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.
Coração Imprudente
Paulinho da Viola Lyrics
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Um coração machucado
Senão cair no chorinho
Bater devagarinho pra não ser notado
E depois de ter chorado
Retirar de mansinho
De todo amor o espinho
Profundamente deixado
O que pode fazer
Um coração imprudente
Se não deixar um pouquinho
De seu bater descuidado
E depois de cair no chorinho
Sofrer de novo o espinho
Deixar doer novamente
The lyrics to Paulinho Da Viola's song "Coração Imprudente" speak to the pain of a broken heart and the struggle to move on in the aftermath of a failed relationship. The singer laments the wounded feelings that are always present, even when they try to hide them by "falling in the crying" and "beating quietly." They describe the process of removing the thorns of love that have been left deeply embedded, seemingly unable to shake off the residual pain.
The second verse of the song continues this theme, as the singer acknowledges the imprudence of their heart, which cannot resist falling in love again and risking further pain. They describe the cycle of hurt, where even after falling into sorrowful tears again, they allow themselves to feel the thorns of love once more. These lyrics capture the universal experience of heartbreak and the difficulty of moving on, even when we know we should be protecting ourselves from further pain.
Line by Line Meaning
O quê que pode fazer
What can be done
Um coração machucado
A wounded heart
Senão cair no chorinho
Only fall into a sorrowful mood
Bater devagarinho pra não ser notado
Beat softly so as not to be noticed
E depois de ter chorado
And after having cried
Retirar de mansinho
Quietly withdraw
De todo amor o espinho
The thorn of all love
Profundamente deixado
Deeply embedded
Um coração imprudente
An imprudent heart
Se não deixar um pouquinho
If it does not let a little
De seu bater descuidado
Of its careless beating
E depois de cair no chorinho
And after falling into a sorrowful mood
Sofrer de novo o espinho
Suffer the thorn again
Deixar doer novamente
Let it hurt again
Contributed by Molly H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Fabio Bustamante
graças ao vídeo de futebol do gênio Djalminha aprendi sobre essa linda música, Deus abençoe o Brasil com sua música e magia do futebol
Poeta das Calçadas
Muito bom! <3