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.
Actitudes
Roberto Carlos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Y todo sucedió
Mi amor se acrescentó
Y tu cuerpo, mi cuerpo deseó
Mas hoy yo no quisiera ver
La noche llegar
Porque en la ventana vi
Fue todo desigual
Y todo se acabó
Apenas una vez
Yo procuré e intenté hablar
Y vi que tus defectos
Cual los míos son
Por eso aquél triste adiós
No puedo aceptar
Ahora parado aquí
Yo sufro tanto
Si tú te demoras
Callado salgo de mí mismo
Por no ver la hora
De recordar secretos y actitudes
De los dos, de los dos
Y adónde vayas tú
Iré para decir
Que el tiempo no paró
Y que no vivo apenas por vivir
No imaginé que nuestro sueño
Terminase así
Lo que no sirve para ti
Tampoco vale para mí
Ahora parado aquí
Yo sufro Tanto si tú te demoras
Callado salgo de mí mismo
Por no ver la hora
De recordar secretos y actitudes
De los dos, de los dos
Ahora parado aquí y sufro
Tanto si tú te demoras
Callado salgo de mí mismo
Por no ver la hora
De recordar secretos y actitudes
De los dos, de los dos
De los dos, de los dos
The song "Actitudes" by Roberto Carlos tells a story of a failed relationship that started with love, attraction, and physical desire but ended with disappointment, heartbreak, and sadness. The first verse describes the initial attraction between the couple where the singer embraced their partner with a smile and their love grew stronger as their desire for each other increased. However, the second verse reveals that the relationship deteriorated over time, and the singer learned about their partner's flaws and shortcomings, which ultimately led to their painful breakup. The chorus depicts the singer's struggle to move on from the relationship while also acknowledging that they cannot accept the goodbye because they see themselves in their partner's flaws.
The third verse conveys the singer's current state of mind where they are standing still, overwhelmed with grief and struggling to come to terms with the breakup. They cannot bear the thought of the night arriving because they do not want to face the reality of their partner leaving. The fourth verse describes the singer's commitment to reminding their partner that time has not stopped, and they are not merely existing but living their lives, even after the relationship has ended. The song ends with the chorus, where the singer's pain is evident, and they cannot help but remember the secrets and attitudes of the two that caused the relationship's downfall.
Overall, "Actitudes" is a poignant anthem for anyone who has experienced heartbreak and is struggling to move on. The song's emotional depth and sensitivity make it a timeless classic that resonates with people worldwide.
Line by Line Meaning
Sonriendo te abracé
I hugged you with a smile
Y todo sucedió
And everything happened
Mi amor se acrescentó
My love grew stronger
Y tu cuerpo, mi cuerpo deseó
And my body desired yours
Mas hoy yo no quisiera ver
But today I don't want to see
La noche llegar
The night come
Porque en la ventana vi
Because in the window I saw
Que te alejabas más
That you were moving away
Fue todo desigual
It was all unequal
Y todo se acabó
And everything ended
Apenas una vez
Only once
Yo procuré e intenté hablar
I tried to speak
Y vi que tus defectos
And I saw that your flaws
Cual los míos son
Were like mine
Por eso aquél triste adiós
That's why that sad goodbye
No puedo aceptar
I can't accept
Ahora parado aquí
Now standing here
Yo sufro tanto
I suffer so much
Si tú te demoras
If you delay
Callado salgo de mí mismo
Silently, I step out of myself
Por no ver la hora
To not see the time
De recordar secretos y actitudes
Of remembering secrets and attitudes
De los dos, de los dos
Of both of us
Y adónde vayas tú
And wherever you go
Iré para decir
I will go to say
Que el tiempo no paró
That time did not stop
Y que no vivo apenas por vivir
And that I don't live just to live
No imaginé que nuestro sueño
I didn't imagine that our dream
Terminase así
Would end like this
Lo que no sirve para ti
What doesn't work for you
Tampoco vale para mí
Doesn't work for me either
De los dos, de los dos
Of both of us
Contributed by Lucas F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ara Unternaehrer
Para mi Roberto Carlos es inigualable por más que busque es el único que encierra todo en esa música romántica. Melodía,letra, voz y Esa humildad que lo caracteriza… 💓👍🏼👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Pilar Orozco
Roberto Carlos cantándole a los corazones heridos.
Música que para muchos es verdad.
Lo curioso es que muchos ni escuchando estas canciones entienden que cuando se ama no se ponen condiciones ,el amor debe florecer o darse solo.
Si amas a alguien no lo lastimes.
El amor resuelve muchas cosas.
El amor perdona muchas cosas y no todo.
Vladimir Caso
Todo un sentimiento hecho canción. Así es el maestro Roberto Carlos... Todas sus canciones hacen vibrar los corazones de todos sus oyentes y demuestran que su talento es incomparable y que pocos llegan a la altura de una persona que con su canto llena los sentimientos más profundos de los seres humanos
Mario Borras
Una de los más grandes temas del gran Roberto carlos obra maestra
Mario Borras
de los70 no de toda la história nadie ha logrado ese nivel en canciones incluyendo por supuesto su Voz media grave con mucha melodía y las letras verdaderas obras maestras único inigualable un intérprete romántico perfecto
Carlos Herrero Herranz
Qué tiempos aquellos
Liu Rodriguez
Una de mis favoritas! Bella, preciosa!!! Dios bendiga la buena musica de Roberto Carlos!
Lucrecia garcía Díaz
Un gran cantante de los mejores.
Luci Justo
La mejor, tengo un bello recuerdo 😭😭💝
Delania Benevides
LINDA DEMAIS 🌹🌹