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.
Superfície Do Planeta
Rita Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Na superfície do planeta
A esperar o ano
Em que irei ver
Eu verei descer
Num disco prateado a voz do deus
Que ensinará a musica
Que nos dará a terra
Eles irão ver
Eles irão crer
Vocês irão ver
Vocês irão crer
Rita Lee's song Superfície Do Planeta talks about loneliness and waiting for a year in which she hopes to witness the descent of the voice of God on a silver disk. She represents herself as alone on the surface of the planet, symbolizing the emptiness and alienation that exists in modern society. The voice of God is expected to bring a message of hope, music, and the promise of a better world. The message represents salvation from the superficiality and materialism that has dominated society. The lines "Eles irão ver, Eles irão crer" (They will see, They will believe) suggest that the message will eventually reach everyone regardless of their faith and belief system.
The song is a reflection on the lack of meaning and purpose in life and a desire for a higher being to intervene in a world that is lacking in direction. The silver disk, God's voice, signifies a breakaway from the mundane, everyday life, and a glimpse of something beyond human understanding. The song presents a subtle critique of the consumerist culture that has taken over the world and its impact on human values and relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Estou sozinha
Eu me sinto isolada e solitária nesta superfície do planeta.
Na superfície do planeta
Me encontro neste mundo físico, na camada mais externa da Terra.
A esperar o ano
Eu estou aguardando por um momento futuro específico.
Em que irei ver
Espero testemunhar algo extraordinário no futuro pretendido.
Eu verei descer
Ter uma experiência visual onde uma entidade cairá dos céus em minha direção.
Num disco prateado a voz do deus
Esta entidade descerá do céu em um disco brilhante enquanto fala com uma voz divina.
Que ensinará a musica
A voz divina ensinará uma música única que é incompreensível para mim agora.
Que nos dará a terra
Esta música trará um presente especial que mudará todos os aspectos da terra como a conhecemos.
Eles irão ver
Outros testemunharão os mesmo fenômenos que estou esperando ver.
Eles irão crer
As testemunhas dos acontecimentos incríveis que estou prevendo creem nesses eventos.
Vocês irão ver
Convido a todos a testemunharem a mesma experiência mística que estou antecipando.
Vocês irão crer
Garanto que se vocês testemunharem essa experiência mística, não terão escolha a não ser acreditar em sua verdadeira realidade.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ARNALDO BAPTISTA, ARNALDO DIAS BAPTISTA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind