Initially playing in colleges, Toquinho's professional career took off in the 1960s at shows promoted by radio personality Walter Silva at the famous Paramount theater in São Paulo. He composed his first recorded song with Chico Buarque entitled "Lua Cheia" (Full Moon). His first big hit was composed in 1970 with Jorge Benjor, "Que Maravilha" (What a Wonder). That same year he was invited by Vinícius de Moraes, co-writer of the worldwide hit song "Garota de Ipanema" (The Girl from Ipanema), to participate in a series of shows in Buenos Aires, forming a solid partnership that would continue for 11 years and produce 120 songs, 25 records and over a thousand shows.
After the death of Vinícius de Moraes in 1980, he went on to pursue a solo career, often performing with other talented musicians like Paulinho da Viola, Danilo Caymmi, Paulinho Nogueira and Chico Buarque. He continues to record and play.
Na Terra No Ceu Ou No Mar
Toquinho Lyrics
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Ou antes da tarde chegar
No encanto de um amanhecer
Em noite de breu ou luar
Lá aonde você quiser
Tudo o que você mandar
Do jeito que você disser
Na terra, no céu ou no mar
O início é o caminho do fim
Eu quero me desgovernar
Deixando teu corpo guardar
Minha doçura carmim
Eu quero me desnortear
Fazendo o teu ventre velar
A pequena morte de mim
Eu quero me desgovernar
Deixando teu corpo guardar
Minha doçura carmim
Eu quero me desnortear
Fazendo o teu ventre velar
A pequena morte de mim
Na terra, no céu ou no mar
O início é o caminho do fim
Eu quero me desgovernar
Deixando teu corpo guardar
Minha doçura carmim
Eu quero me desnortear
Fazendo o teu ventre velar
A pequena morte de mim
Quero me desgovernar
Deixando teu corpo guardar
Minha doçura carmim
Eu quero me desnortear
Fazendo o teu ventre velar
A pequena morte de mim
The lyrics of "Na terra, no céu ou no mar" express a desire for intense physical pleasure and a willingness to lose control in order to achieve it. The opening lines indicate that this desire can arise at any time, whether in the morning, afternoon, or night. The singer is eager to do whatever their partner wants, as long as it brings them both pleasure, even if it means venturing into unexplored territory like land, sky, or sea.
The second stanza goes deeper into the singer's desires, indicating a willingness to abandon oneself completely to physical pleasure and ignore the consequences. The repeated refrain of "Eu quero me desgovernar" (I want to lose control) emphasizes the intensity of this desire. The singer seems to want to be engulfed by their partner, as symbolized by the phrase "Deixando teu corpo guardar minha doçura carmim" (Letting your body keep my sweet crimson).
The final stanza repeats this desire for abandonment in slightly different language, with a focus on the physical act of lovemaking ("fazendo o teu ventre velar" - making your belly veil/hide). The phrase "a pequena morte de mim" (the little death of me) is a poetic metaphor for orgasm, which transports the singer beyond the everyday world and into a realm of pure sensation.
Overall, the lyrics of "Na terra, no céu ou no mar" are a celebration of physical desire and the pleasures of the flesh, with a willingness to let go of control and embrace intensity. The imagery of land, sky, and sea adds a sense of adventure and excitement to the sensual tone of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Logo que o sol se esconder
As soon as the sun sets
Ou antes da tarde chegar
Or even before the afternoon arrives
No encanto de um amanhecer
In the enchantment of a sunrise
Em noite de breu ou luar
On a night of darkness or moonlight
Lá aonde você quiser
Wherever you want
Tudo o que você mandar
Anything you command
Do jeito que você disser
In the way you say
Na terra, no céu ou no mar
On land, in the sky, or at sea
O início é o caminho do fim
The beginning is the path to the end
Eu quero me desgovernar
I want to lose control of myself
Deixando teu corpo guardar
Leaving your body to hold onto
Minha doçura carmim
My sweet crimson
Eu quero me desnortear
I want to get lost
Fazendo o teu ventre velar
Making your womb veil
A pequena morte de mim
The little death of me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Luiz Oliveira Da Costa Maia, Lupicinio Morais Rodrigues, Antonio Pecci Filho Toquinho
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind