Paula was raised by her paternal grandparents, Paulo and Renée. Paulo was a retired surgeon, an ex-adviser of the president of Brazil and of the government of the state of Guanabara, a historian and also an author of several books. Renée was a homemaker and the manager of a boarding house for senior women.
In her infancy and adolescence, the predominant music in her home was that of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin, among other classical performers. Along with Spanish music and opera. On the more modern side, she also listened to the music of Carmen Miranda, Elis Regina and The Beatles (the only rock her grandfather would accept). In school, Paula took ballet and English classes with the intention of becoming an English professor.
At the age of 17, she began taking courses in Industrial Design and Visial Comunication at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica of Rio de Janeiro (PUC) and started studying French. In conjunction with her course work, she did an internship in a visual programming office where she would put into practice the things she learned in school. In the meanwhile, she would arrange side jobs to complement her small salary. Her side jobs included translating books and term papers for her fellow students, assuming the position of secretary in her dance studio during the holidays and revised her grandfather's books. In her brother's room, she heard for the first time James Brown and Tim Maia.
The first discs she bought were the soundtracks of her favorite telenovelas (which included songs by Stevie Wonder, Marcos Valle, and the Jackson Five). After that, she got interested in Janis Joplin and Rita Lee. She would often go to small parties called "Arrastas" where they would play artists like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Billy Paul, Michael Jackson. Once in the university, she became addicted to listening to the radio.
By 1982, she was already singing in the group Kid Abelha, and two years later, she gave up on school right before reaching graduation. In the same year, she began taking voice lessons with a professor and lyrical singer Vera Maria do Canto e Mello and started singing Lieder (songs) in German, which awoke her interest in the language that she still studies today.
One of her favorite pastimes is to take long drives alone in her car, listening to loud music. This is how she comes up with most of her lyrics which she tries to write down while she drives. The bathroom tub is also one of the places she prefers to think of lyrics in.
Since 1987, she has been married with the cinematographer Lui Farias and has one son, Gabriel.
More about in www.paulatoller.com
eu só quero um xodó
Paula Toller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que falta me falta me faz um xodó
Mas como eu não tenho ninguém
Eu levo a vida assim tão só
Eu só quero um amor
Que acabe o meu sofrer
Um xodó prá mim
Que alegre o meu viver
The lyrics of Paula Toller's song "Eu só quero um xodó" express the yearning of the singer for a relationship and a special someone to share life with. The first two lines repeat the same feeling of a lack of something that is missing, an intrinsic emptiness that arises from the absence of a beloved. She mentions the word "xodó," which in Portuguese, means something or someone very dear, cherished or loved. She goes on to explain that she walks through life alone, as she doesn't have somebody to comfort her or ease her loneliness. The lyrics then reveal her desire to find love, and how she wishes for it to end her suffering. She knows what she wants, a "xodó" that fits her style, and someone that can bring happiness to her life.
Overall, the lyrics of this song convey the raw emotions of loneliness, longing, and hope. It presents a simple narrative of a person searching for love and companionship, and how it affects her daily life.
Line by Line Meaning
Que falta eu sinto de um bem
I feel the absence of a beloved one in my life.
Que falta me falta me faz um xodó
The need for a loving companion in my life is paramount.
Mas como eu não tenho ninguém
Unfortunately, I am alone in this world without anyone to depend on.
Eu levo a vida assim tão só
I live my life alone struggling with my loneliness every day.
Eu só quero um amor
I desire a love and emotional attachment.
Que acabe o meu sofrer
A loving relationship will put an end to my pain and suffering.
Um xodó prá mim
I need someone to be my lover and soulmate.
Do meu jeito assim
I want this person to understand me and my personality completely.
Que alegre o meu viver
Their presence should bring joy and happiness into my life.
Contributed by Aiden P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.