“Os Mutantes” by Os Mutantes

Released in
1968
Genre
TropicĂĄlia, Psychedelic Rock, Experimental Rock

Arnaldo Baptista, Rita Lee, and SĂ©rgio Dias

Os Mutantes (The Mutants) is1 a band started in 1966 by brothers Arnaldo Baptista and SĂ©rgio Dias along with singer Rita Lee, during the height of the TropicĂĄlia movement in Brazil, which sought to mix popular Brazilian musical tradition with foreign styles. In this line, their 1968 self-titled debut album is a hodgepodge of influences, from The Beatles to Jimi Hendrix, BaiĂŁo to African music—all backed by a generous heap of unconventional instrumentation and abstract lyricism, jumping between songs of love and critiques of the military dictatorship.

Fabulous!

Os Mutantes are also notable for their innovation, at a time where electric instruments were expensive and the phonographic industry in Brazil was far behind that of countries like the United States or England. ClĂĄudio CĂ©sar Dias Baptista, brother of Arnaldo and SĂ©rgio, built himself the guitar and bass used in most Mutantes records, as well as their effects pedals, amplifiers, etc.

Panis et Circensis

(Bread and Circuses, in Latin)

Written by
Caetano Veloso & Gilberto Gil
Arranged by
Rogério Duprat


Based in part on the English version released on their "Tecnicolor" album.

00:22

I wanted to sing
Que eu quis cantar

00:25

My song lighted by the sun
Minha canção iluminada de sol

00:28

I drew the flags over the sticks of the wind
Soltei os panos sobre os mastros no ar

00:32

I let loose tigers and lions on the backyards
Soltei os tigres e os leÔes nos quintais

00:37

But the people in the dining room
Mas as pessoas na sala de jantar

00:41

Are busy living and dying
SĂŁo ocupadas em nascer e morrer

00:51

I had a dagger of pure shiny steel made
Mandei fazer de puro aço luminoso um punhal

00:58

To kill my love and I did
Para matar o meu amor e matei

01:02

At five o' clock on the Central Avenue
Às cinco horas na Avenida Central

01:06

But the people in the dining room
Mas as pessoas na sala de jantar

01:10

Are busy living and dying
SĂŁo ocupadas em nascer e morrer

01:21

I had them dream leaves on the solar's
Might refer to the "Solar da Fossa," an artist hangout spot
 garden
Mandei plantar folhas de sonho no jardim do solar

01:27

The leaves know how to search for the sun
As folhas sabem procurar pelo Sol

01:31

And the roots to search, search
E as raĂ­zes procurar, procurar

01:35

But the people in the dining room
Mas as pessoas na sala de jantar

01:39

These people in the dining room
Essas pessoas da sala de jantar

01:43

They're the people in the dining room
SĂŁo as pessoas da sala de jantar

01:47

But the people in the dining room
Mas as pessoas na sala de jantar

01:51

Are busy living and dying
SĂŁo ocupadas em nascer e morrer

02:29

These people in the dining room
Essas pessoas na sala de jantar

02:34

These people in the dining room
Essas pessoas na sala de jantar

02:38

These people in the dining room
Essas pessoas na sala de jantar

02:42

These people in the dining room
Essas pessoas na sala de jantar

02:45

These people in the dining room
Essas pessoas na sala de jantar

02:48

These people in the dining room
Essas pessoas na sala de jantar

02:52

These people in the dining room
Essas pessoas na sala de jantar

02:55

These people in the dining room
Essas pessoas na sala de jantar

02:58

These people in the dining room
Essas pessoas na sala de jantar

03:01

These people in the dining room
Essas pessoas na sala de jantar

03:04

These people in the—
Essas pessoas na sala—

03:16

— Pass me the salad, please
— Me passa a salada pra mim, por favor

03:20

— Pass me the bread, please, just one more piece
— Passa o pão, por favor, só mais um pedacinho

A Minha Menina

(My Girl)

Written by
Jorge Ben Jor
Arranged by
Rogério Duprat

00:00

— Cough, everybody coughing!
— Tosse, todo mundo tossindo!

00:01

— Ha ha ha ha!
— Ha ha ha ha!

00:23

She's my girl
Ela Ă© minha menina

00:29

And I'm her boy
E eu sou o menino dela

00:34

She's my love
Ela Ă© o meu amor

00:40

And I'm her love, entirely hers
E eu sou o amor todinho dela

00:45

(Come on, huh!)
(Chama, hu!)

