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.
Eu Quero Ser Sedado
Rita Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Eu quero ser sedado
Nada de amor
Nada de paz
Eu quero ser sedado
Me leva pro aeroporto, me bota no avião
Vamo, vamo, vamo eu hoje tô o cão
Eu não controlo a mão
Oh, não, não, não, não, não
Vinte, vinte, vinte quatro horas a mais
Eu quero ser sedado
Nada de amor
Nada de paz
Eu quero ser sedado
Me amarra numa maca
Me bota no avião
Vamo, vamo, vamo eu hoje tô o cão
Eu não controlo a cuca
Eu não controlo a mão
Oh, não, não, não, não, não
Vinte, vinte, vinte quatro horas a mais
Eu quero ser sedado
Nada de amor
Nada de paz
Eu quero ser sedado
Na camisa de força
Me leva para o show
Vamo, vamo, vamo, estoy mucho loco
Eu não controlo a bola
Eu não controlo o gol
Oh, não, não, não, não, não
Vinte, vinte, vinte quatro horas a mais
Eu quero ser sedado
Nada de amor
Nada de paz
Eu quero ser sedado
Me finca uma estaca
Me leva para o show
Vamo, vamo, vamo, estoy mucho loco
Eu não controlo a bola
Eu não controlo o gol
Oh, não, não, não, não, não
I wanna be sedated
The lyrics to Rita Lee's song, Eu Quero Ser Sedado, are a desperate cry for escape from reality. The repeated phrase "vinte, vinte, vinte quatro horas a mais" (which translates to "twenty, twenty, twenty-four more hours") suggests a feeling of being trapped in a monotonous routine or boring existence, and the only respite is to be sedated or under the influence of drugs. The singer longs for nothingness, or at least the absence of love and peace, which can often bring pain and discomfort. This is exemplified by the line "nada de amor, nada de paz" (which translates to "nothing of love, nothing of peace").
The singer allows themselves to be taken to the airport and put on a plane, indicating a desire to escape and explore something new. They are out of control of their thoughts and actions, which is highlighted by lines like "Eu não controlo a cuca, eu não controlo a mão" (which translates to "I don't control my mind, I don't control my hand"). The singer seems to embrace this lack of control, as it frees them from the constraints of their life.
The mention of being taken to a show while in a straitjacket or pinned down with a stake further emphasizes the desperate desire for escape and being removed from reality. The repetition of the phrase "Eu quero ser sedado" (which translates to "I want to be sedated") serves as a cry for help to anyone who can offer relief from the singer's perceived predicament.
Line by Line Meaning
Vinte, vinte, vinte quatro horas a mais
I want to be sedated for 24 more hours
Eu quero ser sedado
I want to be sedated
Nada de amor
No love
Nada de paz
No peace
Me leva pro aeroporto, me bota no avião
Take me to the airport, put me on a plane
Vamo, vamo, vamo eu hoje tô o cão
Let's go, let's go, let's go, today I'm feeling like a dog
Eu não controlo a cuca
I can't control my mind
Eu não controlo a mão
I can't control my hand
Me amarra numa maca
Tie me to a stretcher
Na camisa de força
In a straight jacket
Me leva para o show
Take me to the show
Vamo, vamo, vamo, estoy mucho loco
Let's go, let's go, let's go, I'm very crazy
Eu não controlo a bola
I can't control the ball
Eu não controlo o gol
I can't control the goal
Me finca uma estaca
Stake me down
I wanna be sedated
I want to be sedated
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DEE DEE RAMONE, DOUGLAS COLVIN, JEFFREY HYMAN, JOEY RAMONE, JOHN (RAMONE) CUMMINGS, JOHNNY RAMONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind