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.
With a Little Help from My Friends
Rita Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What would you think if I sang out of tune
Would you stand up and walk out on me
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song
And I'll try not to sing out of key
I get by with a little help from my friends
I get high with a little help from my friends
Going to try with a little help from my friends
(Does it worry you to be alone)
How do I feel by the end of the day
(Are you sad because you're on your own)
No I get by with a little help from my friends
Do you need anybody
I need somebody to love
Could it be anybody
I want somebody to love
Would you believe in a love at first sight
Yes I'm certain that it happens all the time
What do you see when you turn out the light
I can't tell you, but I know it's mine
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends
Do you need anybody
I just need somebody to love
Could it be anybody
I want somebody to love
I get by with a little help from my friends
Yes I get by with a little help from my friends
With a little help from my friends
Rita Lee's rendition of the Beatles' classic song "With a Little Help from My Friends" is a declaration of the power of friendship and companionship in navigating the ups and downs of life. The song begins by posing a rhetorical question that highlights the fragility and vulnerability of human nature: "What would you think if I sang out of tune? Would you stand up and walk out on me?" The singer then appeals to his listeners' empathy, asking them to lend him their ears and promising not to sing out of key. The chorus celebrates the mutual support and pleasure that friends give to each other, with the singer claiming that he "gets by" and even "gets high" with a little help from them.
The second verse addresses another universal human concern: the fear of being alone. The singer asks how he should cope when his love is away, and wonders if his listeners also feel sad when they are by themselves. The chorus reassures him that having friends makes these difficulties easier to bear. The bridge of the song takes a more romantic turn, with the singer pondering the possibility of love at first sight and hinting at the intimacy and mystery that a loving relationship can bring. Overall, "With a Little Help from My Friends" is a catchy and uplifting song that celebrates the joy and comfort that friends and lovers can bring into our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
A little help from my friends
The singer needs support from her friends
What would you think if I sang out of tune
Asking if her friends would judge her if she made a mistake
Would you stand up and walk out on me
Asking if her friends would abandon her if she did something wrong
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song
Asking her friends for their attention and promising to perform for them
And I'll try not to sing out of key
Promising to do her best and not make any errors
I get by with a little help from my friends
The singer relies on her friends for support and guidance
I get high with a little help from my friends
The singer finds happiness and pleasure in the company of her friends
Going to try with a little help from my friends
The singer is going to attempt something new with her friends' support
What do I do when my love is away
Asking how to cope when her partner is absent
(Does it worry you to be alone)
Asking if her friends feel anxious when they are alone
How do I feel by the end of the day
Asking how to deal with negative emotions after a long day
(Are you sad because you're on your own)
Asking if her friends feel unhappy when they are alone
No I get by with a little help from my friends
The singer is reassured that she can handle being alone with her friends' support
Do you need anybody
Asking if her friends require assistance from others
I need somebody to love
The singer desires a romantic partner
Could it be anybody
Asking if her friends believe that anyone could be a suitable partner
I want somebody to love
The singer is determined to find love
Would you believe in a love at first sight
Asking if her friends think love can happen immediately
Yes I'm certain that it happens all the time
The singer believes in love at first sight
What do you see when you turn out the light
Asking her friends what they see in the dark
I can't tell you, but I know it's mine
The singer has a personal experience that cannot be explained
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends
The singer is grateful for her friends' support
Yes I get by with a little help from my friends
The singer repeats her gratitude for her friends' help
With a little help from my friends
The singer acknowledges that her friends play an important role in her life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elza Corrêa Teixeira
Marvilhosa Rita Lee relendo Bossa'n Beatles.
Bruno Ganem
Belíssima interpretação
Laerte Mourão
LEENDO: leitura, arranjo, voz,...
Gilberto Freitas
Beautiful beautiful woman guitarist
Patry Leguizamon
hello Rita, i always liked the music of The Beatles, but when i listened your music with ritmo the bossa, i tinks can t to be best