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).
Vida Imbecil
Pato Fu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
E nóis quer mudar o mundo
Esse mundo é tão perfeitin'
Esse mundo é mesmo um amor
Eu levo uma vida imbecil
Zanzando atrás do que é bom
Controlo o que vai no meu som
Peixinho que mora no mar
Só encontro quando vou pescar
'Cê vê que imbecil
Esse mundo é tão perfeitin'
Esse mundo é mesmo um amor
Terra boa que Deus deu nóis
E nóis quer mudar o mundo
Quem crê diz que tudo consegue
E em tudo aquilo que cri
Eu cri até que desisti
Desisti porque não consegui
'Cê vê que imbecil é a vida
Ok existe fome, violência,
Estupidez e hogerizas nucleares
Ma io, io che amo
Io che amo solo te
Amore escusame
The lyrics of Pato Fu's song "Vida Imbecil" reflect a sense of disillusionment with the modern world and a desire for change. The first two lines express gratitude for the good earth that God has given us, but immediately the lyrics turn to a desire to change the world despite its seeming perfection and beauty. The singer then confesses to leading an imbecilic life, wandering in pursuit of what is good, calculating their meat consumption, and controlling what they listen to. The singer compares their own foolishness to the fish in the sea, which they can only catch by going fishing. The chorus reiterates the statement that the world is perfect and beautiful but also suggests a desire for change.
The second verse begins with the phrase "Quem crê diz que tudo consegue" ("Those who believe say that anything is possible"), but the singer admits to giving up on something they had tried to create because they were unable to do so. The final line of the verse repeats the refrain of "cê vê que imbecil é a vida" ("you see how foolish life is"). The final lines of the song include a sudden change to Italian and reference to a love that seems to be irrelevant to the themes of the song.
Overall, "Vida Imbecil" seems to be a commentary on the imperfections of the world and the limitations of human ability, as well as a desire for change despite the inherent beauty of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Terra boa que Deus deu nós
We were given a good earth by God
E nóis quer mudar o mundo
But we want to change the world anyway
Esse mundo é tão perfeitin'
This world seems so perfect
Esse mundo é mesmo um amor
This world is truly wonderful
Eu levo uma vida imbecil
I lead a stupid life
Zanzando atrás do que é bom
Wandering after what is good
Calculo a carne comida
Calculating the food I eat
Controlo o que vai no meu som
Controlling the music I listen to
Peixinho que mora no mar
The little fish that lives in the sea
Só encontro quando vou pescar
I can only find it when I go fishing
'Cê vê que imbecil
You see how stupid
Quem crê diz que tudo consegue
Those who believe say they can do anything
E em tudo aquilo que cri
And in everything they create
Eu cri até que desisti
I kept creating until I gave up
Desisti porque não consegui
I gave up because I couldn't do it
'Cê vê que imbecil é a vida
You see how stupid life is
Ok existe fome, violência,
Ok, there is hunger, violence,
Estupidez e hogerizas nucleares
Stupidity and nuclear bombs
Ma io, io che amo
But I, I love
Io che amo solo te
I love only you
Amore escusame
Love, excuse me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Joao Daniel Ulhoa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind