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).
Porque Te Vas
Pato Fu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why el corazón se pone triste contemplando la ciudad
Porque te vas
Como cada noche desperté pensando en ti
Why en mi reloj todas las horas vi passar
Porque te vas
Me olvidaras, me olvidaras
Junto a la estación lloraré igual que un niño
Porque te vas, porque te vas
Bajo la penumbra de un farol se dormirán
Todas las cosas que quedaron por decir se dormirán
Junto a las manillas de un reloj despejarán
Todas las horas que quedaron por vivir esperarán
The lyrics to "Porque Te Vas" by Pato Fu express the conflicting emotions one experiences when their loved one is leaving. The song begins with a paradoxical situation where the sun is shining, but the heart is sorrowful. The singer is unable to find happiness in the beauty of their surroundings because of the sadness that comes with the departure of the loved one. The second stanza describes how the singer wakes up in the middle of the night, unable to stop thinking about their love, and how they watched every hour pass by while waiting for daybreak. The chorus explains that all the promises of love will leave with the loved one, and the pain of being forgotten. The third stanza articulates the singer's overwhelming sadness, as they break down in tears by the station like a child, lamenting the departure. The final stanza describes how everything that was left unsaid between the two lovers will be forgotten under the shadow of a lantern, while all the hours that they could have spent together will be left waiting.
The song is a classic representation of a lost love, with the raw emotions and pain of separation laid bare in the lyrics, along with the realization that nothing can be done about it. The harmonious melody of the song conveys the deep sadness of the situation, and the melancholic lyrics make it a powerful heartbreak anthem.
Line by Line Meaning
Hoy en mi ventana brilla el sol
Today the sun is shining through my window
Why el corazón se pone triste contemplando la ciudad
But my heart is sad as I look at the city
Porque te vas
Because you are leaving
Como cada noche desperté pensando en ti
Like every night, I woke up thinking of you
Why en mi reloj todas las horas vi passar
And as I watched the hours pass on my clock
Porque te vas
Because you are leaving
Todas las promessas de mi amor se irán contigo
All the promises of my love will go with you
Me olvidaras, me olvidaras
You will forget me, you will forget me
Junto a la estación lloraré igual que un niño
Next to the station, I will cry like a child
Porque te vas, porque te vas
Because you are leaving, because you are leaving
Bajo la penumbra de un farol se dormirán
Under the dim light of a streetlamp, they will fall asleep
Todas las cosas que quedaron por decir se dormirán
All the things left unsaid will fall asleep
Junto a las manillas de un reloj despejarán
Near the hands of a clock, they will come to light
Todas las horas que quedaron por vivir esperarán
All the hours that were left to live will wait
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jose Luis Perales Morillas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind