The band is considered one of the main groups in Brazilian rock. Like most groups from the 1960s, Os Mutantes were heavily influenced by The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Sly & the Family Stone. However, Brazilian musicians were also immersed in their local culture, exercising their own creativity in the use of feedback, distortion and studio tricks of all kinds, just as was done by the Liverpool quartet and the group The Beach Boys. In this sense, Mutantes were pioneers in mixing rock and roll with Brazilian musical and thematic elements. Another characteristic of the group was irreverence. Like Os Mutantes, there began to be a kind of mixture of foreign and Brazilian music and the addition of new ideas, with doses of experimentalism, thus opening the way for musical hybridism.
Os Mutantes began their activities in 1966, as a trio, when they performed on the program O Pequeno Mundo de Ronnie Von on TV Record. On the eve of the program's premiere, the trio had the name "Os Bruxos", but neither Rita Lee nor the Dias Baptista brothers (Arnaldo and Sérgio) were satisfied with that name and wanted to change it. According to Carlos Calado,[2] the idea for the name "Os Mutantes" came from an ironic joke between Alberto Helena Júnior, the program's producer, and Ronnie Von, who, at the time, was reading O Império dos Mutantes, by Stefan Wul, and did not talk about any other subject. "Are you guys still looking for a name for the boys ensemble? Why not The Mutants?" Ronnie Von liked Alberto Helena's idea and took it to the group, who approved it immediately.
The group soon became one of the main exponents of the new MPB, influenced by Tropicália, until it dissolved in 1978. Over these twelve years, nine albums were recorded, two of which - O A e o Z and Tecnicolor - were only released on 1990s, when the group began to be recognized, on the national and international rock scene, as one of the most creative, dynamic, radical and talented of the psychedelic era and the history of world rock. In 2006, the band reunited, without Rita Lee or Liminha, but with the presence of Arnaldo Baptista and Zélia Duncan on vocals. The following year, Arnaldo and Zélia left the band, which was recomposed with other musicians and continues to perform under the leadership of Sérgio Dias, the only remaining member of the original lineup.
Hey Tu
Os Mutantes Lyrics
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Hey tu que paira nas esquinas
Cuidado pra não vacilar
Pois quem sobe na escada,, sobe na escada
É mole, mole, mole, mole
Pra te derrubar
Uh, Eh pra te derrubar
Pode ser
Cuidado pra não dominar
Pois quem sobe na escada, sobe na escada
É mole, mole, mole, mole
Pra te derrubar
Uh, Eh pra te derrubar
Pode ser
Nego samba
Jura
Eu juro que as cruzadas logo vão recomeçar
Jura
Tudo que acredito
(?)
The lyrics of "Hey Tu" by Os Mutantes are a cautionary tale about the dangers of arrogance and the potential consequences of taking advantage of others. The song warns the listener not to become too overconfident or dominant, because those who climb the ladder of success can easily fall back down. The repeated phrase "é mole, mole, mole" emphasizes the ease with which one can be brought down. The song literally means "Hey you who hovers in the corners / Be careful not to falter / For those who climb the ladder, climb the ladder / It's easy, easy, easy to knock you down."
The mention of "Nego samba" is a reference to the Afro-Brazilian musical style, which represents the defiance and resilience of Black culture in Brazil. The phrase "jura" means "swear" in Portuguese, and the repetition of this word connotes a serious warning. The line "Eu juro que as cruzadas logo vão recomeçar" translates to "I swear that the crusades will soon commence again," which is a reference to the historical conflict between Christianity and Islam. The message is that history repeats itself, and those who are overconfident will be brought down, just as powerful empires in the past have fallen.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh, Ah, Uh, Ah, Uh
The sound of the music begins, setting the tone for the rest of the song
Hey tu que paira nas esquinas
Addressing someone who lingers on the corners, possibly up to no good
Cuidado pra não vacilar
Warning them to be careful and not slip up
Pois quem sobe na escada, sobe na escada
Reminding them that those who climb higher often have farther to fall
É mole, mole, mole, mole
Easy, easy, easy, easy
Pra te derrubar
To bring you down
Uh, Eh pra te derrubar
The repetition emphasizes the threat of being brought down
Pode ser
It could happen
Hey tu que entra nas cabeças
Addressing someone who enters people's minds or influences them
Cuidado pra não dominar
Warning them not to dominate or control others
Pois quem sobe na escada, sobe na escada
Repeating the previous warning
É mole, mole, mole, mole
Repeating the wordplay of 'easy' to emphasize the risk of falling
Pra te derrubar
Repeating the warning of being brought down
Uh, Eh pra te derrubar
Repeating the threat
Pode ser
Repeating the possibility of it happening
Nego samba
A phrase indicating the start of a musical interlude
Jura
Swear
Eu juro que as cruzadas logo vão recomeçar
Swearing that the battles will continue, possibly referring to societal or political struggles
Tudo que acredito
Everything I believe
Contributed by Blake Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.