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.
Pressentimento
Paulinho da Viola Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mas há de dar um poema
Que transformarei num samba
Quando a gente se deixar
Quando a gente se deixar
Nosso amor foi condenado
A breve amor nada mais
No nosso último beijo
Por isso faço um poema
Antes dele se acabar
E ponho uma melodia
Transformo em samba vulgar
Minha dor e meu lamento
Papel que solto no ar
Ai amor que sofrimento
Ver meu sonho se acabar
In "Pressentimento," Paulinho Da Viola expresses the fleeting and doomed nature of his love. He acknowledges that it's not going to last, but decides to turn it into a poem and ultimately a samba. The lyrics suggest that the act of creating art is necessary for processing heartbreak, and that transforming his pain into something beautiful and expressive is a way to hold onto the memories of the relationship.
As he sings, "Nosso amor foi condenado/A breve amor nada mais" (Our love was condemned/To be brief, nothing more), it's clear that he's already come to terms with the fact that the relationship is ending. He had a premonition of this when they shared their last kiss, and as a result, he makes a conscious effort to turn his emotions into creative output. The line "Transformo em samba vulgar/Minha dor e meu lamento" (I turn my pain and lamentation/Into a vulgar samba) suggests that he's not concerned with producing something refined or sophisticated; instead, he uses music as a way to channel his emotions and create something that's true to his experience.
Overall, "Pressentimento" is a powerful meditation on the nature of love and heartbreak, and the ways in which art can serve as a balm for the soul. The lyrics are poignant and heartfelt, and Paulinho Da Viola delivers them with his signature sensitivity and passion.
Line by Line Meaning
Nosso amor não dura nada
Our love doesn't last long
Mas há de dar um poema
But it will become a poem
Que transformarei num samba
That I'll turn into a samba
Quando a gente se deixar
When we let go
Nosso amor foi condenado
Our love was doomed
A breve amor nada mais
A brief love, nothing more
Eu tive um pressentimento
I had a premonition
No nosso último beijo
In our last kiss
Por isso faço um poema
That's why I write a poem
Antes dele se acabar
Before it fades away
E ponho uma melodia
And add a melody
Transformo em samba vulgar
Turn it into a common samba
Minha dor e meu lamento
My pain and lament
Papel que solto no ar
A paper I release into the air
Ai amor que sofrimento
Oh, love, what suffering
Ver meu sonho se acabar
To see my dream come to an end
Contributed by Daniel S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.