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.
Mi querido mi viejo mi amigo
Roberto Carlos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ese hablar cansado profundo
Que me lee todo lo escrito
Y me enseña tanto del mundo
Esos pasos lentos de ahora
Caminando siempre conmigo
Ya corrieron tanto en la vida
Mi querido, mi viejo, mi amigo
Esa vida llena de historias
Y de arrugas marcadas por el tiempo
Recuerdo de antiguas victorias
Son lagrimas lloradas al viento
Tu voz dulce y serena me calma
Y me ofrece refugio y abrigo
Va calando dentro de mi alma
Mi querido, mi viejo, mi amigo
Tu pasado vive presente
En las experencias sentidas
En tu corazón consiente
De las cosas bellas, de la vida
Tus sonrisa franca me anima
Tu consejo sabio me guía
Abre corazón y te digo
Mi querido, mi viejo, mi amigo
Yo te e dicho casi todo
Y casi todo es poco
Frente a lo que yo siento
Mirando tus cabellos tan bonitos
Abre el corazón y digo
Mi querido, mi viejo, mi amigo
X4
The lyrics of Roberto Carlos’s “Mi Querido, Mi Viejo, Mi Amigo” pay tribute to a father figure who has been a constant source of love, support, and guidance in the singer's life. The song expresses gratitude for the lessons learned, the memories shared, and the unconditional love given throughout the years. The opening lines describe the physical appearance of the father figure, highlighting his beautiful white hair and his tired, deep voice that has read everything and taught the singer so much about the world. The reference to the father figure's slow steps of old age is juxtaposed with the memory of his energetic youth, where he sprinted throughout life with vigor.
The second stanza acknowledges the father's rich life experiences, marked by wrinkles as well as stories of success and tears shed along the way, but these experiences and emotions shine a light on the beauty of life. The father figure's sweet and serene voice brings calmness, a sense of security, and the promise of warmth and protection. The third stanza describes the father's living past, present and future as the singer has learned from what he has gone through in life, his father's wisdom guides and animates him. The father's genuine smile gives comfort and its gentle advice steers the way, prompting the singer to open his heart and, with gratitude, thank his “querido, viejo, y amigo” for his love.
Line by Line Meaning
Esos sus cabellos blancos bonitos
Your beautiful white hair inspires admiration
Ese hablar cansado profundo
Your tired yet profound words reveal great wisdom
Que me lee todo lo escrito
You read everything I write and teach me so much about the world
Y me enseña tanto del mundo
You teach me so much about the world
Esos pasos lentos de ahora
Your slow steps now
Caminando siempre conmigo
Always walking beside me
Ya corrieron tanto en la vida
Have run so much in life already
Mi querido, mi viejo, mi amigo
My beloved, my old man, my friend
Esa vida llena de historias
Your life is full of stories
Y de arrugas marcadas por el tiempo
The wrinkles on your face show the time you've lived
Recuerdo de antiguas victorias
Reminders of past triumphs
Son lagrimas lloradas al viento
Tears shed to the wind
Tu voz dulce y serena me calma
Your sweet and calm voice soothes me
Y me ofrece refugio y abrigo
And offers me refuge and comfort
Va calando dentro de mi alma
It sinks deep within my soul
Tu pasado vive presente
Your past lives on in the present
En las experencias sentidas
In your experienced experiences
En tu corazón consiente
In your conscious heart
De las cosas bellas, de la vida
Of the beautiful things in life
Tus sonrisa franca me anima
Your honest smile encourages me
Tu consejo sabio me guía
Your wise advice guides me
Abre corazón y te digo
Open your heart and I'll tell you
Mi querido, mi viejo, mi amigo
My beloved, my old man, my friend
Yo te e dicho casi todo
I've told you almost everything
Y casi todo es poco
And almost everything is not enough
Frente a lo que yo siento
Compared to what I feel
Mirando tus cabellos tan bonitos
Looking at your beautiful hair
Abre el corazón y digo
I open my heart and say
Mi querido, mi viejo, mi amigo
My beloved, my old man, my friend (x4)
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TIAGO SOUZA SILVA
Esos tus cabellos blancos, bonitos
Ese hablar cansado, profundo
Que me lee todo lo escrito
Y me enseña tanto del mundo
Esos pasos lentos de ahora
Caminando siempre conmigo
Ya corrieron tanto en la vida
Mi querido, mi viejo, mi amigo
Esa vida llena de historias
Y de arrugas marcadas por el tiempo
Recuerdos de antiguas victorias
Son lágrimas lloradas al viento
Tu voz dulce y serena me calma
Y me ofrece refugio, y abrigo
Va calando dentro de mi alma
Mi querido, mi viejo, mi amigo
Tu pasado vive, presente
En las experiencias sentidas
En tu corazón consciente
De las cosas bellas de la vida
Tu sonrisa franca me anima
Tu consejo sabio me guía
Abro el corazón y te digo
Mi querido, mi viejo, mi amigo
Yo
He dicho casi todo
Y casi todo es poco
Frente a lo que yo siento
Mirando tus cabellos tan bonitos
Abro el corazón y digo
Mi querido, mi viejo, mi amigo
Mirando tus cabellos tan bonitos
Abro el corazón y digo
Mi querido, mi viejo, mi amigo
Mirando tus cabellos tan bonitos
Abro el corazón y digo
Mi querido, mi viejo, mi amigo
Mirando tus cabellos tan bonitos
Abro el corazón y digo
Mi querido, mi viejo, mi amigo
Lazaro Jesus Hernandez
Han pasado 16 años de que mi padre falleció y cada vez que escucho esta canción lloro y me acuerdo mucho de él y sus buenos consejos que me dio
jacinto morillo
Pasan los años y esta canción permanente vive en nuestro corazón es una joya/ y el maestro Roberto Carlos la dibuja con su voz,,/. Venezuela, sucre
Siria olga Talquenca
Su voz y su sentir por su padre es de casi todos pero su suavidad para cantar eso me emociona..
Enriqueta Muñoz
Mi padre se fue de esta vida 7/24/22 yo siempre el decía que agradezco por todo por ser mi padre siempre el decía que lo quería mucho Dios era amor para el .
Elvis Miguel Zambrano Castro
Desde niño queria irme de la casa porque mi padre era muy estricto, de todo castigaba. A mis 16 años fui al servicio militar y en ese año lejos de mi padre senti su ausencia. Cuando lo volvi a ver despues del año llore incansablemente, me arrodille y desde ahi es lo mas sagrado que tengo. Te amo papa gracias por todo
sergio orellana
Dichosos los qué tuvieron padre, yo ahora que soy padre me doy cuenta lo preciado que es un padre y una madre
Luis Castillo Guerra
Qqqqq la Aqaaa
Ivan Fabregues
Que mensaje más bonito.
willy quintana
Mi. Padre. Murió. Hace. 7. Años. Y. Lo. Extraño. Ahora. Mi. Cuñado. Es. Mi. Padre.
Jossymar Correa
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