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.
Gita
Ney Matogrosso Lyrics
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Foi justamente num sonho que Ele me falou
Às vezes você me pergunta
Por que é que eu sou tão calado
Não falo de amor quase nada
Nem fico sorrindo ao teu lado
Me come, me cospe, me deixa
Talvez você não entenda
Mas hoje eu vou lhe mostrar
Eu sou a luz das estrelas
Eu sou a cor do luar
Eu sou as coisas da vida
Eu sou o medo de amar
Eu sou o medo do fraco
A força da imaginação
O blefe do jogador
Eu sou, eu fui, eu vou
Eu sou o seu sacrifício
A placa de contramão
O sangue no olhar do vampiro
E as juras de maldição
Eu sou a vela que acende
Eu sou a luz que se apaga
Eu sou a beira do abismo
Eu sou o tudo e o nada
Por que você me pergunta?
Perguntas não vão lhe mostrar
Que eu sou feito da terra
Do fogo, da água e do ar
Você me tem todo dia
Mas não sabe se é bom ou ruim
Mas saiba que eu estou em você
Mas você não está em mim
Das telhas, eu sou o telhado
A pesca do pescador
A letra A tem meu nome
Dos sonhos, eu sou o amor
Eu sou a dona de casa
Nos pegue-pagues do mundo
Eu sou a mão do carrasco
Sou raso, largo, profundo
Eu sou a mosca da sopa
E o dente do tubarão
Eu sou os olhos do cego
E a cegueira da visão
Mas eu sou o amargo da língua
A mãe, o pai e o avô
O filho que ainda não veio
O início, o fim e o meio
O início, o fim e o meio
Eu sou o início, o fim e o meio
Eu sou o início, o fim e o meio
The lyrics of Ney Matogrosso's song "Gita" delve into complex themes that explore the multifaceted nature of human existence. The singer describes a spiritual journey across the world, seeking answers and enlightenment. The reference to a dream where a higher power speaks to the singer suggests a mystical, otherworldly connection that guides their path.
The lyrics touch upon the duality and contradictions within human emotions and experiences. The singer reflects on their quiet demeanor, lack of overt expressions of love, and the internal struggles that shape their identity. There is a sense of introspection and depth as they navigate the complexities of relationships and self-discovery.
Through vivid imagery, the singer embodies various elements of the universe and human experiences. They are portrayed as the light of the stars, the color of the moon, and the essence of life itself. This portrayal extends to encompass both fears and strengths, highlighting the paradoxical nature of human existence.
The chorus becomes a meditative reflection on the interconnectedness of all things, emphasizing the unity and diversity within the singer's identity. They assert their presence in the world, embodying elements of nature, emotions, and metaphysical concepts. The repetition of "Eu sou o início, o fim e o meio" reinforces the cyclical nature of life and the singer's continual evolution and transformation. Ultimately, the lyrics of "Gita" convey a profound exploration of self, existence, and the interplay between light and darkness within the human soul.
Line by Line Meaning
Eu que já andei pelos quatro cantos do mundo procurando
I, who have traveled to the four corners of the world searching
Foi justamente num sonho que Ele me falou
It was precisely in a dream that He spoke to me
Às vezes você me pergunta
Sometimes you ask me
Por que é que eu sou tão calado
Why am I so quiet
Não falo de amor quase nada
I don't talk about love almost at all
Nem fico sorrindo ao teu lado
Nor do I stay smiling by your side
Você pensa em mim toda hora
You think of me all the time
Me come, me cospe, me deixa
You devour me, then spit me out, then leave me
Talvez você não entenda
Perhaps you don't understand
Mas hoje eu vou lhe mostrar
But today I will show you
Eu sou a luz das estrelas
I am the light of the stars
Eu sou a cor do luar
I am the color of the moonlight
Eu sou as coisas da vida
I am the things of life
Eu sou o medo de amar
I am the fear of love
Eu sou o medo do fraco
I am the fear of the weak
A força da imaginação
The strength of imagination
O blefe do jogador
The bluff of the player
Eu sou, eu fui, eu vou
I am, I was, I will be
Eu sou o seu sacrifício
I am your sacrifice
A placa de contramão
The wrong way sign
O sangue no olhar do vampiro
The blood in the vampire's gaze
E as juras de maldição
And the oaths of damnation
Eu sou a vela que acende
I am the candle that lights up
Eu sou a luz que se apaga
I am the light that goes out
Eu sou a beira do abismo
I am the edge of the abyss
Eu sou o tudo e o nada
I am everything and nothing
Por que você me pergunta?
Why do you ask me?
Perguntas não vão lhe mostrar
Questions will not reveal to you
Que eu sou feito da terra
That I am made of earth
Do fogo, da água e do ar
Of fire, water, and air
Você me tem todo dia
You have me every day
Mas não sabe se é bom ou ruim
But you don't know if it's good or bad
Mas saiba que eu estou em você
But know that I am in you
Mas você não está em mim
But you are not in me
Das telhas, eu sou o telhado
From rooftops, I am the roof
A pesca do pescador
The catch of the fisherman
A letra A tem meu nome
The letter A has my name
Dos sonhos, eu sou o amor
From dreams, I am love
Eu sou a dona de casa
I am the housewife
Nos pegue-pagues do mundo
In the hustle and bustle of the world
Eu sou a mão do carrasco
I am the hand of the executioner
Sou raso, largo, profundo
I am shallow, wide, deep
Eu sou a mosca da sopa
I am the fly in the soup
E o dente do tubarão
And the tooth of the shark
Eu sou os olhos do cego
I am the eyes of the blind
E a cegueira da visão
And the blindness of sight
Mas eu sou o amargo da língua
But I am the bitterness of the tongue
A mãe, o pai e o avô
The mother, the father, and the grandfather
O filho que ainda não veio
The child who has not yet come
O início, o fim e o meio
The beginning, the end, and the middle
O início, o fim e o meio
The beginning, the end, and the middle
Eu sou o início, o fim e o meio
I am the beginning, the end, and the middle
Eu sou o início, o fim e o meio
I am the beginning, the end, and the middle
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Paulo Coelho Souza, Raul Santos Seixas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind