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.
Sem Ela Eu Não Vou
Paulinho da Viola Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Só eu é que não posso ir
Se alguém notar a minha ausência
Disfarça e diz que não me viu
Sem ela no samba eu não vou
Sem ela este samba acabou pra mim
Eu vou sair do morro hoje
Ninguém dará por falta do meu tamborim
Se por acaso eu voltar amanhã
Se o samba foi bom eu não quero saber
Não quero saber se ela foi também
Se estava sozinha ou com alguém
Não quero mais me preocupar
Porque já dei a decisão final
Se ela não me procurar
Eu vou sair sozinho neste carnaval
The lyrics to Paulinho Da Viola's song Sem Ela Eu Não Vou (“Without Her, I Won’t Go”) depict the singer’s refusal to attend a samba event because his lover is not with him. The first verse tells us that there is a samba party happening in the hill (morro) and everyone else is present. The singer, however, feels the emptiness of his lover’s absence and cannot bring himself to go. In the second verse, he explains that his lover is the reason for his enjoyment of samba and without her, the event is meaningless to him. The chorus repeats this sentiment, and the singer explains that he plans to exit the morro without anyone noticing he’s gone, symbolizing his sadness and isolation.
The final verse portrays the singer’s frustration and determination to move on from his lover. He claims that he won't care about the quality of the samba event, nor does he care whether she attended with someone else. He no longer wants to think about it, and with a final decision, if she does not seek him out, he will go out to the carnival alone.
Overall, the song's melancholic tone and mournful lyrics highlight the singer's deep love for his partner and how the absence of the person he loves makes everything feel empty and joyless.
Line by Line Meaning
Hoje tem samba no morro
There's a samba party happening in the hill today
Só eu é que não posso ir
I am the only one who cannot go
Se alguém notar a minha ausência
If someone notices that I'm not there
Disfarça e diz que não me viu
Pretend you haven't seen me
Sem ela no samba eu não vou
I won't go to the samba party without her
Sem ela este samba acabou pra mim
This samba party is over for me without her
Eu vou sair do morro hoje
I'm leaving the hill today
Ninguém dará por falta do meu tamborim
No one will notice my missing tamborim
Se por acaso eu voltar amanhã
If I happen to come back tomorrow
Se o samba foi bom eu não quero saber
I don't want to know if the samba party was good
Não quero saber se ela foi também
I don't care if she was there too
Se estava sozinha ou com alguém
Whether she was alone or with someone else
Não quero mais me preocupar
I don't want to worry anymore
Porque já dei a decisão final
Because I've already made my final decision
Se ela não me procurar
If she doesn't try to find me
Eu vou sair sozinho neste carnaval
I'll leave alone in this carnival
Contributed by Ella B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Poeta das Calçadas
Muito bom!