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.
Fool's Gold
Raul Seixas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
since I have a fine new job
an´ wife an´family
I´m the model man who made it
every month a thousand bucks!
I should thank the lord I have it,
and my success as an artist,
should be proud I´ve got a chevy
So, I should now be glad as glad
With my brand new home is the best quarter
After starving for two years
In this whore of whores of towns!!
Should be proud of being socially
Respected and even feared
But I think this kind of success
Is for circuses and for clowns!!
Yes, I should be vain and proud
To have won my place in life
But I must vow I´m dazed
And I just don´t know where I am at
Because it was so easy picking
So I ask myself "and now" ??
I have so many worlds to conquer
And I know I can not be even satified with that
I should be happy god granted me
The sundays that I wanted
With my family to play the father
To play the husband...and display
But a monumental bore
You will find I am and more
Don´t you feel I´m happy and easy
At the end of every day!!
Stand against a looking glass
And see yourself...what an ass
God and devil took the mass
On ten percent use of your brain
You are a doctor of philosophy
Priest or copper, what a topper
Don´t you wish you could grow young
And start it all again.
You don´t find me gladly sittin
On a throne made of my savings
Im my heavily-mortgaged home
Waiting for my coming death
Yah, for wonders gravitating
I´m awaiting, yes, I´m awaiting
At the neighbor´s fence
Hoping and looking across the heath!!
In Raul Seixas's song Fool's Gold, the singer expresses his supposed success as an artist, his proud ownership of a Chevy, a new home in a good neighborhood, a stable job that pays him one thousand dollars every month, and his growing family. Despite having all these things that many people aim for, the singer feels disillusioned and trapped. He muses that his success is only fit for circuses and clowns and wonders what is next. He feels like his success came too easily, and therefore it is not satisfying. He wants to conquer more worlds, but he knows that this will not be enough to make him feel content. He is not happy playing the role of the father and the husband; he is a monumental bore. He sees himself as an ass when he looks at himself in the mirror. He wishes he could go back and start it all over again.
The singer's dissatisfaction with his life is telling of the theme of the song. The lyrics echo the idea that money and material possessions do not necessarily bring happiness. The singer has everything he thought he ever wanted, but somehow he still feels unfulfilled. In this sense, he represents the typical human experience of always wanting more even when we have enough. The song portrays the kind of unhappiness that comes from an inner emptiness that no amount of wealth or success can fill.
Line by Line Meaning
I Should now be feeling happy
Although I have a stable job, a family, and a thousand-dollar income, I am not happy like I thought I would be.
since I have a fine new job
I have secured a new job, which is stable and pays me a thousand dollars a month.
an´ wife an´family
I have started a family, which gives me a sense of stability and purpose.
I´m the model man who made it
I am seen as a successful and respected individual.
every month a thousand bucks!
I earn a consistent income of one thousand dollars monthly.
I should thank the lord I have it,
I acknowledge that my success and achievements are a result of external factors beyond my control.
and my success as an artist,
As an artist, I have been successful in my career.
should be proud I´ve got a chevy
I am proud of owning and driving a Chevrolet car.
I´m the kind of guy that lucks!!
I consider myself lucky to have achieved success and acquired material possessions.
So, I should now be glad as glad
Given my current situation, I should be happy but I am not.
With my brand new home is the best quarter
I have recently moved into a new home in the best part of town.
After starving for two years
I have experienced a time of hardship and struggle for two years.
In this whore of whores of towns!!
The town I was living in was full of hardships and challenges.
Should be proud of being socially
As a socially respected person, I should be proud of my achievements.
Respected and even feared
My peers respect and even fear me due to my success.
But I think this kind of success
I am unfulfilled by my current successes, which I believe are shallow and meaningless.
Is for circuses and for clowns!!
I believe that chasing material success is a fruitless and empty endeavor.
Yes, I should be vain and proud
I acknowledge that I should be vain and proud of my achievements, but I am not.
To have won my place in life
I have succeeded in my career and social life, which should make me happy and fulfilled.
