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.
Tristeza
Vinicius de Moraes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vou no babalaô
Para pedir pra ela voltar pra mim
Porque assim eu sei que vou morrer de dor
Ela não sabe
Quanta tristeza cabe numa solidão
Eu sei que ela não pensa
Dói num coração (laialailá)
Se ela soubesse
O que acontece quando estou tão triste assim
Mas ela me condena
Ela não tem pena
Não tem dó de mim
Sou da linha de umbanda
Vou no babalaô
Para pedir pra ela voltar pra mim
Porque assim eu sei que vou morrer de dor
Ela não sabe
Quanta tristeza cabe numa solidão
Eu sei que ela não pensa
Quanto a indiferença
Dói num coração
Se ela soubesse
O que acontece quando estou tão triste assim
Mas ela me condena
Ela não tem pena
Não tem dó de mim
Sou da linha de umbanda
Vou no babalaô
Para pedir pra ela voltar pra mim
Ela não sabe
Quanta tristeza cabe numa solidão
Eu sei que ela não pensa
Quanto a indiferença
Dói num coração
Se ela soubesse
O que acontece quando estou tão triste assim
Mas ela me condena
Ela não tem pena
Não tem dó de mim
Sou da linha de umbanda
Vou no babalaô
Para pedir pra ela voltar pra mim
Porque assim eu sei que vou morrer de dor
The lyrics speak of a man who is so consumed with sadness and loneliness that he turns to the spiritual realm for a solution. He seeks the help of a babalaô, a priest or healer in the Afro-Brazilian religion of Umbanda. His plea is simple: he wants his lover to come back to him because he cannot bear the pain of being alone. He believes that only her return can save him from certain death by heartbreak.
The lyrics also express the man's frustration and disappointment with his lover. He feels that she does not understand the depth of his sadness, nor does she seem to care how much her indifference hurts him. He longs for her to acknowledge his pain and show him some compassion. He wishes that she knew how much he suffers when she is not with him.
Overall, the lyrics capture the raw emotion of love and loss in a powerful and poignant way. The image of a man turning to faith and spirituality to heal his broken heart adds an extra layer of depth and complexity to the theme of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Sou da linha de umbanda
I am a follower of the Umbanda religion
Vou no babalaô
I go to the babalawo, a priest of the religion, for guidance and help
Para pedir pra ela voltar pra mim
To ask for her return to me
Porque assim eu sei que vou morrer de dor
Because I know I will die of pain otherwise
Ela não sabe
She doesn't know
Quanta tristeza cabe numa solidão
How much sadness one can feel alone
Eu sei que ela não pensa
I know she doesn't consider
Quanto a indiferença
How much her indifference
Dói num coração (laialailá)
Can hurt a heart (laialaila)
Se ela soubesse
If only she knew
O que acontece quando estou tão triste assim
What happens to me when I am this sad
Mas ela me condena
But she condemns me
Ela não tem pena
She has no pity
Não tem dó de mim
No mercy for me
Para pedir pra ela voltar pra mim
To ask for her return to me
Ela não sabe
She doesn't know
Quanta tristeza cabe numa solidão
How much sadness one can feel alone
Eu sei que ela não pensa
I know she doesn't consider
Quanto a indiferença
How much her indifference
Dói num coração
Can hurt a heart
Se ela soubesse
If only she knew
O que acontece quando estou tão triste assim
What happens to me when I am this sad
Mas ela me condena
But she condemns me
Ela não tem pena
She has no pity
Não tem dó de mim
No mercy for me
Sou da linha de umbanda
I am a follower of the Umbanda religion
Vou no babalaô
I go to the babalawo, a priest of the religion, for guidance and help
Para pedir pra ela voltar pra mim
To ask for her return to me
Ela não sabe
She doesn't know
Quanta tristeza cabe numa solidão
How much sadness one can feel alone
Eu sei que ela não pensa
I know she doesn't consider
Quanto a indiferença
How much her indifference
Dói num coração
Can hurt a heart
Se ela soubesse
If only she knew
O que acontece quando estou tão triste assim
What happens to me when I am this sad
Mas ela me condena
But she condemns me
Ela não tem pena
She has no pity
Não tem dó de mim
No mercy for me
Sou da linha de umbanda
I am a follower of the Umbanda religion
Vou no babalaô
I go to the babalawo, a priest of the religion, for guidance and help
Para pedir pra ela voltar pra mim
To ask for her return to me
Ela não sabe
She doesn't know
Quanta tristeza cabe numa solidão
How much sadness one can feel alone
Eu sei que ela não pensa
I know she doesn't consider
Quanto a indiferença
How much her indifference
Dói num coração
Can hurt a heart
Se ela soubesse
If only she knew
O que acontece quando estou tão triste assim
What happens to me when I am this sad
Mas ela me condena
But she condemns me
Ela não tem pena
She has no pity
Não tem dó de mim
No mercy for me
Sou da linha de umbanda
I am a follower of the Umbanda religion
Vou no babalaô
I go to the babalawo, a priest of the religion, for guidance and help
Para pedir pra ela voltar pra mim
To ask for her return to me
Porque assim eu sei que vou morrer de dor
Because I know I will die of pain otherwise
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Vinicius De Moraes, Baden Powell De Aquino, Marcus Vinicius Da Cruz De M. Moraes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lento Shakur
Tristeza
Por favor vai embora
A minha alma que chora
Está vendo o meu fim
Fez do meu coração
A sua moradia
Já é demais o meu penar
Quero voltar aquela
Vida de alegria
Quero de novo cantar
la ra rara, la ra rara
la ra rara, rara
Quero de novo cantar
Eduardo de Araújo Guimarães
Até a tristeza com Vinicius e Toquinho me alegra ...
Marga Rita
Sim...é uma cançao com esperanza!
Pedro Barrios
Estava ouvindo sozinho e tive vontade de vir ler o que estavam pensando sobre essa música e não me espanta que outros também tenham encontrado felicidade nessa tristeza! Melodia e poesia enchem de vida as noites de solidão e fazem com que tudo seja mais agradável de se sentir. Eternamente grato a Vininha e Toquinho.
Frederico Felino
Vinícius sempre bêbado de lirismo!
Toquinho sempre bêbado de violão!
Como é bom ouvir essa dupla e se embebedar de arte!
victor arevalo
UNA DUPLA MARAVILLOSA, GRACIAS BRASIL, SALUDOS DESDE LIMA.PERU.
Riccardo Ivani
Que maravilha
Eu amu toda esta musica Linda y el futbol brasileiros
Saludos
From Italy
Marga Rita
Eu amo 😆😆😆
Everton Luiz
LINDO!NOSSO VIOLÃO BRASILEIRO É A COISA MAIS BONITA DO MUNDO!🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷 VIVA NOSSA MÚSICA!
André Sousa
Muito obrigado Toquinho e Vinicius pela mais bela das tristezas! Abraços de Portugal
Pepe Nadef
Belleza y "saudadi" con este hermoso tema, desde Tucuman- Argentina celebrando a esta dupla maravillosa. Gracias Brasil