Their first album, Rotomusic de Liquidificapum, was released in 1993. Since then, they have released another eight: Gol de Quem?, Tem Mas Acabou, Televisão de Cachorro, Isopor, Ruído Rosa, MTV ao Vivo: No Museu de Arte da Pampulha, Toda Cura para Todo Mal and Daqui pro Futuro.
The band's popularity began to increase along with two other groups from Belo Horizonte, Jota Quest and Skank. The band plays pop-rock but frequently resorts to electronic music elements as well. Pato Fu is often said to be influenced by Os Mutantes, a famous Brazilian tropicalist group from the 1960s, probably because of the experimentalism found in both bands' songs. One can find in Pato Fu musical influences by Devo, The Cure, Radiohead, Pizzicato Five, Super Furry Animals and also MPB, among various others.
With the release of Ruído Rosa, Pato Fu was nominated as one of the best bands of the world by Time Magazine in 2001. The band's 10th anniversary in 2002 was celebrated with the release of MTV ao Vivo: No Museu de Arte da Pampulha, a live performance with some of their most famous songs. As of 2005, popular hits include:
* Sobre o Tempo (Gol de Quem?)
* Pinga (Gol de Quem?, about alcoholism)
* Canção pra Você Viver Mais (Televisão de Cachorro)
* Um Dia, Um Ladrão (Televisão de Cachorro)
* Made in Japan (Isopor; the song is almost entirely in Japanese. It was written in Portuguese by John and translated by a Japanese teacher. Its video clip is a tribute to old Japanese Sci-Fi movies and a satire against Americanization which won a VMB (the Brazilian VMA)). The song chorus is from the song Manah Manah '(see the External links section)'.
* Depois (Isopor)
* Imperfeito (Isopor)
* Perdendo Dentes (Isopor)
* Eu (Ruído Rosa)
* Ando Meio Desligado (Ruído Rosa)
* Por Perto (MTV Ao Vivo (Museu de Arte da Pampulha))
* Não Mais (MTV Ao Vivo (Museu de Arte da Pampulha))
* Uh Uh Uh, Lá Lá Lá, Ié Ié! (Toda Cura para Todo Mal)
* Anormal (Toda Cura para Todo Mal)
Fernanda Takai and John are married and had a daughter, Nina, in 2003.
The name of the band was taken from a Garfield comic strip where Garfield attacked a mailman with his "Cat Fu" techniques. The band liked the wordplay, but decided to replace Gato (cat) with Pato (duck). Coincidentally or not, the expression had also previously appeared in the Brazilian translation of the Howard the Duck movie; in it, Howard says he knows "Pato Fu" (Quack Fu in the original).
Meu Pai Meu Irmão
Pato Fu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nunca estou suficientemente bão
Meu pai, meu irmão
Eu pelejo com a força que eu tenho
Meu pai
E luto, e luto só com carne e com osso
Meu irmão
A luta que sei lutar
Meu pai meu irmão, meu pai meu irmão
Meu pai meu irmão!
Não tem jeito de entender a Terra como ela é
Ainda mais que eu sou bem maior que ela
Seu filho e seu irmão
Seria bão ser bão
Nisso de ficar quieto
De não dar na vista quando quebro
Os ossos dos dedos da minha mão
Quando soco as paredes
Meu pai meu irmão
The lyrics to Pato Fu's song Meu Pai Meu Irmão are about the struggle to live up to the expectations of a father and a brother. The singer notes that they are never “suficientemente bão,” or good enough. However, the singer continues to fight with all the strength that they have, both physically (“só com carne e com osso”) and emotionally, and they are determined to continue to learn and grow.
The song seems to touch on feelings of inadequacy and the weight of expectations, especially from those who are closest to us. The singer suggests that it is difficult to understand the world and our place in it, but that striving to be better and working hard are still worthwhile pursuits. There is also a sense of frustration and even anger present in the lyrics, as the singer notes damaging patterns of behavior like breaking bones when punching walls.
Overall, the song seems to have an emotional depth and complexity that speaks to the human experience of struggling with expectations and striving to be better. The use of the repeated phrase “Meu pai meu irmão” creates a sense of connection and ties to family and tradition, even as the singer is grappling with their own personal struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
Meu pai, meu irmão
My father, my brother
Nunca estou suficientemente bão
I am never good enough
Eu pelejo com a força que eu tenho
I fight with all my strength
E luto, e luto só com carne e com osso
And I fight, I only fight with flesh and bone
A luta que sei lutar
The fight that I know how to fight
Meu pai meu irmão, meu pai meu irmão
My father, my brother, my father, my brother
Não tem jeito de entender a Terra como ela é
There is no way to understand Earth as it is
Ainda mais que eu sou bem maior que ela
Even more so because I am much bigger than it
Seu filho e seu irmão
Your son and your brother
Seria bão ser bão
It would be good to be good
Nisso de ficar quieto
In this matter of staying quiet
De não dar na vista quando quebro
Of not being noticed when I break
Os ossos dos dedos da minha mão
The bones in my hand's fingers
Quando soco as paredes
When I punch the walls
Meu pai meu irmão
My father, my brother
Contributed by Reagan I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ricardo Linardi
Gostava quando o John cantava algumas músicas no começo da banda !!!
Vitroles
Essa música é sensacional! Uma das minhas músicas preferidas de todos os tempos. Ouvindo desde 94. Ainda tenho uma fita k7 assinada pelo John e pela Fernanda. Nunca tinha visto essa gravação! Legal demais!
Lucas de Ambrósio
Não tem jeito de entender a terra como ela é...ainda mais que eu sou bem maior que ela
Marcello Laginhas
Juntatribo!