But I must vow I´m dazed
Despite all of my success, I feel lost and unfulfilled.
And I just don´t know where I am at
I do not know my place in the world despite my achievements.
Because it was so easy picking
My success came so easily that I feel unfulfilled by it.
So I ask myself "and now" ??
I wonder what more I can achieve and what my life's purpose is.
I have so many worlds to conquer
I have a strong desire to accomplish more and to be more fulfilled in my life.
And I know I can not be even satified with that
I know that even after conquering more worlds, I still will not be satisfied.
I should be happy god granted me
I should be grateful for the time I get to spend with my family.
The sundays that I wanted
I cherish the time I get to spend with my family on Sundays.
With my family to play the father
I enjoy spending time with my family and taking on the role of the father.
To play the husband...and display
I enjoy spending time with my wife and being a husband figure.
But a monumental bore
Despite my joy in spending time with my family, I find it to be boring at times.
You will find I am and more
I am more than just a successful family man and artist.
Don´t you feel I´m happy and easy
Despite my success, I am not always happy or at ease with myself.
At the end of every day!!
Each day, I find myself overwhelmed by my thoughts and emotions of unfulfillment.
Stand against a looking glass
I reflect on my life and accomplishments when looking in the mirror.
And see yourself...what an ass
I am hard on myself and often feel foolish for my pursuits and achievements.
God and devil took the mass
Religious and spiritual beliefs play a significant role in my life.
On ten percent use of your brain
I feel as though I am only using a small percentage of my capacity as an individual.
You are a doctor of philosophy
Despite my success, I feel that I lack a true sense of meaning or direction in my life.
Priest or copper, what a topper
I am uncertain of what direction to take in my life and what career or life path to pursue.
Don´t you wish you could grow young
Sometimes, I wish I could start over and choose a different path in life.
And start it all again.
I wish I could begin my life anew and find a greater sense of fulfillment.
You don´t find me gladly sittin
I am not content with settling or complacency in my life.
On a throne made of my savings
I do not derive a sense of fulfillment from my monetary success or wealth.
Im my heavily-mortgaged home
Despite my financial success, my home is heavily mortgaged, causing me some stress or anxiety.
Waiting for my coming death
I often contemplate the end of my life and the meaning of it all.
Yah, for wonders gravitating
I am hopeful that life has more to offer and that there may be great things that come my way.
I´m awaiting, yes, I´m awaiting
I am waiting for something more fulfilling and meaningful in my life.
At the neighbor´s fence
I am looking for answers or purpose in my life outside of my own personal experiences.
Hoping and looking across the heath!!
I am hopeful that there is something more for me and that I can find satisfaction outside of my previous successes.
Contributed by Blake L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Babi Tavares
Em tempo de corona ouvir Raul é alegria pura.
Demetrio Sousa
Exato Raul fez um PLÁGIO,a música não e dele, dos BIRDS,aliás sempre q uma música brasileira e boa geralmente e um plágio dos anos 60 e 70,tempo em q havia música de verdade no planeta ,maior plagiador do universo e um tal de roberto Carlos q adora aleijar as versões de um tal ELVIS PRESLEY KKKKKKK(Elvis não era compositor, mais depois de gravar uma música as outras versões perdiam o sentido) por ex Simon e garfankel , deixaram de cantar, like bridge trouble Walter,depois q Elvis gravou a sua versão
Alex Sandro
Verdade Bárbara.......Queria tanto conhecer uma mulher que gosta de Raul
iago barretoc
toquem no violao, raulllllllllll
Daniel Paiva
Sou fã do Raul desde de minha infância e serei até enquanto eu viver ...não tem como não curtir as músicas do cara
Marta Tatiane Araújo
Simplesmente sensacional.
InhaleTheGreen ExhaleTheDream
Essa letra em inglês é tão bem feita que acho que foi composta primeiro em inglês depois traduzida pro português
Conceição Souza
Que preciosidade
Muito obrigada
sempre que vc ler os comentários eu estarei lá
Simplesmente um gênio
Mulher atraente
Que Musica Linda..