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.
Me dê Motivos
Tim Maia Lyrics
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Que está sendo amado, que está amando
E que encontrou tudo o que a vida poderia oferecer
E em cima disso a gente constrói os nossos sonhos
Os nossos castelos, e cria um mundo de encanto onde tudo é belo
Até que a mulher que a gente ama, vacila e põe tudo a perder
E põe tudo a perder
Estou vendo a hora de te perder
Me de motivo, vai ser agora
Estou indo embora, o que fazer?
Estou indo embora, não faz sentido
Ficar contigo, melhor assim
E é nessa hora que o homem chora
A dor é forte demais pra mim
Já que você quis assim, tudo bem
Cada um pro seu lado, a vida é isso mesmo
Eu vou procurar e sei que vou encontrar
Alguém melhor do que você, espero que seja feliz
No seu novo caminho, ficar contigo
Não faz sentido, melhor assim, melhor assim
Me de motivo, foi jogo sujo
E agora eu fujo pra não sofrer
Fui teu amigo, te dei o mundo
Você foi fundo, quis me perder
Agora é tarde, não tem mais jeito
O teu defeito não tem perdão
Eu vou à luta, que a vida é curta
Não vale a pena sofrer em vão
Pode crer você pôs tudo a perder
Não podia me fazer o que fez
E por mais que você tente negar, me dê motivo
Pode crer eu vou sair por aí
E mostrar que posso ser bem feliz
Encontrar alguém que saiba me dar
Me dar motivo
Me dar motivo
Tchu! Tchururururu!
Tchu! Tchururururu!
Tchu! Tchururururu!
Tchu! Tchururururu!
The song "Me dê Motivos" by Tim Maia is about the pain of heartbreak and the struggle to move on. The opening lines describe the feeling of being in a relationship where everything seems perfect, and the world is full of possibilities. The singer talks about creating a world of their own where everything is beautiful until the woman he loves lets him down and destroys everything he had built. The chorus then follows with the plea to give him a reason to leave, acknowledging that he is about to lose her, and it is better to move on.
The verses describe the frustration and pain of being in a toxic and unhealthy relationship. The singer admits that it hurts too much to stay, and he needs a reason to leave before it's too late. He talks about the woman's betrayal and how it has left him hurt and vulnerable. He begins to come to terms with the fact that it is time to move on and find someone who will treat him better. The song ends with the singer expressing his determination to move on and find someone who will give him a reason to stay.
Overall, "Me dê Motivos" is a powerful and emotional song about the pain of heartbreak and the struggle to move on. It speaks to the universal experience of losing someone you love and the search for closure and healing.
Line by Line Meaning
É, engraçado, as vezes a gente sente, e fica pensando
It's funny how sometimes we feel and start to think
Que está sendo amado, que está amando
That we're being loved, that we're in love
E que encontrou tudo o que a vida poderia oferecer
And that we found everything that life could offer
E em cima disso a gente constrói os nossos sonhos
And on top of that, we build our dreams
Os nossos castelos, e cria um mundo de encanto onde tudo é belo
Our castles, creating a world of enchantment where everything is beautiful
Até que a mulher que a gente ama, vacila e põe tudo a perder
Until the woman we love falters and ruins everything
E põe tudo a perder
And ruins everything
Me de motivo pra ir embora
Give me a reason to leave
Estou vendo a hora de te perder
I can see the time to lose you coming
Me de motivo, vai ser agora
Give me a reason, it's going to be now
Estou indo embora, o que fazer?
I'm leaving, what to do?
Estou indo embora, não faz sentido
I'm leaving, it doesn't make sense
Ficar contigo, melhor assim
Staying with you, it's better like this
E é nessa hora que o homem chora
And it's at this time that the man cries
A dor é forte demais pra mim
The pain is too strong for me
Já que você quis assim, tudo bem
Since you wanted it this way, okay
Cada um pro seu lado, a vida é isso mesmo
Each goes their own way, that's life
Eu vou procurar e sei que vou encontrar
I'll search and I know I'll find
Alguém melhor do que você, espero que seja feliz
Someone better than you, I hope you're happy
No seu novo caminho, ficar contigo
Staying with you on your new path
Não faz sentido, melhor assim, melhor assim
It doesn't make sense, better like this, better like this
Me de motivo, foi jogo sujo
Give me a reason, it was dirty play
E agora eu fujo pra não sofrer
And now I run away so I don't suffer
Fui teu amigo, te dei o mundo
I was your friend, I gave you the world
Você foi fundo, quis me perder
You went deep, wanted to lose me
Agora é tarde, não tem mais jeito
Now it's late, there's no way out
O teu defeito não tem perdão
Your flaw is unforgivable
Eu vou à luta, que a vida é curta
I'll fight, life is short
Não vale a pena sofrer em vão
It's not worth suffering in vain
Pode crer você pôs tudo a perder
Believe it or not, you ruined everything
Não podia me fazer o que fez
You couldn't do what you did to me
E por mais que você tente negar, me dê motivo
And no matter how much you try to deny, give me a reason
Pode crer eu vou sair por aí
Believe it or not, I'm going out there
E mostrar que posso ser bem feliz
And show that I can be very happy
Encontrar alguém que saiba me dar
Find someone who knows how to give me
Me dar motivo
Give me a reason
Tchu! Tchururururu!
Tchu! Tchururururu!
Tchu! Tchururururu!
Tchu! Tchururururu!
Tchu! Tchururururu!
Tchu! Tchururururu!
Tchu! Tchururururu!
Tchu! Tchururururu!
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind