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.
Meio-Fio
Rita Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Levo em mim o meu passado
E um tanto quanto do meu fim
Todos os instantes que vivi
Estão aqui
Os que me lembro e os que esqueci...
Carrego minha morte
E o que da sorte eu fiz
Mas sigo meu destino
num yellow submarino
Acendo a luz que me conduz
E os deuses me convidam...
Para dançar no meio fio
Entre o que tenho e o que tenho que perder
Pois se sou só
É só flutuando no vazio
Vou dando voz ao ar que receber
Pra ficar comigo
Corro salto, me equilibro
Entre minha neta e minha vó
Fico feliz, sigo adiante ante o perigo
Vejo o que me aflige virar pó
As vezes acredito em mim
As vezes não acredito
Também não sei se devo duvidar
Mas sigo meu destino
num yellow submarino
Acendo a luz que me conduz
E os deuses me convidam...
Para dançar no meio fio
Entre o que tenho e o que tenho que perder
Pois se sou só
É só flutuando no vazio
Vou dando voz ao ar que receber
In Rita Lee's song Meio-Fio, the lyrics explore the concept of carrying one's past and experiences with them as they navigate life. The opening lines "Wherever I go, I carry with me my past, and a little bit of my end" express that the singer carries the weight of their past experiences, both positive and negative.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of uncertainty about what the future holds, but a strong determination to keep moving forward. The line "I follow my destiny in a yellow submarine" expresses a willingness to explore new paths and take risks, even if they may be uncertain or uncharted. The line "I dance on the curb between what I have and what I have to lose" symbolizes the balance between holding onto what is important while also being open to change and letting go of what is no longer serving us.
Overall, Meio-Fio is a contemplative and reflective song that acknowledges the difficult and complex nature of life, but also celebrates the courage and resilience it takes to keep moving forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Onde quer que eu vá
No matter where I go
Levo em mim o meu passado
I carry my past with me
E um tanto quanto do meu fim
And some of my end
Todos os instantes que vivi
All the moments I've lived
Estão aqui
Are here
Os que me lembro e os que esqueci...
The ones I remember and the ones I forgot
Carrego minha morte
I carry my death
E o que da sorte eu fiz
And what I did by chance
O corte e também a cicatriz
The cut and also the scar
Mas sigo meu destino
But I follow my destiny
num yellow submarino
In a yellow submarine
Acendo a luz que me conduz
I light up the lamp that guides me
E os deuses me convidam...
And the gods invite me...
Para dançar no meio fio
To dance on the curb
Entre o que tenho e o que tenho que perder
Between what I have and what I have to lose
Pois se sou só
Because if I'm alone
É só flutuando no vazio
It's just floating in emptiness
Vou dando voz ao ar que receber
I give voice to the air I receive
Pra ficar comigo
To stay with me
Corro salto, me equilibro
I run, jump, and balance myself
Entre minha neta e minha vó
Between my granddaughter and my grandma
Fico feliz, sigo adiante ante o perigo
I'm happy, I move forward in the face of danger
Vejo o que me aflige virar pó
I see what afflicts me turn to dust
As vezes acredito em mim
Sometimes I believe in myself
As vezes não acredito
Sometimes I don't believe
Também não sei se devo duvidar
I also don't know if I should doubt
Mas sigo meu destino
But I follow my destiny
num yellow submarino
In a yellow submarine
Acendo a luz que me conduz
I light up the lamp that guides me
E os deuses me convidam...
And the gods invite me...
Para dançar no meio fio
To dance on the curb
Entre o que tenho e o que tenho que perder
Between what I have and what I have to lose
Pois se sou só
Because if I'm alone
É só flutuando no vazio
It's just floating in emptiness
Vou dando voz ao ar que receber
I give voice to the air I receive
Contributed by William V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Rudi Império
Na minha opinião é a melhor música lançada nos últimos 20 anos.letra maravilhosa do grande compositor Arnaldo Antunes.
Maria Socorro
Maravilha!!Rita Lee! Música para todos os tempos.
ALBERTO SANTOS
Música linda, A Rita estava ótima neste show. Adoro esta genia, maravilhosa...
luciana moura
Grande lição de vida!!! Só mais uma da Rita, mestre, guru, sacerdotisa....
Vanessa Cantero Mari Monteiro
Essa música é minha vida
Lilian Domingos
Música foi feita para mim rsrs amoooo
❤🥁🎼🎵🎺🎸
Teresinha Alves
Gosto muito das letras dela, ela é um gênio .. <3
DJ São - Flash Back
musica do Arnaldo Antunes
André Kautzmann
Essa música tem mt cara de opening de anime ehehe adoro <3
Morena Greyce De Mel
Difícil encontrar essa raridade😓toca todas mas essa não muito