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.
Ultimo drama
Ney Matogrosso Lyrics
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Ele trazia o pão, o beijo e o bafo da cachaça
Hoje o vi o pai voltando para casa
Ele trazia a raiva, o sono e o medo na carcaça
Hoje eu vi o macho voltando para casa
Ele trazia o amor, o gozo e um grande cansaço
No bolso algum trocado, na fé um amanhã dourado
Na bala o último drama, no abraço a mulher, a chama
E a tontura da cana
Hoje eu vi o homem voltando para casa
Ele trazia o pão, o beijo e o bafo da cachaça
Hoje eu vi o pai voltando para casa
Ele trazia a raiva, o sono e o medo na carcaça
Hoje eu vi o macho voltando para casa
Ele trazia o amor, o gozo e um grande cansaço
No bolso algum trocado, na fé um amanhã dourado
Na boca um beijo saturado, na cama um cheiro suado
Na bala o último drama, no abraço a mulher, a chama
E a tontura da cana
The lyrics to Ney Matogrosso's song "Ultimo drama" depict the journey of a man returning home. The song describes different aspects of his life and emotions as he comes back. The first verse portrays a man carrying the bread, a kiss, and the scent of liquor on his breath. The second verse focuses on a father returning home with anger, tiredness, and fear within him. Finally, the third verse portrays a masculine figure coming home with love, fulfillment, and great exhaustion.
The lyrics evoke a sense of everyday struggle and the complex emotions that come with it. The mention of money in his pocket, hope for a golden tomorrow, and a saturated kiss on his lips illustrate the precariousness of his situation. The bed carries the scent of sweat, symbolizing the physical and emotional labor he endures. The line "na bala o último drama" can be interpreted as referring to a bullet being the source of his final struggle or drama before embracing his woman, the flame, and experiencing the intoxication of sugarcane.
Overall, "Ultimo drama" presents a realistic portrayal of a man's life, highlighting the dichotomies and challenges he faces, along with the moments of love, intimacy, and exhaustion that make up his existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Hoje eu vi o homem voltando para casa
Today I saw the man coming back home
Ele trazia o pão, o beijo e o bafo da cachaça
He brought the bread, the kiss, and the smell of cachaça
Hoje o vi o pai voltando para casa
Today I saw the father coming back home
Ele trazia a raiva, o sono e o medo na carcaça
He brought anger, sleep, and fear within himself
Hoje eu vi o macho voltando para casa
Today I saw the male coming back home
Ele trazia o amor, o gozo e um grande cansaço
He brought love, pleasure, and great exhaustion
No bolso algum trocado, na fé um amanhã dourado
In his pocket, some change, in faith a golden tomorrow
Na boca um beijo saturado, na cama um cheiro suado
In his mouth, a saturated kiss, in bed, a sweaty smell
Na bala o último drama, no abraço a mulher, a chama
In the bullet, the final drama, in the embrace, the woman, the flame
E a tontura da cana
And the dizziness of the sugarcane
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Carmen Silva Seixas Amaral, Mauro Kwitko, Olinda Del Carmen Fe Ferri
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind