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.
O Toque
Rita Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Um som diferente entrou
Meus olhos mudaram, eu sei
Ou foi o sol que mudou, babe
O som das nuvens
A conversa do vento
A voz dos astros
O som das estrelas
A música do luar
Contando em segredo, eu sei
Contando todo o meu medo, babe
O som das flores
O murmúrio do céu
Me deram um toque
Quem tem ouvidos que ouça
Você é uma criança do universo
E tem tanto o direito de estar aqui
Quanto as árvores e as estrelas
Mesmo que isto não esteja claro para você
Não há dúvidas
Que o universo segue o rumo
Que todos nós escolhemos
The lyrics to Rita Lee/Tutti Frutti's song O Toque are about a transformative experience where the singer hears a new sound and perceives the world around them differently as a result. They wonder if it was the sound that changed them or if it was simply the sun. The song goes on to describe the different sounds in nature - the clouds, wind, stars, and flowers - and how they all gave the singer a new "touch" or perspective. The chorus declares that everyone has the right to exist and be a part of the universe, just like the trees and stars, and that the universe follows the path that we choose.
Overall, the song seems to be about the interconnectedness of all things in nature and the idea that we have the power to shape our own paths in life. The new sound that the singer hears could be interpreted as a symbol for a moment of clarity or realization that helps them see the world from a new perspective. The lyrics encourage the listener to recognize their place in the universe and the freedom they have to create their own destiny.
Line by Line Meaning
Abri a janela
I opened the window
Um som diferente entrou
A different sound came in
Meus olhos mudaram, eu sei
My eyes changed, I know
Ou foi o sol que mudou, babe
Or maybe it was the sun that changed, babe
O som das nuvens
The sound of clouds
A conversa do vento
The conversation of the wind
A voz dos astros
The voice of the stars
A história do tempo
The story of time
O som das estrelas
The sound of stars
A música do luar
The music of the moonlight
Contando em segredo, eu sei
Telling secrets, I know
Contando todo o meu medo, babe
Telling all my fear, babe
O som das flores
The sound of flowers
O murmúrio do céu
The murmur of the sky
Me deram um toque
They gave me a touch
Quem tem ouvidos que ouça
Whoever has ears, let him hear
Você é uma criança do universo
You are a child of the universe
E tem tanto o direito de estar aqui
And you have as much right to be here
Quanto as árvores e as estrelas
As the trees and the stars
Mesmo que isto não esteja claro para você
Even if this is not clear to you
Não há dúvidas
There is no doubt
Que o universo segue o rumo
That the universe follows its course
Que todos nós escolhemos
That we all choose
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PAULO SOUZA, PAULO COELHO DE SOUZA, RITA CARVALHO, RITA LEE JONES CARVALHO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind