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.
Mal Necessário
Ney Matogrosso Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sou a mesa e as cadeiras deste cabaré
Sou o seu amor profundo, sou o seu lugar no mundo
Sou a febre que lhe queima mas você não deixa
Sou a sua voz que grita mas você não aceita
O ouvido que lhe escuta quando as vozes se ocultam
Nos bares, nas camas, nos lares, na lama.
Sou o novo, sou o antigo, sou o que não tem tempo
O que nunca lhe fez falta, o que lhe atormenta e mata
Sou o certo, sou o errado, sou o que divide
O que não tem duas partes, na verdade existe
Oferece a outra face, mas não esquece o que lhe fazem
Nos bares, na lama, nos lares, na cama.
Sou o novo, sou o antigo, sou o que não tem tempo
O que sempre esteve vivo
Sou o certo, sou o errado, sou o que divide
O que não tem duas partes, na verdade existe
Então esquece o que lhe fazem
Nos bares, na lama, nos lares, na lama
Na lama, na cama, na cama
The lyrics to Ney Matogrosso's song "Mal Necessário" speak to the multiple identities and roles that one person can hold. The singer identifies themselves as "a man, a beast, a woman" and as "the table and chairs of this cabaret." Through these metaphors, the singer suggests that they are all-encompassing and multifaceted, able to embody both masculine and feminine qualities, as well as various social roles.
The singer also identifies as "your deep love" and "your place in the world," suggesting a desire for connection and belonging. They acknowledge the pain and suffering they bring to others, represented by "the fever that burns you but you don't let go," and "your voice that screams but you don't accept." Despite this, they are "the ear that listens to you when voices hide," suggesting a sense of compassion and understanding.
Through these lyrics, the singer asserts their complexity and individuality, insisting that they are not easily labeled as either good or bad, right or wrong, but are instead a mix of both. They also acknowledge the impact they have on others, both positive and negative, suggesting a sense of responsibility and accountability.
Overall, the lyrics of "Mal Necessário" speak to the complexities of identity and individuality, and the impact our actions and choices have on others.
Line by Line Meaning
Sou um homem, sou um bicho, sou uma mulher
I am not limited by gender or societal expectations, I am all and none of them.
Sou a mesa e as cadeiras deste cabaré
I am the environment, the atmosphere, and the energy within this place.
Sou o seu amor profundo, sou o seu lugar no mundo
I am the love that you seek, the sense of belonging, and the purpose in your life.
Sou a febre que lhe queima mas você não deixa
I am the passion within you that you try to deny or suppress.
Sou a sua voz que grita mas você não aceita
I am the truth that you refuse to acknowledge, the voice within you that speaks the inconvenient or uncomfortable truth.
O ouvido que lhe escuta quando as vozes se ocultam
I am the empathetic ear that listens to you when no one else does, the one who hears you when you feel unheard.
Nos bares, nas camas, nos lares, na lama.
I exist in every place, whether it's a place of pleasure or pain, comfort or discomfort.
O que sempre esteve vivo, mas nem sempre atento
I am the part of you that has always been alive, yet sometimes neglected or forgotten.
O que nunca lhe fez falta, o que lhe atormenta e mata
I am the thing that you never knew you needed, but also the thing that torments and kills you inside.
Sou o certo, sou o errado, sou o que divide
I am the concept of right and wrong, but also the thing that creates division and conflict.
O que não tem duas partes, na verdade existe
I am the truth that has no duality or opposites, yet it still exists.
Oferece a outra face, mas não esquece o que lhe fazem
I am the one who forgives and turns the other cheek, but also the one who remembers the harm done to them.
Então esquece o que lhe fazem
But even though I remember, it is important to move on and let go of the harm done to me.
Nos bares, na lama, nos lares, na lama
I am still present in every part of life, whether it's in the good times or the bad.
Na lama, na cama, na cama
I am still here, in the dirtiest and most intimate parts of life.
Contributed by Sarah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
music lovers
Sou o novo, sou o antigo, sou o que não tem tempo
O que sempre esteve vivo, mas nem sempre atento
O que nunca lhe fez falta, o que lhe atormenta e mata
Sou o certo, sou o errado, sou o que divide
O que não tem duas partes, na verdade existe
Oferece a outra face, mas não esquece o que lhe fazem
Nos bares, na lama, nos lares, na cama
Sou o novo, sou o antigo, sou o que não tem tempo
O que sempre esteve vivo
Anderson lima
Quem tá ouvindo essa gema da música popular brasileira em 2020? 😀 👆 👍 👏 🙌 ou será que é só eu? 😒 😣 😫 😢
Rosemary Bastos
Eu também. Amo essa música. Ney é incomensurável.
Luciano. Brazil
Gema?
Lupe Oklik
E 2021
Biel TV
Aqui eu
G. Sev
Ei, eu aqui!
Gildeon Pereira
De arrepiar, letra, música, sensacional!
Maria Lima
Tenho este disco em vinil. 😍 Ouvi muito... Esta canção é simplesmente espetacular. Poema, música e uma voz única resultam nesta obra-prima. Saudações desde Portugal.
antero barros
tb tenho..bjs
Edgar Moreira
Ney, um dos maiores intérpretes da MPB, canta essa música com a alma