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.
Noturno
Ney Matogrosso Lyrics
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De cada noite sumida
E tudo de uma vez
Numa esquina
A tua pele de lua
O meu olhar de neblina
Tudo de uma vez
De nós dois
De nós dois
Eu vivo cada segundo
De cada hora despida
Tudo é nudez e passagem
Tudo é visagem e amor
Eu ouço cada palavra
De cada frase não dita
A minha boca era tua
A tua boca era minha
Eu sinto cada desejo
De cada rua partida
Tudo de uma vez
Cada esquina
De nós dois
De nós dois
De nós dois
These lyrics are from the song "Noturno" by Ney Matogrosso. The song is written in the form of a nostalgic reflection on past moments and experiences between two individuals.
In the first verse, the singer remembers every moment of every disappeared night. This suggests that the memories being recalled are not recent or ongoing, but rather from a time in the past that has faded away. The mention of everything happening at once on a street corner creates a sense of chaotic intensity, as if all these memories are coming flooding back at once. The repeated emphasis on "de nós dois" (of the two of us) indicates that these memories are specific to a particular relationship or connection.
The second verse describes the singer's perception of the other person's physical appearance and the way they looked at each other. The use of metaphoric language, such as "your moon-like skin" and "my foggy gaze," suggests a deep connection and intimacy between the two individuals. The phrase "de nós dois" is repeated again, emphasizing the shared experience and connection between them.
In the third verse, the singer reveals that they live each second of every stripped-down hour. This may imply that they are constantly aware and present in their experiences, not letting any moment slip away. The mention of nudity and passage suggests vulnerability and transience, as if everything is exposed and fleeting. The use of the word "visagem" (apparition) adds a surreal element to the lyrics, suggesting that love itself can be elusive and otherworldly.
The final verse discusses the unsaid words between the two individuals and the intimacy they shared through their mouths. The phrase "a minha boca era tua, a tua boca era minha" (my mouth was yours, your mouth was mine) symbolizes a deep connection and exchange, not only of physicality but also of emotions and desires. The repetition of "de nós dois" serves to emphasize the intense connection and shared experiences that are being remembered.
Overall, these lyrics capture the intense emotions and memories of a past relationship, emphasizing the deep connection and shared experiences between two individuals. The song invokes a sense of nostalgia and reflection on the fleeting nature of love and intimate connections.
Line by Line Meaning
Eu lembro cada momento
I remember every moment
De cada noite sumida
Of each vanished night
E tudo de uma vez
And everything at once
Numa esquina
In a corner
A tua pele de lua
Your moon-like skin
O meu olhar de neblina
My misty gaze
Tudo de uma vez
All at once
Numa esquina
In a corner
De nós dois
Between us two
Eu vivo cada segundo
I live every second
De cada hora despida
Of each stripped hour
Tudo é nudez e passagem
Everything is nudity and passage
Tudo é visagem e amor
Everything is apparition and love
Eu ouço cada palavra
I hear every word
De cada frase não dita
Of each unspoken sentence
A minha boca era tua
My mouth was yours
A tua boca era minha
Your mouth was mine
Eu sinto cada desejo
I feel every desire
De cada rua partida
Of every departed street
Tudo de uma vez
All at once
Cada esquina
Every corner
De nós dois
Between us two
De nós dois
Between us two
De nós dois
Between us two
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Vitor Ramil
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind