei amar, amar
I know that I only know how to love, love
que mais quero e preciso é sempre, sempre
What I want and need the most is to always, always
te amar
love you
Writer(s): Milton Silva Campos Nascimento, Fernando Brant Copyright: Tres Pontas Edicoes Musicais Ltda, Nascimento Edicoes Musicais
Contributed by Adrian G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ethel Lima
O MUNDO,tem cantores incríveis.Mas,só o Brasil,tem Milton Nascimento.
Jesus Is My Eternal Father †
Interpretação perfeita.
Essa música toca profundamente.
Gostaria de ter mais vídeos desta apresentação
Cristiane Pereira
Uma das mais lindas canções de Milton, numa interpretação magistral.
Reginaldo Mirabello
Profundamente emocionado! Arranjo maravilhoso!
Antonio Eustaquio do Carmo
Está música espelha o Bituca. Eu sei que só sei amar. Tem a alma dele. Lindo de viver. A orquestra deu o brilho merecido. Gratidão aos músicos e ao Bituca.
Donna Caetana
Me arrepio ao ouvir está musica
Marta Martinha
Bravo! 👏👏
Larissa Moreira
Adoraria conseguir o DVD desse show! É lindo!
Larissa Moreira
@Antônio César eu vi esse show pela TV também! Comprei o CD. Uma pena! Deveriam lançar esse material. É lindíssimo! Obrigada pelo retorno! ❤️
Antônio César
Oi Larissa, infelizmente esse show não foi lançado em DVD, eu gravei quando passou na TV Cultura em 1995.