An uncommon artist with an uncommon sopranino voice, Ney Matogrosso fell in the Brazilian popular music scene like a bomb in the '70s aboard the Secos & Molhados. The end of the group marked the beginning of a fertile and successful solo career in which he began exploring his sensuous and charismatic persona through satiric and ironic repertories. As time passed, he substituted self-contained and deeply sensitive interpretations of classics for the popular and classical Brazilian music. Along with his representative and prolific solo discography, for which he received three platinum and three gold records, Matogrosso recorded in Itália with Astor Piazzola, performed in Argentina, Uruguay, participated in two Montreux Jazz Festivals (Switzerland), and toured Portugal several times. He also performed in Israel and the U.S., but always refused invitations to develop an international career. Matogrosso also worked as an actor in Sonho de Valsa (by Ana Carolina, the director, not the singer/composer) and Caramujo Flor (short subject by Joel Pizzini), and directed shows by RPM, Cazuza, and Simone.
Arriving in Rio de Janeiro in 1966, Matogrosso became a hippie leather artisan and divided his time between Rio, São Paulo, and Brasília, where he was a close friend of singer/composer Luli. Through her he met João Ricardo, who had a vision for a groundbreaking group and was searching for a high-pitched male voice. Invited by Ricardo, Matogrosso moved to São Paulo where he spent one year dedicating himself to exhaustive rehearsals, artisanship, and theater plays. With the explosive success of Secos e Molhados and the group's final dissolution, Matogrosso started his solo career exploring his unusual voice timbre, his mesmerizing scenic persona, and his androgynous visuals, enhanced by innovative and exotic costumes. A second solo album, Água do Céu - Pássaro, was supported by the show Homem de Neanderthal, in 1975, with which Matogrosso opened in Rio de Janeiro, drawing both raves and packed houses. "Barco Negro" and "Homem com H" appeared amongst considerable polemics aroused by the usual conservatives on duty. In that period, he worked with Astor Piazzola in Milan, Italy, where he recorded a double single with the Argentinean composer. A cleaner Matogrosso recorded Bandido in 1976, having his first national hit as a solo artist with "Bandido Corazón," written especially for him by Rita Lee.
Coração
Ney Matogrosso Lyrics
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Quero a felicidade nos olhos de um pai
Quero a alegria muita gente feliz
Quero que a justiça reine em meu país
Quero a liberdade, quero o vinho e o pão
Quero ser amizade, quero amor, prazer
Quero nossa cidade sempre ensolarada
Os meninos e o povo no poder, eu quero ver
São José da Costa Rica, coração civil
Me inspire no meu sonho de amor Brasil
Se o poeta é o que sonha o que vai ser real
Bom sonhar coisas boas que o homem faz
E esperar pelos frutos no quintal
Sem polícia, nem a milícia, nem feitiço, cadê poder?
Viva a preguiça, viva a malícia que só a gente é que sabe ter
Assim dizendo a minha utopia eu vou levando a vida
Eu vou viver bem melhor
Doido pra ver o meu sonho teimoso, um dia se realizar
The lyrics to Ney Matogrosso's song "Coração" express the desire for a world filled with utopia and happiness. The singer lists out his wishes for a better world, including joy, justice, freedom, friendship, love, pleasure, and power to the people. He references São José, a city in Costa Rica known for its civil heart, and hopes that its spirit will inspire his dream for a better Brazil. The song calls for a life without the presence of police or militia, instead preferring laziness and cunning. The singer acknowledges the unlikelihood of his dreams becoming a reality but continues to hold onto hope that one day, his desire for a better life will come true.
The lyrics of "Coração" reflect the political and social turmoil of Brazil during the time of its release. In the late 1970s, Brazil was under military rule and censorship, which led to a rise in political activism and opposition to the government. Ney Matogrosso, who was known for his provocative and politically charged music, was a prominent figure in this movement. "Coração" became an anthem for many Brazilians who shared the same desires for a better world.
Line by Line Meaning
Quero a utopia, quero tudo e mais
I desire an ideal world, where everything and more is possible
Quero a felicidade nos olhos de um pai
I wish for joy in the eyes of a father
Quero a alegria muita gente feliz
I want everyone to be happy and filled with joy
Quero que a justiça reine em meu país
I wish for justice to prevail in my country
Quero a liberdade, quero o vinho e o pão
I desire freedom, wine, and bread
Quero ser amizade, quero amor, prazer
I want to embody friendship, love, and pleasure
Quero nossa cidade sempre ensolarada
I wish for our city to always be sunny
Os meninos e o povo no poder, eu quero ver
I want to see the power in the hands of children and the people
São José da Costa Rica, coração civil
São José of Costa Rica, the civil heart
Me inspire no meu sonho de amor Brasil
Inspire me in my dream of love for Brazil
Se o poeta é o que sonha o que vai ser real
If the poet dreams of what will become real
Bom sonhar coisas boas que o homem faz
It's good to dream of the good things that humans can do
E esperar pelos frutos no quintal
And wait for the fruits in the backyard
Sem polícia, nem a milícia, nem feitiço, cadê poder?
Without the police, nor the military, nor magic, where is the power?
Viva a preguiça, viva a malícia que só a gente é que sabe ter
Long live laziness, long live the cleverness that only we know how to have
Assim dizendo a minha utopia eu vou levando a vida
Thus, I speak of my utopia as I go through life
Eu vou viver bem melhor
I will live much better
Doido pra ver o meu sonho teimoso, um dia se realizar
Crazy to see my stubborn dream come true one day
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Milton Nascimento, Fernando Brant
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind