See Sérgio Mendes.

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)

Surrender
Sergio Mendes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I have thoughts I can't explain
When lightning strikes the night
Tell me why the sky is blue
What I feel when I look at you

Help me solve this mystery
A shadow on my wall
Makes me think you're watching me

Or is it something I dreamed?

How to ask desire to stay
The perfect chemistry
I say things I shouldn't say
Trouble loves to play
Carry me away

Until I draw a spark
Straight from your heart
Signal in the dark
You send me
You send me
You send me
Opposites attract
Under attack
Please don't hold it back
Give in to sweet surrender

Daylight leaves me wondering
What happened in the night
Tell me how the sky turned blue
Like the sea when a storm is due

Let's explore this mystery
I don't think I'm alone
You've been leaving clues for me
Waiting to see how far I'll go

To ask desire to stay
The perfect chemistry
You say things you shouldn't say
Trouble loves to play
Carry you away

Until I draw a spark
Straight from your heart
Signal in the dark
You send me
You send me
You send me
Opposites attract
Under attack

Please don't hold it back
Give in to sweet surrender

Overall Meaning

In "Surrender", Sérgio Mendes explores the baffling and perplexing nature of love and desire that often leaves us pondering about the mysteries of life. The song's opening lines paint an image of the singer's frustrating inability to articulate their emotions: "I have thoughts I can't explain, when lightning strikes the night, tell me why the sky is blue, what I feel when I look at you." These thoughts are a mystery to the singer, just like the sky is blue or why lightning strikes the night.

As the song progresses, the singer and their lover begin deciphering the enigma of their attraction, which is akin to a "perfect chemistry." The singer is drawn to their lover like a moth to a flame, even though they see glimpses of something dangerous lurking beneath the surface: "I say things I shouldn't say, trouble loves to play, carry me away." However, in the end, the singer succumbs to the desire, giving in to "sweet surrender."

There is a sense of excitement and intrigue throughout the song, with the singer and their lover exploring the "mystery" of their attraction: "Let's explore this mystery, I don't think I'm alone, you've been leaving clues for me, waiting to see how far I'll go." "Surrender" captures the joy, uncertainty, and allure of love, reminding us that it's a journey full of surprises and unknowns.

Line by Line Meaning

I have thoughts I can't explain
I am struggling to articulate my thoughts and emotions.

When lightning strikes the night
In moments of intensity and surprise, I feel a heightened sense of awareness.

Tell me why the sky is blue
I am curious about the mystery of the world and seek answers to questions that may be unanswerable.

What I feel when I look at you
Your presence invokes powerful and inexplicable emotions within me.

Help me solve this mystery
I am seeking guidance and assistance in uncovering the secrets of the world and myself.

A shadow on my wall
I am haunted by a sense of unease and paranoia, as if someone is watching me.

Makes me think you're watching me
I project my insecurities and fears onto the world around me, including onto you.

Or is it something I dreamed?
I question the reality of my experiences and wonder if they are simply products of my vivid imagination.

How to ask desire to stay
I am struggling to hold onto my passions and incorporate them into my life in a meaningful way.

The perfect chemistry
There is a sense of harmony and balance that I strive to achieve in my relationships and emotional experiences.

I say things I shouldn't say
I struggle to control my impulses and often speak before thinking things through.

Trouble loves to play
I am drawn towards danger and excitement, even when it may lead to trouble.

Carry me away
My passions and emotions have the ability to overwhelm and consume me completely.

Until I draw a spark
I must dig deep within myself and find the source of my inner fire and energy.

Straight from your heart
You hold the key to unlocking my deepest desires and passions.

Signal in the dark
Even in moments of uncertainty and confusion, there are signs and signals that guide me forward.

You send me
Your presence and influence have a profound and transformative effect on me.

Opposites attract
I am drawn towards the unknown and the unconventional, seeking out experiences and connections that defy expectations.

Under attack
There are forces that seek to undermine my dreams and tear me down, but I continue to persevere in the face of adversity.

Please don't hold it back
I am pleading with someone to let go of their inhibitions and embrace their true desires and passions.

Give in to sweet surrender
I am urging myself or someone else to let go and embrace the unknown, surrendering control and allowing life's mysteries to unfold.

Daylight leaves me wondering
The light of day can reveal truths and realities that were hidden in the darkness of night.

What happened in the night
The passage of time can bring changes and transformations that are often mysterious and unsettling.

Like the sea when a storm is due
There is a sense of anticipation and tension in the air, as if a major event is about to occur.

Let's explore this mystery
I am inviting someone to join me in uncovering the secrets of life and the world around us.

I don't think I'm alone
Despite feeling isolated and disconnected at times, I believe that there are others who share my struggles and experiences.

You've been leaving clues for me
I perceive signs and signals in the world around me that seem to be guiding me towards a greater understanding of myself and my purpose.

Waiting to see how far I'll go
There is a sense of mystery and uncertainty surrounding the path ahead, but I am committed to pushing forward and discovering what lies ahead.

Contributed by Christopher G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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