Born in Rio de Janeiro to a family deeply rooted in the samba tradition, Paulinho met and befriended much of Rio's samba elite as a child. His father was a guitar player and musicians like Pixinguinha and Jacob do Bandolim would often come to his house for rehearsals, which Paulinho watched for hours on end. After the rehearsals, Paulinho would pick up his father's guitar and strum the few chords he knew. Later, as a teenager, he was frequently seen at jams at Jacob do Bandolim's house, quietly and attentively observing the older, more experienced musicians. He began writing his own songs as a teenager, but never considered a career as a professional musician until he met poet Hermínio Bello de Carvalho in 1964. By then, Paulinho was working as a teller at a bank in Rio de Janeiro, and recognised Hermínio from the jam sessions at Jacob do Bandolim's house. The two became close friends and soon began writing music together. The first song they wrote together was Duvide-o-dó, recorded by singer Isaurinha Garcia. He then began performing his own songs at a restaurant in Rio, owned by samba legend Cartola and his wife.
He got his famous nickname in 1965, when he was a member of the samba group A Voz do Morro (the voice of the hills), alongside Zé Keti and Oscar Bigode. After their first recording session, a publicist from the record label reportedly told him "'Paulo César' is not a samba name!". Zé Keti and journalist Sérgio Cabral eventually came up with the nickname "Paulinho da Viola" (something to the lines of "Guitar Paul").
By the 1970s, Paulinho was at the most prolific stage of his career, releasing an average of one album per year. He was already a household name in samba, choro and MPB circles and broadened his audience by touring all over Brazil and also playing at festivals in Europe and the USA. His productivity and popularity had waned by the mid-80s, when he decided to focus more on his songwriting. In 1996 he regained notoriety after releasing the much-acclaimed album Bebadosamba, in which he once again joined forces with Hermínio Bello de Carvalho and Elton Medeiros, his early songwriting partners. He still lives in Rio de Janeiro and performs around Brazil.
Papelão
Paulinho Da Viola Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pouco a pouco nossa amizade vai morrendo
Deixando-me assim numa situação igual a esta
Para minha inspiração
Pra você um mês de festa
Sei sofrer calado com bastante resignação
Depois de tudo vamos ver quem tem razão
Os dias foram passando
E eu vivendo em completo abandono
Foste infiel, demais cruel
Meu coração hoje está sem dono
Hora veja
In Paulinho Da Viola’s song “Papelão”, the lyrics depict the unraveling of a friendship and love affair, highlighting the consequences of betrayal. The opening line “Veja que papel você está fazendo” (“See the role you’re playing”) suggests that the singer’s friend/lover is not being true to themselves, perhaps hiding behind a mask or acting out of character. This persona is causing the friendship to deteriorate, leaving the singer in a position of sadness and emptiness, even suggesting that his/her inspiration in life is coming from the pain of the situation.
The second line “Pouco a pouco nossa amizade vai morrendo” (“Little by little our friendship is dying”) continues this somber tone, indicating that the damage is being done over time and is not easily reversible. It is as if the friend/lover is creating distance both emotionally and physically, perhaps out of guilt, shame or simply disinterest. The following lines then highlight the unequal nature of the relationship, where the singer endures months of sadness and torment, while the friend/lover seems to be enjoying their life to the fullest.
As the song progresses, the singer contemplates the situation, suggesting that he/she has been tolerant and respectful, even though the friend/lover has been unfaithful and cruel (“Foste infiel, demais cruel”). The final line “Hora veja” (“Now, let’s see”), implies that the singer is finally going to stand up and demand an answer to the question of who is to blame for the downfall of the friendship and love affair.
Line by Line Meaning
Veja que papel você está fazendo
Take note of the role you're playing
Pouco a pouco nossa amizade vai morrendo
Gradually our friendship is dying
Deixando-me assim numa situação igual a esta
Leaving me in a situation like this one
Para minha inspiração
For my inspiration
Pra você um mês de festa
For you, a month of celebration
Sei sofrer calado com bastante resignação
I know how to suffer silently with a lot of resignation
Depois de tudo vamos ver quem tem razão
After everything, we'll see who is right
Os dias foram passando
The days kept passing by
E o amor se acabando
And the love was fading away
E eu vivendo em completo abandono
And I was living in complete abandonment
Foste infiel, demais cruel
You were unfaithful, too cruel
Meu coração hoje está sem dono
Today, my heart is ownerless
Hora veja
Now see
Contributed by Jordyn P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
daniel guedes
Alguém tem a cifra dessa música??