Maia performed in a variety of musical genres, ranging from happy and energetic dance music to sentimental songs such as his hit "Me Dê Motivo". He performed soul music, funk, bossa nova (in the 1990s), romantic songs, American pop, samba, baião, and Música Popular Brasileira.
He started to write his earliest songs at eight and at 14, as a drummer, he formed the group Os Tijucanos do Ritmo, which lasted one year. He then took guitar classes and was soon teaching children in the neighborhood of Tijuca, in Rio de Janeiro, including the Matoso gang (Maia, Jorge Ben, Erasmo Esteves, later Erasmo Carlos, and several others), named after the street where they used to hang out.
In that period, Maia was the guitar teacher of Esteves and when Roberto Carlos joined the gang in 1958, he also took classes with him. Maia, Carlos, and Esteves (together with Edson Trindade, Arlênio Lívio, and José Roberto "China") formed the group The Snakes (later The Sputniks), playing balls and performing on television (including on Carlos Imperial's Clube do Rock on TV Continental, where Carlos was already a regular). The group was soon dissolved due to incompatibility between Carlos and Maia.
After his father's demise in 1959, Maia won a scholarship to study communications in the United States, where he lived for four years. There he started as a vocalist, having joined the Ideals, but in 1963, he was arrested for possession of Weed.
Jailed for six months and then deported to Brazil, he did not find any warmth on the part of his old comrades Esteves and Carlos, who were beginning to enjoy the massive success of Jovem Guarda, which would get a grip on the entire country in a few years. Moving to São Paulo, he had some support from Os Mutantes instead. Having recorded in 1968 his first single with his compositions "Meu País" and "Sentimento," he became more visible after 1969 when he launched his "These Are the Songs," which was re-recorded by Elis Regina in the next year, in duo with him and included on Regina's Em Pleno Verão.
In the 1970s, Maia started to record albums and perform shows promoting his synthesis of American soul and Brazilian music with elements of samba and baião. The movement gradually took the working-class suburbs of the north side of Rio de Janeiro, exploding in 1976 with the black movement.
In 1970 Maia recorded his first full-length LP, Tim Maia, which included the classics "Azul da Cor do Mar", "Coroné Antônio Bento", and "Primavera", and topped the charts for 24 weeks in Rio de Janeiro. His first four albums were all self-titled. Next year's Tim Maia had other hits including "Não Quero Dinheiro (Só Quero Amar)" and "Preciso Aprender a Ser Só". His fourth album, released in 1973, included "Réu Confesso" and "Gostava Tanto de Você".
Maia founded two record labels: Vitória Régia Discos and Seroma. Through the latter he released the albums Tim Maia Racional, Vols. 1 & 2, both with songs about the knowledge contained in the Rational Culture, in the book Universo em Desencanto (Universe in Disenchantment). Although these albums were not well-received at their time of release, they are now regarded as classics and saw re-release in 2005. In 1978 Maia had one of his biggest hits, "Sossego," and another success with "Acenda o Farol," both launched on Tim Maia Disco Club.
In 1983 he had hits with "O Descobridor dos Sete Mares" and "Me Dê Motivo", included on O Descobridor dos Sete Mares (Polygram). Another milestone of his career in the 1980s was Tim Maia (1986), which had the hit "Do Leme ao Pontal (Tomo Guaraná, Suco de Caju, Goiabada Para Sobremesa)".
In 1990 he interpreted bossa nova classics on an album released through his label Vitória Régia that wasn't noticed, the LP Tim Maia Interpreta Clássicos da Bossa Nova. After a period of poor presence in the media, he was again on top after being mentioned by Jorge Ben Jor's "W/Brasil" in 1993. In the same period, Maia had another hit with his re-recording of "Como uma Onda" (Lulu Santos/Nelson Motta) for a television advertisement.
At the same time, he withdrew from majors, recording his next albums through Vitória Régia, including What a Wonderful World (1997), where he recorded American pop/soul classics, and Amigos do Rei/Tim Maia e Os Cariocas, with the famous vocal group. Obese and in bad health, in March 1998 he was performing at the Municipal Theater of Niterói when he became ill. Hospitalized, he died few days later. Tim had suffered from many health problems which includes Diabetes, Acute Hypertension, Obesity and Pulmonary Embolisim. In 1999 he was paid tribute in a show by several Música Popular Brasileira artists. The show was launched on CD and DVD. In 2000 he had another tribute, also released in CD.
Lamento
Tim Maia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Desde que pensei em mim
Quase tudo mudou
Ela mesmo quis ir embora
Me enganou e me traiu
Fingiu e abusou
Sempre fui feliz
E mesmo assim
Ela nem me ligou
Cê me fez sofrer
Sem querer saber
E agora ela chora
E vou fazer lamento
Só lamento
E vou fazer lamento
Só lamento
E posso eu fazer lamento
Só lamento
E vou fazer lamento
Só lamento
E posso eu fazer lamento
Só lamento
Eu lamento
Só lamento
E posso eu fazer, e posso eu fazer
Só lamento
Eu lamento
Só lamento
The lyrics of Tim Maia's song Lamento deal with themes of personal growth, heartbreak, and the contemplation of the past. The singer of the song has made a decision to live in the present moment, focusing on themselves and their own needs. As a result, everything around them has changed, including their romantic relationship. Their partner wanted to leave and ultimately deceived and betrayed them, pretending and taking advantage of them. Despite always living their life happily and doing what they wanted, their partner didn't even bother to call them. The singer now feels the pain of heartbreak and decides to express their sorrow through lamentation - repeatedly singing the phrase "só lamento" which translates to "only lament."
The song's lyrics can be interpreted as a cathartic release of emotional baggage, as the singer grieves what they've lost and accepts their new reality. The lyrics also touch upon themes of self-love and personal growth - the decision to focus on one's own happiness and wellbeing, even if it means ending a relationship. The repetitive nature of the chorus reflects the cyclical nature of heartbreak and the difficulty of moving on.
Line by Line Meaning
Decidi viver agora
I decided to start living for myself now
Desde que pensei em mim
Ever since I thought about myself
Quase tudo mudou
Almost everything changed
Ela mesmo quis ir embora
She herself wanted to leave
Me enganou e me traiu
She deceived and betrayed me
Fingiu e abusou
She pretended and took advantage
Sempre fui feliz
I was always happy
Sempre o que bem quis
Always doing what I wanted
E mesmo assim
And yet
Ela nem me ligou
She didn't even call me
Cê me fez sofrer
You made me suffer
Sem querer saber
Without even caring
E agora ela chora
And now she cries
E vou fazer lamento
And I will lament
Só lamento
Only lament
E posso eu fazer lamento
And I can lament
Eu lamento
I lament
E posso eu fazer, e posso eu fazer
And I can do it, yes I can do it
Só lamento
Only lament
Eu lamento
I lament
Só lamento
Only lament
Contributed by Sadie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.