Vinicius de Moraes, o poetinha (“the little poet”), (October 19, 1913 — Jul… Read Full Bio ↴Vinicius de Moraes, o poetinha (“the little poet”), (October 19, 1913 — July 9, 1980), born Marcus Vinicius da Cruz de Melo Morais in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was a seminal figure in contemporary Brazilian music (mpb. As a poet, he wrote lyrics for a great number of songs that became all-time classics. He was also a composer, a playwright, a diplomat and, as an interpreter of his own songs, he left several important albums.

From a musical family, Vinicius began writing poetry early in life. At the age of 14, he became friends with the brothers Paulo and Haroldo Tapajós and, with the latter, composed “Loura ou Morena”, his first song. In 1929, Vinicius enrolled in law school in Rio de Janeiro. Then, starting in 1932, he wrote lyrics for ten songs that were recorded by the Tapajós brothers. Upon completing his studies, he published his first two collections of poetry Caminho Para a Distância (1933) and Forma e Exegese. Later, in 1935, he became a cinema censor for the Ministry of Health and Education. During this time, he wrote his third book Ariana, a Mulher (1936).

Vinicius then headed to England (1938) with an English government scholarship to study literature at Oxford University and while there he wrote Novos Poemas. At that time he was married by proxy. In 1941, during World War II, Vinicius returned to Rio and began to write film reviews and other pieces for newspapers and magazines. Two years later, he joined Brazil’s diplomatic service and released his book Cinco Elegias. In 1946, he was sent to Los Angeles as vice-consul on his first diplomatic assignment and released Poemas, Sonetos e Baladas.

In 1950 Vinicius returned to Brazil upon his father’s death. His first samba (composed with musician Antônio Maria), was Quando Tu Passas por Mim, released in 1953, which was the same year in which he moved to France as second secretary to Brazil’s embassy.

The next year he wrote lyrics for some of Cláudio Santoro’s chamber music pieces and also staged his play Orfeu da Conceição, which was later adapted to cinema as Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro, Marcel Camus, 1959. The play won the IV São Paulo Centennial Contest in 1954. During production he was introduced to a relatively unknown pianist, Antônio Carlos Jobim, who was commissioned to write the music for the play. Jobim composed the music for Se Todos Fossem Iguais a Você, Um Nome de Mulher, and several other songs included in the production.

Following a return to his diplomatic duties in France and Uruguay, Vinicius released his books Livro de Sonetos and Novos Poemas II.

In 1958, the singer Elizeth Cardoso released her album Canção do Amor Demais, marking the beginning of bossa nova. This record consists wholly of compositions by the either Jobim or Vinicius, or both. The recording also featured a relatively unknown João Gilberto on two tracks. With the release of this record Vinicius’s—and his collaborators—can be said to have truly begun.

The songs of Jobim and Vinicius were recorded by numerous Brazilian singers and performers of that time. Renditions of many Jobim-Vinicius numbers on João Gilberto’s first three albums would firmly establish the sound and the core repertory of the bossa nova and would influence a new generation of singers and songwriters, especially in Rio de Janeiro. Among these songs are all time hits such as Garota de Ipanema, Insensatez and Chega de Saudade.

Meanwhile, Black Orpheus won an Academy Award for best foreign film in 1960, and also was awarded with the Palme d’Or at the Cannes International Film Festival, and the 1960 British Academy Award.

Vinicius’ songs Para uma Menina com uma Flor and Samba da Bênção (music by Baden Powell) were included on the soundtrack of A Man and a Woman (Un Homme et une Femme, Claude Lelouch, 1966), another Cannes film festival winner.

In the ’60s and ’70s, Vinicius continued collaborating with many renowned Brazilian singers and musicians, particularly Baden Powell, with whom he penned a series of songs with a heavy Afro-Brazilian influence and which came to be known collectively as the Afro-Sambas. His last steady music partner was Antonio Pecci Filho, better known as Toquinho. With Toquinho he released a series of very popular and influential albums.

Hundreds of international performers have recorded more than 400 of Vinicius’ songs.

Vinicius de Moraes died in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 9, 1980 at the age of 66. He is buried in Rio’s São João Batista Cemetery.

O Que Tinha de Ser
Vinicius de Moraes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Porque foste na vida
A última esperança
Encontrar-te me fez criança
Porque já eras meu
Sem eu saber sequer
Porque és o meu homem
E eu, tua mulher
Porque tu me chegaste

Sem me dizer que vinhas
E tuas mãos foram minhas com calma
Porque foste em minh'alma
Como um amanhecer
Porque foste o que tinha de ser
Porque foste em minh'alma

Como um amanhecer
Porque foste o que tinha de ser

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Vinícius de Moraes's song "O Que Tinha de Ser" talk about the meeting and falling in love of two people who were destined to be together. The singer speaks directly to her lover, thanking him for being her last hope in life and for making her feel like a child again. She confesses that he was already hers before she even realized it, emphasizing the fact that their union had been predestined. Their relationship is framed in terms of gendered roles - he is her man and she is his woman - but there is a sense of equality and mutual respect between them.

The singer then describes how their meeting came about. He came into her life unexpectedly and took her hands in his, calming her with his touch. She notes how he entered her soul like a sunrise and became everything she was meant to have. The final refrain repeats the idea that he was what was destined to be - the inevitable conclusion of their love story.

Overall, the lyrics of "O Que Tinha de Ser" convey a sense of inevitability and destiny in the union of the two lovers. They were already connected before they met and their meeting was simply a fulfillment of what was already fated to be. The song is a romantic tribute to the power of love and the idea that some things are simply meant to be.

Line by Line Meaning

Porque foste na vida
Because you came into my life

A última esperança
My last hope

Encontrar-te me fez criança
Finding you made me feel like a child

Porque já eras meu
Because you were already mine

Sem eu saber sequer
Without me even knowing

Porque és o meu homem
Because you are my man

E eu, tua mulher
And I, your woman

Porque tu me chegaste
Because you arrived to me

Sem me dizer que vinhas
Without telling me you were coming

E tuas mãos foram minhas com calma
And your hands were calmly mine

Porque foste em minh'alma
Because you were in my soul

Como um amanhecer
Like a dawn

Porque foste o que tinha de ser
Because you were what had to be

Porque foste em minh'alma
Because you were in my soul

Como um amanhecer
Like a dawn

Porque foste o que tinha de ser
Because you were what had to be

Lyrics © VM ENTERPRISES INC, CORCOVADO MUSIC CORPORATION, Tratore
Written by: Marcus Vinicius Da Cruz De M. Moraes, Antonio Carlos Brasileiro De A Jobim

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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