His body of work consists of 21 albums released along his 26-year career. His musical style is mostly rock and ballad, although he wrote songs in many different styles, including variations of styles typical of his native Northeastern Brazil like Forró and Baião, and in fact often used more than one style in the same song, as in "Let Me Sing, Let Me Sing". His debut album, Raulzito e Os Panteras (1968), was produced when he was part of a band of the same name. However, he only gained prominence and critical audience with songs from the album Krig-Há, Bandolo! (1973), such as "Ouro de Tolo" ("Fool's Gold"), "Mosca na Sopa" ("Fly in the Soup"), and "Metamorfose Ambulante" ("Walking Metamorphosis"). Raul Seixas developed a unique musical style that emphasized the maverick and the mystic. His album Gita (1974), influenced by figures such as Aleister Crowley, expresses his views very directly.
Many songs in Gita were co-written with his frequent collaborator, then fellow mystic, and future worldwide bestselling author Paulo Coelho. Raul was interested in philosophy (especially metaphysics and ontology), psychology, history, literature and Latin. In October 2008, nineteen years after his death, Raul Seixas was placed in 19th position in a List of One Hundred Greatest Artists of Brazilian music sponsored by the Brazilian edition of Rolling Stone magazine, topping the likes of Milton Nascimento, Maria Bethânia, Heitor Villa-Lobos and others, demonstrating the influence that Seixas' music continues to hold today.
Capim Guiné
Raul Seixas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dois de pé de guataíba, cajú, manga e cajá
Peguei na enxada como pega um catingueiro
Fiz aceiro, botei fogo, vá ver como é que tá!
Tem abacate, jenipapo, bananeira
Milho verde, macaxeira, como diz no Ceará
Cebola, coentro, andú, feijão de corda
Com muita raça fiz tudo aqui sózinho
Nem um pé de passarinho veio a terra semeá
Agora veja, cumpadi a safadeza
Começou a marvadeza, todo bicho vem prá cá
Num planto capim-guiné pra boi abaná rabo
Tô virado do Diabo, tô retado cum você
Tá vendo tudo e fica aí parado
Com cara de veado que viu caxinguelê
Suçuarana só fez perversidade
Pardal foi prá cidade, piruá minha saqué
Dona raposa só vive na mardade
Me faça a caridade, se vire e dê no pé!
Sagui trepado no pé da goiabeira
Sariguê na macaxeira, tem inté tamanduá
Minhas galinha já não fica mais parada
E o galo de madrugada tem medo de cantar
Num planto capim-guiné pra boi abaná rabo
Tô virado do Diabo, tô retado cum você
Tá vendo tudo e fica aí parado
Com cara de veado que viu caxinguelê
The lyrics to Raul Seixas's "Capim Guiné" describe the experience of a farmer who set up a small farm in the sertão, a semi-arid region in Brazil. The farmer describes how he planted various fruit trees, vegetables, and even raised animals such as pigs and cattle. He explains that he worked hard to create his farm, clearing the land and burning the underbrush to start anew. However, despite his efforts, he finds himself facing various challenges such as wild animals attacking his crops and his animals, and his chickens being too afraid to move. He expresses his frustration with these challenges and his anger towards those who might stand idly by, watching his struggles but not helping.
The farmer's experience is a reflection of the harsh realities of farm life in the sertão, where the environment can be unforgiving and resources can be scarce. The song's lyrics paint a vivid picture of the challenges and hardships that farmers in the region face, as well as their resilience and determination to make a living from the land. The repeated refrain of "Num planto capim-guiné pra boi abaná rabo / Tô virado do Diabo, tô retado cum você / Tá vendo tudo e fica aí parado / Com cara de veado que viu caxinguelê" expresses the farmer's frustration with those who might watch his struggles but not lift a finger to help him.
Line by Line Meaning
Plantei um sitio no sertão de Piritiba
I planted a farm in the backcountry of Piritiba
Dois de pé de guataíba, cajú, manga e cajá
Two guava tree, cashews, mangoes, and yellow mombins
Peguei na enxada como pega um catingueiro
I grabbed the hoe like a scrub forest worker does
Fiz aceiro, botei fogo, vá ver como é que tá!
I made a firebreak, set flames, go and see how it turned out!
Tem abacate, jenipapo, bananeira
There are avocados, jenipapos, and banana trees
Milho verde, macaxeira, como diz no Ceará
Green corn on the cob, cassava, as they say in Ceará
Cebola, coentro, andú, feijão de corda
Onions, coriander, old beans, beans of cord
Vinte porco na engorda, inté gado no currá!
Twenty pigs to fatten up, even cattle to look after!
Com muita raça fiz tudo aqui sózinho
With a lot of grit, I did everything alone here
Nem um pé de passarinho veio a terra semeá
Not even one bird came to sow the land
Agora veja, cumpadi a safadeza
Now, look here, buddy, the dirty tricks started
Começou a marvadeza, todo bicho vem prá cá
Mischief has begun, every animal comes over here
Num planto capim-guiné pra boi abaná rabo
I grow Guinea grass for the cattle to wag their tails
Tô virado do Diabo, tô retado cum você
I'm turned into the Devil, I'm pissed off with you
Tá vendo tudo e fica aí parado
You see everything and stay there motionless
Com cara de veado que viu caxinguelê
With the face of a deer that saw a raccoon
Suçuarana só fez perversidade
The cougar only did wickedness
Pardal foi prá cidade, piruá minha saqué
The sparrow went to the city, my sugarcane spirit
Dona raposa só vive na mardade
Mrs. fox only lives by cheating
Me faça a caridade, se vire e dê no pé!
Do me a favor, scram and leave me alone!
Sagui trepado no pé da goiabeira
Titi monkey climbed up the guava tree
Sariguê na macaxeira, tem inté tamanduá
Opossum on the cassava, there's even an anteater
Minhas galinha já não fica mais parada
My hens don't stay still anymore
E o galo de madrugada tem medo de cantar
And the rooster is afraid to crow in the early morning
Contributed by Benjamin O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Marcel Alves Araujo
on Sunseed
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