Sérgio Santos Mendes (born Niteroi, 11 February 1… Read Full Bio ↴See Sérgio Mendes.
Sérgio Santos Mendes (born Niteroi, 11 February 1941) is a Brazilian musician. Born the son of a physician in Niteroi, Brazil, Mendes attended the local conservatory with hopes of becoming a classical pianist. As his interest in jazz grew, he started playing in nightclubs in the late-1950s just as bossa nova, a jazz-inflected derivative of samba, was taking off. Mendes played with Antonio Carlos Jobim (regarded as a mentor), and many U.S. jazz musicians who toured Brazil.
Mendes formed the Sexteto Bossa Rio and recorded Dance Moderno in 1961. Touring Europe and the United States, Mendes recorded albums with Cannonball Adderly and Herbie Mann and played Carnegie Hall. Mendes moved to the U.S. in 1964 and cut two albums under the Brasil '65 group name with Capitol Records and Atlantic Records. When sales were tepid, he replaced his Brazilian born vocalist Wanda Sa with the distinctive voice of Chicago native Lani Hall (who learned Mendes' Portuguese material phonetically) and switched to Herb Alpert's A&M label and released Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66. (Hall would later marry Alpert). The album ultimately went platinum based largely upon the success of the single Mas Que Nada and the personal support of Alpert, with whom Mendes toured regularly. Though his early singles with Brasil '66 (most notably Mas Que Nada) met with some success, Mendes really burst into mainstream prominence when he performed the Oscar nominated Burt Bacharach/Hal David song "The Look of Love" on the Academy Awards telecast in March 1968. Brasil '66's version of the song quickly shot into the top 10, eclipsing Dusty Springfield's version from the soundtrack of the movie, and Mendes spent the rest of 1968 enjoying consecutive top 10 and top 20 hits with his follow-up singles, "The Fool on the Hill" and "Scarborough Fair." Though he continued to enjoy adult contemporary chart successes with Brasil '66 through 1971, he would not experience the mainstream chart hits he enjoyed in 1968 until his comeback album in 1983 generated the biggest single of his career, "Never Gonna Let You Go." However, from 1968 on, Mendes was arguably the biggest Brazilian star in the world, enjoying immense popularity worldwide and performing in venues as varied as stadium arenas and the White House, where he gave concerts for both President Johnson and President Nixon.
Mendes' career in the U.S. stalled in the mid-70s, but he remained very popular in South America and Japan. (This disparity became a Seinfeld in-joke.) His two albums with Bell Records in 1973 and 1974, followed by several for Elektra from 1975 on, found Mendes continuing to mine the best in American pop music and post-Bossa writers of his native Brazil, while forging new directions in soul with collaborators like Stevie Wonder, who wrote Mendes' R&B-inflected minor hit, "The Real Thing." In 1983, he rejoined Alpert's A&M records and enjoyed huge success with a self-titled album and several follow-up albums, all of which received considerable adult contemporary airplay with charting singles. By the time Mendes released his Grammy-winning Elektra album Brasileiro in 1992, he was the undisputed master of pop-inflected Brazilian jazz. The late-1990s lounge music revival brought retrospection and respect to Mendes' oeuvre, particularly the classic Brasil '66 albums. He has released over thirty-five albums, and still plays his bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk. His newest album, Timeless released in 2006, featured Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas, Q-Tip, Justin Timberlake, and Pharoahe Monch.
(Text taken in whole from the Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergio_Mendes on March 30, 2006)
For What It's Worth
Sergio Mendes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind
It's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side
It's s time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away
We better stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, now, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Sergio Mendes's song, For What It's Worth, is an anti-war protest song that addresses the societal issues surrounding the Vietnam War. The opening line, "There's something happening here, what it is ain't exactly clear," sets the tone for the song, as it aims to address the confusion and uncertainty surrounding societal issues. The second line, "There's a man with a gun over there, telling me I got to beware," addresses the police brutality and violence that protesters faced during the Vietnam War protests.
The chorus, "I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound, everybody look what's going down," emphasizes the importance of unity and that we need to take a step back and evaluate what is happening to create change. The song reflects on the different perspectives and attitudes towards the war, with "nobody's right if everybody's wrong" and "young people speaking their minds, getting so much resistance from behind," highlighting the divide between the generations on the issue.
The last verse, "Paranoia strikes deep, into your life it will creep, it starts when you're always afraid, you step out of line, the man come and take you away," addresses the authoritarian government control over its citizens and reinforces the idea of the importance of standing together against oppression. Overall, the song serves as a call for awareness and action towards societal issues.
Line by Line Meaning
There's something happening here
There is a noteworthy event or circumstance occurring.
What it is ain't exactly clear
The nature or cause of the event is vague and undefined.
There's a man with a gun over there
There is a person, likely armed, in the area.
Telling me I got to beware
Warning me to be cautious of potential danger.
I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound
I believe it is appropriate for us, as a collective group, to interrupt our actions and listen to the audible disturbance.
Everybody look what's going down
It is important for all individuals in the area to observe and acknowledge the event.
There's battle lines being drawn
There is a clear division or separation between opposing groups.
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
It is impossible for only one group to be correct when everyone is displaying a misguided attitude or action.
Young people speaking their minds
The younger generation is expressing their thoughts and opinions on the matter.
Getting so much resistance from behind
Facing opposition and pushback from individuals with opposing beliefs or ideas.
It's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Once again, it is essential that we cease our actions and take note of the audible signal in our environment.
What a field-day for the heat
The situation is an optimal circumstance for authorities or those in power to take action.
A thousand people in the street
There is great involvement by many individuals in the location area.
Singing songs and carrying signs
The people present are expressing their message through song and symbolic objects.
Mostly say, hooray for our side
The majority of individuals are supportive of one specific party or viewpoint.
Paranoia strikes deep
Fear and suspicion can have a profound and lasting effect.
Into your life it will creep
This feeling can slowly become all-encompassing, and affect various aspects of one's everyday life.
It starts when you're always afraid
Paranoia begins to arise when one is consistently nervous or apprehensive.
You step out of line, the man come and take you away
If one does not adhere to the guidelines, they will likely face punishment by the authority figure.
We better stop, hey, what's that sound
Once more, it is essential that we take note of the auditory occurrence happening here.
Stop, hey, what's that sound
We must interrupt our current behavior to listen to the notable noise in the environment.
Stop, now, what's that sound
It is important that we stop our actions and take note of the sound now, in the present moment.
Everybody look what's going down
All individuals present must observe and take note of the situation occurring.
Stop, children, what's that sound
It is imperative that the children stop and take note of the noteworthy signal occurring around them.
Everybody look what's going down
It is significant that all individuals - regardless of their age or position - acknowledge the event unfolding.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Stephen Stills
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mariaaparecidaathouguia8491
Um espetáculo! Sérgio Mendes é show!
@Madasein
What a nice song, smooth groove and great lyrics!
@gaian2000
I love both versions of this song. Buffalo Springfield had an ominous tone. This one is so sexy!
@Natenick5
Sergio Mendes does amazing arrangements. I was surprised to find out Brasil '66 tackled this one, but it sounds good! Funky mix!
@toodaloo3
Yes, this is a real find. I had no idea. They did a good job.
@Man777Alive
Well I'm a big Buffalo Springfield fan..but this is truly awesome! 😍 vocals sound similar to Jefferson Airplane at times, so pleased I've discovered these!
@gabriellaperrone184
Wow!
@rsophiav
Fantastic!!!
@Atarijunkie72
Love this!
@adrianstent7009
I grew up with this single,a good remake of buffalo springfields Classic