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)
Rainbow's end
Sergio Mendes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rain's on the roof, there's tears in the land
Of heartbreak
She's made up her mind, she won't turn back again
She writes a note, but words just won't say
Turns off the TV, pulls down the shade
She's leaving
No she won't change her mind
Just one more story from a lonely heart
A twist of fate and then a start for home
Bound for the rainbow's end
Just one more chapter in this sad old tale
Another penny in the wishing well
Bound for the rainbow's end
Don't you turn back again
Who's playin' cards from midnight 'til dawn
Lives in a wasteland yesterday's gone
Forever
He's made up his mind to leave it all behind
So he says to himself as he folds up his hand
Who of my friends will understand were
I'm goin'
To find my own way
I won't turn back again
Just one more story from a lonely heart
A twist of fate and then a start for home
Bound for the rainbow's end
Just one more chapter in this sad old tale
Another penny in the wishing well
Bound for the rainbow's end
Don't you turn back again
I have a dream that I hold in my heart
And I won't let go
Welcome tomorrow - I'm on my way
So goodbye yesterday
Goodbye yesterday
Just one more story from a lonely heart
A twist of fate and then a start for home
Bound for the rainbow's end
Just one more chapter in this sad old tale
Another penny in the wishing well
Bound for the rainbow's end
Don't you turn back again
Just one more story from a lonely heart
A twist of fate and then a start for home
Bound for the rainbow's end
Just one more chapter in this sad old tale
Another . . .
The lyrics to Sérgio Mendes's song "Rainbow's End" tell the stories of two individuals who have reached a point of heartbreak and despair in their lives. The first verse describes a woman who can no longer bear the pain and decides to leave everything behind. She writes a note that fails to adequately express her reasons for leaving, turns off the TV, and pulls down the shade. The second verse tells the tale of a man who plays cards all night in a wasteland and acknowledges that yesterday is gone. He has decided to leave everything behind and find his own way. The chorus speaks of the journey to the rainbow's end, where both the woman and the man are headed. They are both just one more story, one more chapter in the sad old tale, but they are bound for the rainbow's end and they will not turn back.
The song's lyrics are speaking to the universal themes of heartbreak, despair, and the decision to move on. The woman and the man both realize that they need to make drastic changes in their lives, regardless of how difficult those changes may be. The song encourages listeners to keep moving forward towards the rainbow's end, to not turn back, and to let go of the pain of yesterday in order to welcome tomorrow.
Overall, "Rainbow's End" is a hopeful and optimistic song that encourages listeners to embrace change and move forward in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Who looks at her life in the palm of her hand
A person who is introspective and evaluates her own life choices deeply.
Rain's on the roof, there's tears in the land
There is sadness and despair all around.
Of heartbreak
The source of the sadness and despair is the pain of lost love.
She's made up her mind, she won't turn back again
The person has firmly decided to move forward and not look back.
She writes a note, but words just won't say
She tries to leave a message, but finds it hard to express her feelings in words.
Turns off the TV, pulls down the shade
She disconnects from the outside world to concentrate on her own journey.
She's leaving
She is departing and starting a new journey.
No she won't change her mind
She is resolute in her decision to move forward.
To leave it all behind
She is leaving everything behind, including the pain of her past.
Just one more story from a lonely heart
The experience of the artist is representative of many others who feel lonely and lost.
A twist of fate and then a start for home
A sudden turn of events led her to begin her journey home.
Bound for the rainbow's end
She is going towards a place of hope and happiness, similar to finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.
Just one more chapter in this sad old tale
Her journey is just a small part of a larger story of human struggle and pain.
Another penny in the wishing well
She is taking a small step towards her dreams, but it is still a wish that may or may not come true.
Don't you turn back again
She encourages herself to keep moving forward and not give up on her dream.
Who's playin' cards from midnight 'til dawn
Another person is shown to be experiencing hardship and searching for a way out of their troubles.
Lives in a wasteland yesterday's gone
He has lost everything and feels like he is living in a desolate place with no hope.
Forever
His circumstances seem to be permanent and unchanging.
He's made up his mind to leave it all behind
He decides to take control of his life and actively seek a better future.
So he says to himself as he folds up his hand
He imagines a conversation with himself as he makes a crucial decision in his life.
Who of my friends will understand were I'm goin'
He wonders if anyone will truly comprehend his struggles and goals.
To find my own way
He is determined to find his own path and not follow the crowd.
I won't turn back again
He is resolved to keep pushing forward and not give up.
I have a dream that I hold in my heart
Like Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous speeches, the character also has a vision for their future.
And I won't let go
He refuses to give up on his dream and will hold onto it at all costs.
Welcome tomorrow - I'm on my way
He is excited to face the future and looks ahead with hope.
So goodbye yesterday
He is letting go of his past and embracing change.
Contributed by Gianna F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@SummerWind__
80s music are the greatest era considering my age Im still in my 20s but i can feel the joy, the sadness every single lyrics and note was chosen correctly. Well done maestro ❤
@BostonHistoryStore
Arriving on the red eye at Logan in Boston for Freshman year of college in '83...this song was playing low in the background on the plane's audio as I moved through the isle and stepped off to another lifetime.
@pauls6897
Had my first trip to California in September 1983, and this was getting airplay there. Returned home to St. Louis to start my second year of college that fall.
@stephendick7473
I was at school in Boston from 75-79 at Berklee. You're right, it was another lifetime - many of the most amazing and memorable experiences of my life.
@frankmaiorana66
Easily my favorite Sergio Mendes song. Beautifully arranged. Just a beautiful piece of music.
@stephendick7473
I have studied, played and appreciated most forms of contemporary music but had never before heard a song (and album) that captured this level of songwriting, vocals, arranging and production. It was a great discovery in my lifelong passion of music.
Here I am 40 years later going to see Sergio at Niagara Falls Canada in October - what a gift.
@KarlaVS
Wow😮
@DiogoAmancio
This song is an absolute gem.
@conyibarraevert1984
One of my favorites songs in the whole world since I was 14 years old. Long Live to the great Sergio Mendes, lots of love from Chile 🇨🇱💙🤍💙
@davidmccarthy5975
BEAUTIFUL MUSIC,CHARMING BEAUTIFUL WOMEN! A WONDERFUL ERA IN MUSIC.