Rita helped to incorporate the rock revolution into the creative explosion of tropicalismo, formed the most celebrated Brazilian rock band in the world, Os Mutantes, and created solo songs with enormous popular appeal without losing her freedom and irreverence.
Former member of the group Os Mutantes (1966 — 1972) and leader of the band Tutti Frutti (1973 — 1978), Lee participated in important revolutions in the world of music and society, such as the Tropicália movement during the Brazilian dictatorship, which led her to be the artist with the most censored songs in Brazil during that period. Her songs, usually watered with an acid irony or with a claim for female independence and sexual topics, became ubiquitous in the charts. The album, Fruto Proibido (1975), released together with the band Tutti Frutti, is commonly seen as a fundamental milestone in the history of Brazilian rock, considered by some as her masterpiece.
In 1976, Lee began a romantic relationship with guitarist Roberto de Carvalho and since then he has been the partner on most of her songs and accompanied her in all her live performances. They had three children, including Beto Lee, also a guitarist, who accompanies his parents in concerts. With a career that has reached 50 years, Rita Lee has gone from the musical innovation of the late 1960s and 1970s to the highly successful romantic ballads of the 1980s. In October 2008, Rolling Stone magazine promoted the List of the 100 Greatest Artists in Brazilian Music, where Rita Lee ranks 15th.
In 2001, Rita Lee won the Latin Grammy for Best Portuguese Language Rock Album with "3001". She would receive five more nominations for the award and in 2022, she was awarded the Musical Excellence award for her body of work. In 2012, she announced that she would retire from performing live due to physical frailty. "I retire from shows, but never from music," she wrote on Twitter.
She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2021 and had been undergoing treatment for the disease. She passed away in her hometown of São Paulo at the age of 75 on May 8, 2023.
Beija-me Amor
Rita Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Com tua boca vermelha
Para que eu sinta o seu gosto
Mesclado com gosto de amor
Mastigado entre os dentes meus
Sou cesta de natal
Cheia de latas vazias
Me dê um cigarro sem filtro
Vagabundo como nós
Não podemos sofrer
Não leremos jornais
Que noticiem crimes
Não participaremos dessas mortes vis
Beija-me a boca varonis
In Rita Lee's song Beija-me Amor, the lyrics suggest a desire for physical intimacy with a significant other. The first few lines describe a longing to be kissed by their partner, with emphasis on the taste of love. The lines "Mastigado entre os dentes meus" suggest a desire for a deep emotional connection and a willingness to hold onto that feeling.
The next lines take a turn, describing the singer as a "basket of Christmas" that is full of empty cans, suggesting a feeling of emptiness and a need for something to fill the void. The line "Me dê um cigarro sem filtro" suggests a rebellion against societal norms and a desire for freedom. The term "vagabundo como nós" further emphasizes this desire to live outside traditional societal constraints.
Line by Line Meaning
Beija-me a boca
Kiss me on the mouth
Com tua boca vermelha
With your red lips
Para que eu sinta o seu gosto
So that I can feel your taste
Mesclado com gosto de amor
Blended with love's taste
Mastigado entre os dentes meus
Chewed between my teeth
Sou cesta de natal
I am a Christmas basket
Cheia de latas vazias
Full of empty cans
Não deixe que eu me comova
Don't let me become emotional
Me dê um cigarro sem filtro
Give me a cigarette without a filter
Vagabundo como nós
Vagabond like us
Não podemos sofrer
We cannot suffer
Não leremos jornais
We will not read newspapers
Que noticiem crimes
That report crimes
Não participaremos dessas mortes vis
We will not participate in those vile deaths
Beija-me a boca varonis
Kiss me on the mouth, my love
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ARNALDO BAPTISTA, ELCIO DECARIO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind