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.
I AM
Raul Seixas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Man has search for the great answer
It was given
Today I give it once more
Sometimes you ask me a question
You ask why I talk so little
I hardly ever speak of love
You think of me all the time
You eat me, spew me and leave me
Come forth, see through your ears
Cause today I'll challenge your sight
I am the star of the starlights
I am the child of the moon
Yes, I am your harred of love
I am too late and too soon
Yes, I am the fear of failure
I am the power of will
I am the bluff of the gambler
I am. I move, I'm still
Yes, I am your sacrifice
The placard that spells "forbidden"
Blood in the eyes of the vampire
I am the curse unbidden
Yes, I am the black and the indian
I am the WASP and the jew
I am the Bible and the I-Ching
The red, the white and the blue
Why do you ask me a question
Asking is not going to show
That I am all things in existence
I am, I was, I go
You have me with you forever
Not knowing if it's bad or good
But know that I am in yourself
Why don't you just meet me in the woods
For I am the eaves of the roof
I am the fish and the fisher
"A" is the first of my name
Yes, I am the hope of the wisher
Yes, I am the housewife and the whore
Hunting the markets asleep
I am shallow, wide and deep
Yes, I am the law of the lema
I am the fang of the shark
I am the eyes of the blindman
I am the light in the dark
Oh, yes, I am bitter in your tongue
Mother, father and the riddle
I am the son yet the come
Yes, I'm the beginning the end and the middle
The song "I Am" by Raul Seixas is a reflection on the complexity of existence and humanity's search for meaning. The lyrics suggest that the answers to life's biggest questions have been given before, but that people continue to search for them. The song uses a series of metaphors to highlight humanity's contradictory nature and the multitude of roles and identities that people can assume.
Throughout the song, Seixas presents himself as a sort of enigma, challenging the listener's perceptions of him and encouraging them to look beyond his surface-level characteristics. He claims to be the star of the starlights, the power of will, the fear of failure, the hope of the wisher, and so on. By doing so, he suggests that he is more complex than any one label or identity can capture. He invites the listener to join him in the woods and to recognize that he is a part of them - an integral part of their existence.
The song's overall message seems to be that the answers to life's biggest questions are not simple or singular. Rather, they are complex and multifaceted, just like the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Since the beginning of time
Throughout all of history
Man has search for the great answer
Humans have always sought answers to life's big questions
It was given
The answer has been presented before
Today I give it once more
The answer is being given again
Sometimes you ask me a question
Occasionally you inquire about something
You ask why I talk so little
You want to know why I am not very vocal
I hardly ever speak of love
I rarely discuss the topic of love
Don't side you and smiling so bittle
Stop pretending and smirking smugly
You think of me all the time
You constantly ponder me
You eat me, spew me and leave me
You consume and then discard me
Come forth, see through your ears
Listen closely
Cause today I'll challenge your sight
Because today I will test your perception
I am the star of the starlights
I am the brightest and most prominent star
I am the child of the moon
I am a product of the moon's influence
Yes, I am your harred of love
I am both the joy and pain that love brings
I am too late and too soon
I am both ahead of and behind the times
Yes, I am the fear of failure
I am the apprehension surrounding potential defeat
I am the power of will
I am the strength to accomplish tasks
I am the bluff of the gambler
I am the deception used in games of chance
I am. I move, I'm still
I exist and am both active and motionless
Yes, I am your sacrifice
I am the offering made for a greater good
The placard that spells "forbidden"
I am the sign that denotes something as off-limits
Blood in the eyes of the vampire
I am the life force that sustains the undead
I am the curse unbidden
I am the punishment involuntarily inflicted
Yes, I am the black and the indian
I am representative of multiple races
I am the WASP and the jew
I am inclusive of different religions and cultures
I am the Bible and the I-Ching
I encompass both Western and Eastern philosophies
The red, the white and the blue
I am patriotic and represent a country's colors
Asking is not going to show
Merely questioning will not reveal the answer
That I am all things in existence
That I encompass all aspects of being
I am, I was, I go
I exist in the past, present, and future
You have me with you forever
I am eternal
Not knowing if it's bad or good
It is uncertain whether I am positive or negative
But know that I am in yourself
Understand that I exist within oneself
Why don't you just meet me in the woods
Why not encounter me in nature?
For I am the eaves of the roof
I am the overhang of a building's roof
I am the fish and the fisher
I am both the catch and the catcher
"A" is the first of my name
My name begins with the first letter of the alphabet
Yes, I am the hope of the wisher
I am the optimistic desire of one's aspirations
Yes, I am the housewife and the whore
I am both the traditional role of a wife and the taboo of a prostitute
Hunting the markets asleep
I search in vain for something while unaware
I am shallow, wide and deep
I am both superficial and profound
Yes, I am the law of the lema
I dictate the rules of magical spells
I am the fang of the shark
I am the dangerous aspect of a creature
I am the eyes of the blindman
I am the perception of someone without sight
I am the light in the dark
I illuminate in the midst of darkness
Oh, yes, I am bitter in your tongue
My essence is unpleasant in one's mouth
Mother, father and the riddle
I embody both family and enigmatic puzzles
I am the son yet the come
I am both a child and the future
Yes, I'm the beginning the end and the middle
I am the alpha, omega, and everything in between
Contributed by Sophie M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Cida Ferraz
Raul Seixas maravilhoso até em inglês 😘 perfeito...
Fàbio Borges
A mais bela canção do mundo é do Raul .. Y AM 🤘🎸🎶🤘
Bruno de Lima
Ele tinha um inglês fluentíssimo!!!
Celso Soares
E ele foi autodidata!
Laudenor Amorim
Verdade!!!
Jonas Araujo
Maior cantor da música brasileira de todos os tempos tudo que for contra o sistema eu aprovo
Robson Lima
Hoje falo Inglês só por causa dele....nunca ganhei dinheiro com meu inglês...... Obrigado Raul🙌
Antonio Rufino
Linda música
Jolly Roger
Hehe... pegou uma vibe country, de leve
RaulSeixasBau
:p