When she was twelve, her father gave her a guitar since he was worried about her being shy. Popular musician and composer Patricio Teixeira and classical guitarist Solon Ayala were her teachers. While still a teenager, she met a number of singers and composers who took part of Bossa Nova's musical revolution, in late 50s and early 60s, including Roberto Menescal, Carlos Lyra, Ronaldo Bôscoli, João Gilberto and Antônio Carlos Jobim.
By 1963, after singing as an amateur for a few years, she became a professional and toured with Sergio Mendes. In the mid-1960s, the institution of military dictatorship in Brazil led her to sing increasingly political lyrics. Her show "Opinião" reflected her political beliefs and she had largely switched to political music by this point. In 1964, she even spoke against bossa nova as a movement, calling it "alienating". In 1968, being part of the Tropicália movement, she appeared on the album Tropicália: ou Panis et Circenses, performing "Lindonéia."
She later left Brazil for Paris and in the 1970s abandoned music to focus on her family. She returned to music later and when she discovered, in 1979, that she had an inoperable brain tumor she increased her productivity as much as possible. She died in 1989, leaving a great legacy behind her succesful years of career.
Mal-me-quer
Nara Leão Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Se meu bem ainda me quer
E ele então me respondeu que não
Chorei, mas depois eu melembrei
Que a flor também é uma mulher
Que nunca teve coração
A flor mulher iludiu meu coração
O meu amor é uma flor ainda em botão
O seu amor é só meu de mais ninguém
Intr:
Eu perguntei ao mal-me-quer
Se meu bem ainda me quer
E ele então me respondeu que não
Chorei, mas depois eu melembrei
Que a flor também é uma mulher
Que nunca teve coração
A flor mulher iludiu meu coração
O meu amor é uma flor ainda em botão
O seu olhar diz que ela me quer
O seu amor é só meu de mais ninguém
In Nara Leão's "Mal-me-quer," the singer asks the "he-loves-me-not" flower if her lover still cares for her. The flower responds negatively, and the singer is initially saddened by the news. However, she remembers that the flower is also a woman who has never loved anyone, despite her beauty. The singer is ultimately hopeful that her lover still wants her, as his gaze indicates, and that no one else can have his heart.
Through the metaphor of the flower, Leão explores the unpredictability and fickleness of love. The singer asks the flower about her lover, suggesting that her feelings are based on chance or luck, rather than real commitment or emotion. The theme of appearances versus reality is also present, as the flower appears beautiful on the surface but lacks a heart. The singer's recognition that she is like the flower suggests an understanding of the complexity of love, as well as a willingness to keep hoping and pursuing her lover.
Overall, "Mal-me-quer" is a song about the ups and downs of love, and the many factors that influence one's feelings and actions. Through the metaphor of the flower, Leão creates a powerful and emotional story that resonates with anyone who has experienced the uncertainty of romantic relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Eu perguntei ao mal-me-quer
I asked the daisy
Se meu bem ainda me quer
If my love still loves me
E ele então me respondeu que não
And it answered no
Chorei, mas depois eu me lembrei
I cried, but then I remembered
Que a flor também é uma mulher
That the flower is also a woman
Que nunca teve coração
Who never had a heart
A flor mulher iludiu meu coração
The flower woman fooled my heart
O meu amor é uma flor ainda em botão
My love is still a bud
O seu olhar diz que ela me quer
Her gaze tells me she wants me
O seu amor é só meu de mais ninguém
Her love is only mine, and no one else's
Contributed by Sophia I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.