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.
Mi Unicornio Azul
Ney Matogrosso Lyrics
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Pastando lo dejé y desapareció
Cualquier información
Bien la voy a pagar
Las flores que dejó no me han querido hablar
Mi unicornio azul ayer se me perdió
No sé si se me fue
Yo no tengo mas que un unicornio azul
Si alguien sabe de él
Le ruego información
Cien mil un millón yo pagaré
Mi unicornio azul se me ha perdido ayer
Se fue
Mi unicornio y yo hicimos amistad
Un poco con amor un poco con verdad
Con su cuerno de añil pescaba una canción
Saberla compartir era su vocación
Mi unicornio azul ayer se me perdió
Y puede parecer acaso una obsesión
Pero no tengo más que un unicornio azul
Y aunque tuviera dos
Yo solo quiero a aquel
Cualquier información la pagaré
Mi unicornio azul se me ha perdido ayer
Se fue
The lyrics of Ney Matogrosso's song "Mi Unicornio Azul" evoke a sense of loss and longing through the metaphor of a blue unicorn that has gone missing. The singer expresses deep sadness and confusion over the disappearance of their beloved unicorn, whom they had bonded with through love and truth. The unicorn, symbolizing something unique and magical to the singer, has left a profound void in their life, and they are willing to go to great lengths to find it, offering to pay for any information that might lead to its whereabouts.
The repeated refrain of "Mi unicornio azul ayer se me perdió" emphasizes the sudden and unexpected nature of the unicorn's disappearance, adding to the sense of urgency and desperation in the singer's plea for help. The image of the unicorn grazing peacefully before vanishing without a trace further underscores the bittersweet and fragile nature of the bond between the singer and their mythical companion.
The singer's attachment to the unicorn is depicted as deeply emotional and spiritual, with the unicorn serving as a muse that inspires them to create and share music. The unicorn's horn, described as being the color of indigo, symbolizes the transcendent power of music to connect people and evoke emotions beyond words. The unicorn's ability to "fish" for songs with its horn highlights the mystical and intuitive nature of creativity, suggesting a deep symbiosis between the singer and their muse.
Ultimately, "Mi Unicornio Azul" is a poignant meditation on the nature of loss, love, and the enduring power of connection. The lyrics capture the universal experience of yearning for something or someone that has gone missing, and the profound impact it can have on our lives. The singer's unwavering devotion to their unicorn, despite its absence, speaks to the timeless themes of longing and hope that resonate with listeners on a deeply emotional level.
Line by Line Meaning
Mi unicornio azul ayer se me perdió
Yesterday, my blue unicorn got lost
Pastando lo dejé y desapareció
I left him grazing, and he disappeared
Cualquier información
Any information
Bien la voy a pagar
I will pay well for it
Las flores que dejó no me han querido hablar
The flowers he left behind have not wanted to speak to me
No sé si se me fue
I don't know if he left me
No sé si se extravió
I don't know if he got lost
Yo no tengo mas que un unicornio azul
I only have one blue unicorn
Si alguien sabe de él
If someone knows about him
Le ruego información
I beg for information
Cien mil un millón yo pagaré
I will pay a hundred thousand, a million
Mi unicornio azul se me ha perdido ayer
My blue unicorn got lost yesterday
Se fue
He left
Mi unicornio y yo hicimos amistad
My unicorn and I became friends
Un poco con amor un poco con verdad
A little with love, a little with truth
Con su cuerno de añil pescaba una canción
With his horn of indigo, he would catch a song
Saberla compartir era su vocación
Sharing it was his vocation
Y puede parecer acaso una obsesión
And it may seem like an obsession
Pero no tengo más que un unicornio azul
But I only have one blue unicorn
Y aunque tuviera dos
And even if I had two
Yo solo quiero a aquel
I only want that one
Cualquier información la pagaré
I will pay for any information
Mi unicornio azul se me ha perdido ayer
My blue unicorn got lost yesterday
Se fue
He left
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Silvio Rodriguez Dominguez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind