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.
On The Rocks
Rita Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sou dependente do amor
Babe, meu coquetel de paixão
Com mel e limão
On the rocks, on the rocks, on the rocks
On the rocks, on the rocks, on the rocks
Blasé
On the rocks, on the rocks, on the rocks
Blasé
Sou dependente do amor
Meus amigos dizem que essa coisa vicia
On the rocks, on the rocks, on the rocks
On the rocks, on the rocks, on the rocks
On the rocks, on the rocks, on the rocks
The lyrics of Rita Lee's song "On The Rocks" express her deep dependency on love. She compares love to a cocktail of passion, sweetened with honey and lemon, and served "on the rocks," which suggests that even though love can be bitter and difficult at times, she still wants it. The repetition of the phrase "on the rocks" intensifies the feeling of craving, as if she needs love to survive. The term "blasé" is used in contrast to the passion and dependency expressed in the rest of the song, which suggests the singer is attempting to maintain a sense of detachment and coolness about her own obsession. The final line of the song, "Meus amigos dizem que essa coisa vicia" (My friends say this thing is addictive), emphasizes the idea that love is a powerful and potentially dangerous addiction.
Line by Line Meaning
Sou dependente do amor
I am addicted to love
Babe, meu coquetel de paixão
Baby, my passion cocktail
Com mel e limão
With honey and lime
On the rocks, on the rocks, on the rocks
On ice, on ice, on ice
Blasé
Unimpressed
On the rocks, on the rocks, on the rocks
On ice, on ice, on ice
Blasé
Unimpressed
Sou dependente do amor
I am addicted to love
Meus amigos dizem que essa coisa vicia
My friends say that this thing is addictive
On the rocks, on the rocks, on the rocks
On ice, on ice, on ice
On the rocks, on the rocks, on the rocks
On ice, on ice, on ice
On the rocks, on the rocks, on the rocks
On ice, on ice, on ice
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Rita Lee Jones De Carvalho, Roberto Zenobio Affonso De Carvalho
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind