A few years later, in the late '60s, Carlos (counseled by his advisers) changed his style to become the most successful romantic artist in Brazil. Having written (always with Erasmo Carlos) some of the most beautiful songs in this style (such as "Detalhes," "Sua Estupidez," "Jesus Cristo," "Debaixo dos Caracóis dos Seus Cabelos," etc.), Carlos accumulated virtually all possible accomplishments as a highly successful artist, including a solid international career with awards like the Grammy and top positions on Billboard's Latin charts. Though the adherence to a worn-out sentimental formula proved to be affective in commercial terms (more than 70 million albums sold in his career), it ultimately led him to be known, in the '80s and '90s, as a cheesy artist by youngsters and part of the adult listeners. Nevertheless, the mid-'90s witnessed a resurgence of Jovem Guarda talents through tributes of new rockers and Carlos reached the 21st century uncontestedly enjoying his absolute title: the King.
Roberto Carlos was from a lower-middle-class family. At six, he lost one of his legs and began using a prosthesis. At nine, he debuted on his home city's local radio. In 1955, he moved to Niterói (Rio de Janeiro) and then to Lins de Vasconcelos (a suburb of Rio de Janeiro), where he started to get into rock through Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, and Little Richard, at the same time he met Carlos Imperial, also from his hometown, who, as a TV and radio producer, would be of considerable importance to Carlos's early professional years. Two years later, Carlos performed at TV Tupi, singing "Tutti Frutti" (R. Penniman/J. Lubin/D. La Bostrie). In that period, he was scheduled to open a Bill Haley show at the Maracanazinho (Rio), when he became acquainted with Erasmo Carlos (then Erasmo Esteves). In 1958, Carlos met the "Matoso gang," as were known the future artists Tim Maia, Jorge Ben, and the same Erasmo Esteves, among others, who would meet at Matoso Street at Tijuca (a neighborhood of Rio). Carlos, Erasmo, and Tim Maia (together with Edson Trindade, Arlênio Lívio, and José Roberto "China") formed the group the Snacks (later the Sputniks), playing balls and performing on TV (including at Carlos Imperial's Clube do Rock on TV Continental, where Carlos was already a regular). The group was soon dissolved due to the incompatibility between Carlos and Maia.
After working as an extra in several films such as Agüenta o Rojão and Minha Sogra é da Polícia (in which they backed up Cauby Peixoto on one song), Carlos and Erasmo played together in Erasmo's quartet the Snakes until Carlos was called by Imperial to take Carlos Lyra's place in the Os Terríveis band that played Elvis Presley covers on TV shows and live performances contracted by Imperial.
Soon, Carlos left the band to try to become a bossa nova artist. Strongly influenced by João Gilberto in that period, Carlos often tried to "sit-in" at the famous temples Plaza nightclub and the clubs of the Beco das Garrafas, but to no avail. A testimony of his ephemeral and unaccomplished bossa nova phase is Carlos' first album, with "João e Maria" and "Fora do Tom" (both by Imperial). In August 1960, a new release was launched, again in the bossa vein, "Brotinho Sem Juízo" and "Canção do Amor Nenhum" (again, both by Imperial). At the same time, Carlos would participate regularly in shows presented by Imperial, Os Brotos Comandam (TV Continental and Rádio Guanabara) and Festa de Brotos (TV Tupi). In 1961, in the same year in which Carlos recorded his first LP (a derivation toward boleros and ballads, Louco por Você) that earned some acceptance at the time (3,500 copies sold in one year), he accepted the suggestion of the record company CBS and changed his style to youth music, starting to write songs with the composer/lyricist who would become his most important collaborator: Erasmo Carlos. The duo's first hit was Carlos' rendition for an Erasmo version of "Splish Splash" (Bobby Darin), having as the B-side another classic written by them, "Parei na Contramão." The album was recorded and launched in 1963 as Carlos' fifth 78 rpm, accompanied by Renato e seus Blue Caps. It sold 7,500 copies, a modest amount today, but it represented a considerable selling then and the milestone of a new time.
In 1964, the LP É Proibido Fumar (backed by the Youngsters) had hits with the title track (by Carlos/Erasmo) and with Erasmo's version of "Road Hog" (Gwen/John D. Loudermilk), "O Calhambeque." It sold almost 12,000 copies in 18 months and was considered high-selling then, but still behind the leader Carlos Alberto (a bolero singer), who was selling more than twice as much. Nevertheless, Carlos' nationwide success was ascending, with more and more invitations for TV and radio shows and CBS wanting to take him to Argentina. That year, Carlos recorded the same repertory in Spanish, also backed by the Youngsters, and the album Es Prohibido Fumar was released by the end of 1964 in Argentina. It was planned to also be distributed in Brazil, but as the military government considered anything in Spanish (the language of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara) dangerous to the country, the album was simply taken out of the catalog by the recording company.
In 1965, Carlos was elected the King for the first time by direct vote of the audience in a contest promoted by Antônio Aguillar on his Reino da Juventude show. Later, the title would be confirmed at the highly popular Chacrinha show and it would be his for life.
In the same year, Roberto Carlos Canta Para a Juventude broke all records established by the singer until then, by far surpassing Carlos Alberto and his Amor Perdido. Carlos' album reached fifth place according to IBOPE (a most-accredited public opinion research institute), however, it quickly fell several positions. In fact, he would only have an album at number one of the top parade by the end of the year, with his next LP. Until then, his rising success would sell over 20,000 copies of the double single with "História de um Homem Mau" (reaching fourth place on the charts) and 50,000 copies of his single "Não Quero Ver Você Triste",
On September 5, Roberto Carlos opened the legendary show Jovem Guarda as the main host and also featuring Vanderléa and Erasmo Carlos by his side. The show gave the name and directives to the first musical scene produced especially for Brazilian youth, representing a major cultural/behavioral/commercial breakthrough. After the show debut, Carlos' popularity reached levels unimagined until then. Scoring hits in Argentina and Brazil, Carlos became the best-seller for CBS. A double single with "A Garota do Baile," Carlos reached number two in November, behind the Beatles' "Help!" But his album Jovem Guarda, also launched in November, took only one week to push "Help!" out of number one on the Brazilian charts, selling almost 200,000 copies in one year. "Quero Que Vá Tudo Pro Inferno" became a nationwide hit and with the exception of brief periods of time, it reigned absolute at number one on the top parade during the entire first semester of 1966. After performing in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay — countries in which the Spanish version of "O Calhambeque" continued to have success — Carlos went to Europe in April 1966, singing in Portugal (where "Calhambeque" and "Quero Que Vá Tudo Pro Inferno" were in first place on Lisbon charts). Returning to Brazil, he soon departed for a tour that started in South America, then Central and North America, where he sang in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York, then Europe (London, Paris, Berlin, and Lisbon). Roberto Carlos, released in December 1966 and went right to number one in the second week (remaining there until April 1967), sold 300,000 copies in less than a year. Also in 1967, Carlos starred the feature film Roberto Carlos em Ritmo de Aventura (whose soundtrack sold 300,000 copies, staying at number one from December 17 until June 1968; the film also broke all box-office records until then); won fifth place at the III FMPB (Festival of Brazilian Popular Music of the TV Record, São Paulo) with "Maria, Carnaval e Cinzas," by Luís Carlos Paraná (reaching number one as a single in November); participated in the MIDEM Festival in Cannes, France; and won the Chico Viola trophy for the songs "Quero Que Vá Tudo pro Inferno" and "Esqueça" and for the LP Jovem Guarda. In June of the same year, Carlos departed for a series of shows in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the U.S. In Italy, he participated in the Venice Song Festival.
In 1968, Carlos left Jovem Guarda, which due to his absence would soon cease to exist. His departure was a result of a mature decision to migrate from a youth idol profile to that of a romantic singer. In the same year, Carlos won the San Remo Festival (XVIII Festival della Canzone Italiana) with "Canzone Per Te" (Sergio Endrigo) and starred the film O Diamante Cor-de-Rosa (also a box office success), opening his own show Roberto Carlos à Noite (TV Record) on March 15. As a romantic singer, Carlos had several hits in the 1970s that still had his creative impetus, such as "Sua Estupidez," "As Flores do Jardim de Nossa Casa," "Jesus Cristo," "Amada Amante," "Detalhes," "Debaixo dos Caracóis dos Seus Cabelos," "A Montanha," "A Proposta," "Além do Horizonte," "Olha," "Amante à Moda Antiga," and "A Ilha" (all with Erasmo), along with "Como Vai Você?" (Antônio Marcos/Mário Marcos), and two songs written by Caetano Veloso especially for him, "Como Dois e Dois" and "Muito Romântico." In that decade, Carlos also consolidated his international career doing regular shows in the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. In the year of 1970, he did his first show at the prestigious Canecão, which would be the first of his highly successful annual seasons at the most important Carioca hall in terms of media resonance. In the early '70s, Carlos became the top record-selling Brazilian artist, a position he would keep for many consecutive years. After 1976, his albums were selling over 1,000,000 copies. His 1977 album Roberto Carlos, with "Falando Sério," sold 2.2 million copies. His 1978 show also beat all records, with 250,000 spectators in six months throughout Brazil, while the album with "Café da Manhã," "Força Estranha," and "Lady Laura" sold 1.5 million copies.
In the '80s, Carlos also started to record in English and French (he had already recorded albums in Spanish, Italian, and, naturally, Portuguese), having won the Globo de Cristal trophy, awarded by CBS to Brazilian artists who sell more than five million copies outside Brazil. At the same time, his albums continued to break records in his country. "Caminhoneiro" (1984) was aired 3,000 times in a single day, another record soon beaten by his own "Verde e Amarelo" (1985), with 3,500 spins. In 1986, he had success at Radio City Music Hall (New York, NY) and, two years later, won the Grammy as the Best Latin American Pop singer. In 1989, his Sonrie reached first place on Billboard's Latin chart.
In the 1990s, Roberto Carlos became the first Latin American artist to sell more albums than the Beatles (in 1994, having by then sold over 70 million copies of his albums). In the mid-'90s, with the retro Jovem Guarda wave, Carlos, who was worn out among the younger generations who had only known his romantic and sentimental hits directed at a middle-aged audience, had his importance recuperated by young rockers such as Cássia Eller, Chico Science & Nação Zumbi, Barão Vermelho, and Skank, who recorded Rei, a tribute to him with his old Jovem Guarda hits.
In 1998, his second wife Maria Rita discovered she had cancer (she would die in 1999), which shattered his peace of mind. Trying to keep on with his career, Carlos continued to record and perform after one year of reclusion. In 2001, he broke his contract with Sony (ex-CBS), the recording company through which he had released a vast majority of his albums, due to commercial reasons related to his wife's demise.
120... 150... 200 Km por Hora
Roberto Carlos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
O ponteiro marca 120
O tempo diminui
As árvores passam como vultos
A vida passa, o tempo passa
Estou a 130
As imagens se confundem
Estou fugindo de mim mesmo
De tristeza, de incerteza
Estou a 140
Fugindo de você
Eu vou voando pela vida sem querer chegar
Nada vai mudar meu rumo nem me fazer voltar
Vivo, fugindo, sem destino algum
Sigo caminhos que me levam a lugar nenhum
O ponteiro marca 150
Tudo passa ainda mais depressa
O amor, a felicidade
O vento afasta uma lágrima
Que começa a rolar no meu rosto
Estou a 160
Vou acender os faróis, já é noite
Agora são as luzes que passam por mim
Sinto um vazio imenso
Estou só na escuridão
A 180
Estou fugindo de você
Eu vou, sem saber pra onde nem quando vou parar
Não, não deixo marcas no caminho pra não saber voltar
Às vezes sinto que o mundo se esqueceu de mim
Não, não sei por quanto tempo ainda eu vou viver assim
O ponteiro agora marca 190
Por um momento tive a sensação
De ter você a meu lado
O banco está vazio
Estou só, a 200 por hora
Vou parar de pensar em você
Pra prestar atenção na estrada
Vou sem saber pra onde, nem quando vou parar
Não, não deixo marcas no caminho pra não saber voltar
Às vezes, às vezes sinto que o mundo se esqueceu de mim
Não, não sei por quanto tempo ainda eu vou viver assim
Eu vou, vou voando pela vida
The song "120... 150... 200 Km por Hora" by Roberto Carlos is a reflective piece on the fleeting nature of time and missed opportunities due to the pursuit of an elusive happiness. The lyrics speak from the perspective of someone driving at progressively faster speeds, trying to escape their past and a lost love. They describe the feeling of things passing by too quickly to be fully experienced, the emptiness of a life without direction, and the fear of being forgotten by the world.
The song begins with the singer driving at 120 km/h and feeling like time is flying by. They are consumed by thoughts of their past, and at 130 km/h, they feel like they are fleeing from themselves. As they speed up to 150 km/h, they reflect on how quickly even happiness and love can disappear. At 160 km/h, they are driving through the night, feeling lonely and empty. At 180 km/h they realize they are still running from their lost love, and finally, at 200 km/h they decide to stop thinking about the past and focus on the road ahead.
Through the use of driving as a metaphor for life, Roberto Carlos paints a picture of a person struggling to find meaning and happiness in a world that moves too quickly. The lyrics convey a sense of restlessness and frustration with the constant passing of time, and the realization that sometimes, the harder we try to escape, the more we end up losing.
Line by Line Meaning
As coisas estão passando mais depressa
Time seems to be moving faster
O ponteiro marca 120
The speedometer shows 120 km/h
O tempo diminui
Time is passing quickly
As árvores passam como vultos
The trees pass by quickly, almost like shadows
A vida passa, o tempo passa
Life goes on and time continues to move forward
Estou a 130
Now driving at 130 km/h
As imagens se confundem
The imagery around me becomes a blur
Estou fugindo de mim mesmo
Running away from myself
Fugindo do passado, do meu mundo assombrado
Trying to escape from a haunting past
De tristeza, de incerteza
From sadness and uncertainty
Estou a 140
Going even faster now at 140 km/h
Fugindo de você
Trying to run away from someone
Eu vou voando pela vida sem querer chegar
I am flying through life without any real destination
Nada vai mudar meu rumo nem me fazer voltar
Nothing will change my course or make me turn back
Vivo, fugindo, sem destino algum
Living while running aimlessly
Sigo caminhos que me levam a lugar nenhum
Following paths that lead me nowhere
O ponteiro marca 150
The speedometer now shows 150 km/h
Tudo passa ainda mais depressa
Everything passes by quickly
O amor, a felicidade
Love and happiness are fleeting
O vento afasta uma lágrima
The wind blows away a tear from my face
Que começa a rolar no meu rosto
A tear starts to roll down my face
Estou a 160
Now driving at 160 km/h
Vou acender os faróis, já é noite
Turning on the headlights because it's now nighttime
Agora são as luzes que passam por mim
Now it's the lights that are passing by me
Sinto um vazio imenso
Feeling an immense void
Estou só na escuridão
Feeling alone in the darkness
A 180
Speeding up to 180 km/h
Eu vou, sem saber pra onde nem quando vou parar
Going without knowing where or when I will stop
Não, não deixo marcas no caminho pra não saber voltar
Not leaving any marks to find my way back
Às vezes sinto que o mundo se esqueceu de mim
Sometimes feeling forgotten by the world
Não, não sei por quanto tempo ainda eu vou viver assim
Not knowing how much longer I will live like this
O ponteiro agora marca 190
Now driving at 190 km/h
Por um momento tive a sensação
For a moment, I had the feeling
De ter você a meu lado
That you were by my side
O banco está vazio
The seat next to me is empty
Estou só, a 200 por hora
Alone, now driving at 200 km/h
Vou parar de pensar em você
Going to stop thinking about you
Pra prestar atenção na estrada
To pay attention to the road ahead
Eu vou, vou voando pela vida
I am flying through life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ERASMO ESTEVES, ROBERTO CARLOS BRAGA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Maria Guadalupe Alvarez Silva
Esta canción la escuche hace 3 años,y me sentía muy triste,mi alma estaba partida en 1000 pedazos,por la muerte de mi hija,ahora mi vida se esta rescontruyendo ante ese inmenso dolor,aún sigue en mi...y sé que nunca se marchará...
Igor bavaros
Tenha muita força minha amiga e tenha fé.
Patricia Panesso
Que hermosa cacion me identifico soy solitaria y melancólica pero luchó cada día por ser feliz con la gracia de Dios amen
Maria Chuchena
Y lo serás así sea🙏🏻🙏🏻💕
Mauricio Ramirez
Me recuerda que no solo somos como máquinas...somos en el fondo seres con sentimientos ...
Roberto Tiño
Esta canción era una de mis favoritas en mi juventud (años 1968/1972). Hoy tengo 65 años y al escucharla se me caen algunas lágrimas. ¡ Cuantos años han pasado, por Dios !!!
Ricardo Torres
Así es la vida. En un abrir y cerrar de ojos. Pero seguimos aquí, a disfrutar lo que nos ofrece¡¡ Saludos¡¡
Henry Sierra
Roberto Tiño lo entiendo de que pais eres
Richard Cid Merrich
Tiño
Ricardo Torres
México