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.
José
Rita Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Se apaixonar pela donzela
Entre todas a mais bela
De toda a sua galileia
Casar com Deborah ou com Sarah
Meu bom José você podia
E nada disso acontecia
Você podia simplesmente
Ser carpinteiro e trabalhar
Sem nunca ter que se exilar
De se esconder com Maria
Meu bom José você podia
Ter muitos filhos com Maria
E teu oficio ensinar
Como teu pai sempre fazia
Porque será meu bom José
Que esse seu pobre filho um dia
Andou com estranhas ideias
Que fizeram chorar Maria
Me lembro as vezes de você
Meu bom José meu pobre amigo
Que desta vida só queria
Ser feliz com sua Maria
The lyrics to Rita Lee's song "José" tell the story of a man named José who falls in love with a woman named Maria, despite having the option to marry other women like Deborah or Sarah. The song highlights the struggles that José faces as a result of his decision, such as having to hide and potentially exile himself with Maria. The lyrics also touch on the societal norms and expectations that José could have followed, including having many children and teaching his trade as his father did.
The song reflects on the idea of making choices in life and the consequences that come with them. José chose to pursue love with Maria, even though it may have been a difficult path. The lyrics show the regret that José may have felt when his son adopted strange ideas that made Maria cry. The song ultimately portrays José as a man who simply wanted to be happy with his love, rather than conforming to societal expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
Olha o que foi meu bom José
Rita Lee is addressing the character of José and pointing out his mistake.
Se apaixonar pela donzela
José fell in love with Maria, the maiden in question.
Entre todas a mais bela
Among all the ladies in Galilee, Maria was the most beautiful.
De toda a sua galileia
José was from Galilee, where Mary also lived.
Casar com Deborah ou com Sarah
Rita Lee suggests that José had other options for marriage, and names Deborah and Sarah as examples.
Meu bom José você podia
Rita Lee states that José had the ability to choose a different path.
E nada disso acontecia
If José had chosen a different woman to marry, the events that followed would not have occurred.
Mas você foi amar Maria
José chose to love Maria instead of Deborah or Sarah.
Você podia simplesmente
Rita Lee again reminds José that he had other options.
Ser carpinteiro e trabalhar
José could have kept his job as a carpenter and worked normally.
Sem nunca ter que se exilar
He wouldn't have had to go into exile or hide with Maria.
De se esconder com Maria
José eventually went into hiding with Maria to avoid persecution.
Ter muitos filhos com Maria
José and Maria could have had many children together.
E teu oficio ensinar
José could have taught his children his carpentry skills, as his father did before him.
Como teu pai sempre fazia
José's father was also a carpenter and passed down his skills to his son.
Porque será meu bom José
Rita Lee wonders why, despite having other options, José chose to be with Maria and suffer the consequences.
Que esse seu pobre filho um dia
Rita Lee refers to Jesus, José and Maria's son, as a 'poor' son, perhaps because of the difficult circumstances of his birth.
Andou com estranhas ideias
Jesus' teachings were controversial and challenged traditional beliefs.
Que fizeram chorar Maria
Mary may have been saddened or worried by Jesus' teachings or the persecution that they brought.
Me lembro as vezes de você
Rita Lee is reminiscing about José.
Meu bom José meu pobre amigo
Rita Lee still sees José as a friend, despite his mistakes.
Que desta vida só queria
Rita Lee suggests that José only wanted to be happy in his life.
Ser feliz com sua Maria
José's happiness was tied to being with Maria.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GEORGES MOUSTAKI, NARA LEAO DIEGUES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ZCCS1
José (Joseph)
Rita Lee
Olha o que foi meu bom José
Se apaixonar pela donzela
Entre todas a mais bela
De toda a sua galileia
Casar com Deborah ou com Sarah
Meu bom José você podia
E nada disso acontecia
Mas você foi amar Maria
Você podia simplesmente
Ser carpinteiro e trabalhar
Sem nunca ter que se exilar
De se esconder com Maria
Meu bom José você podia
Ter muitos filhos com Maria
E teu oficio ensinar
Como teu pai sempre fazia
Porque será meu bom José
Que esse seu pobre filho um dia
Andou com estranhas ideias
Que fizeram chorar Maria
Me lembro as vezes de você
Meu bom José meu pobre amigo
Que desta vida só queria
Ser feliz com sua Maria
Fernando Cunha
Nunca imaginei que fosse a Rita Lee que cantava essa música. Ouvia muito na infância e vim aqui pesquisar a música por causa do livro Biografia, escrito pela Rita. Fantástico!!!!
Curiosidades e Fatos Históricos Curiosidades
@José cerqueira Morais a versão da Nara Leão nunca ouvi
José cerqueira Morais
@Curiosidades e Fatos Históricos Curiosidades e Nara leão
Curiosidades e Fatos Históricos Curiosidades
A Nalva Aguiar tb canta
Luiz Córdova Jr.
Gravado em Itajaí/SC, com evidências a Igreja do Santíssimo Sacramento (Matriz), barra do Rio Itajai-Açu e Cemitério Municipal do Bairro Fazenda.
conceicao monteiro
06 de outubro de 2020, lembrei e quis ouvir essa linda canção com Rita Lee
ZCCS1
José (Joseph)
Rita Lee
Olha o que foi meu bom José
Se apaixonar pela donzela
Entre todas a mais bela
De toda a sua galileia
Casar com Deborah ou com Sarah
Meu bom José você podia
E nada disso acontecia
Mas você foi amar Maria
Você podia simplesmente
Ser carpinteiro e trabalhar
Sem nunca ter que se exilar
De se esconder com Maria
Meu bom José você podia
Ter muitos filhos com Maria
E teu oficio ensinar
Como teu pai sempre fazia
Porque será meu bom José
Que esse seu pobre filho um dia
Andou com estranhas ideias
Que fizeram chorar Maria
Me lembro as vezes de você
Meu bom José meu pobre amigo
Que desta vida só queria
Ser feliz com sua Maria
Rogério Cameski
Muita emoção..que não tive como conter as lágrimas....amo Rita Lee...
Sofia Maria
Chocada com a beleza da Rita ♥️🤤
y p
Mas não é a Rita Lee