00:47

The silver moon hid away
A lua prateada se escondeu

00:52

And the golden sun appeared
E o sol dourado apareceu

00:58

A new day dawned, smelling of joy
Amanheceu um lindo dia, cheirando alegria

01:05

Because I dreamed and woke up thinking about her
Pois eu sonhei e acordei pensando nela

01:12

Because she's my girl
Pois ela Ă© minha menina

01:18

And I'm her boy
E eu sou o menino dela

01:22

She's my love
Ela Ă© o meu amor

01:29

And I'm her love, entirely hers
E eu sou o amor todinho dela

01:39

The rosebush has already sprouted roses
A roseira jĂĄ deu rosas

01:44

And the rose I earned was her
E a rosa que eu ganhei foi ela

01:50

For her, I let my heart get in front of reason
Por ela eu ponho o meu coração na frente da razão

01:56

And I'll tell everyone how much I like her
E vou dizer pra todo mundo como gosto dela

02:04

Because she's my girl
Pois ela Ă© minha menina

02:10

And I'm her boy
E eu sou o menino dela

02:15

She's my love
Ela Ă© o meu amor

02:21

And I'm her love, entirely hers
E eu sou o amor todinho dela

02:26

(Uh!)
(Uh!)

03:08

The silver moon hid away
A lua prateada se escondeu

03:14

And the golden sun appeared
E o sol dourado apareceu

03:19

A new day dawned, smelling of joy
Amanheceu um lindo dia, cheirando alegria

03:26

Because I dreamed and woke up thinking about her
Pois eu sonhei e acordei pensando nela

03:33

Because she's my girl
Pois ela Ă© minha menina

03:39

And I'm her boy
E eu sou o menino dela

03:44

She's my love
Ela Ă© o meu amor

03:50

And I'm her love, entirely hers
E eu sou o amor todinho dela

03:56

My girl, my girl
Minha menina, minha menina

04:09

My girl, my girl
Minha menina, minha menina

04:13

My girl, my girl
Minha menina, minha menina

04:20

My girl, my girl
Minha menina, minha menina

O RelĂłgio

(The Watch)

Arranged by
Rogério Duprat

00:07

My watch stopped
Meu relĂłgio parou

00:18

It forever gave up being
Desistiu pra sempre de ser

00:23

Anti-magnetic
Antimagnético

00:29

Twenty two jewels
As in the jewel bearings in a watch
Vinte e dois rubis

00:39

I wound it up and thought
Eu dei corda e pensei

00:46

That the watch would live
Que o relĂłgio iria viver

00:52

To tell the time
Pra dizer a hora

00:57

Of your arrival
De vocĂȘ chegar

01:07

It didn't run and I cried
NĂŁo andou e eu chorei

01:13

Two still hands, laughing
Dois ponteiros parados a rir

01:19

They're waterproof
SĂŁo Ă  prova d'ĂĄgua

01:23

Twenty two jewels
Vinte e dois rubis

01:37

What great luck of mine
Que vantagem eu levei

01:45

To have a watch
Em ter um relĂłgio

01:47

That is Swiss or English
Que Ă© suíço ou inglĂȘs

01:53

And doesn't run
Sem andar

01:56

What time will you arrive?
A que horas vocĂȘ vai chegar?

(instrumental)

02:40

And I threw myself into the sea
E no mar me atirei

02:47

Watch in hands, and thought
Com o relĂłgio nas mĂŁos e pensei

02:52

It's waterproof
Ele Ă© Ă  prova d'ĂĄgua

02:56

Twenty two jewels
Vinte dois rubis

Adeus Maria FulĂŽ

(Goodbye Maria FulĂŽ)

Written by
Humberto Teixeira & Sivuca
Arranged by
Rogério Duprat


Goodbye Maria Fulî—fulî being a corruption of "flor," meaning flower. Goodbye Mary Flower!

00:56

Goodbye, I'm going, my dear
Adeus, vou-me embora, meu bem

00:59

Crying doesn't help anyone
Chorar não ajuda ninguém

01:02

Wipe your tears of pain
Enxugue o seu pranto de dor

01:04

For the drought
Droughts are a recurring motif in the music of the Brazilian Northeast, where they are an unfortunate reality, and is very commonly paired with the themes of migration and leaving behind loved ones. Sivuca, the composer, hails from the Northeast
 has only just started
Que a seca mal começou

01:13

Goodbye, I'm going, my dear
Adeus, vou-me embora, meu bem

01:16

Crying doesn't help anyone
Chorar não ajuda ninguém

01:18

Wipe your tears of pain
Enxugue o seu pranto de dor

01:21

For the drought has only just started
Que a seca mal começou

01:30

Goodbye, I'm going, Maria
Adeus, vou-me embora, Maria

01:33

Flower of my heart
FulÎ do meu coração

01:36

I'll come back someday
Eu voltarei qualquer dia

01:38

It just needs to rain in the backlands
É só chover no sertão

01:41

And the days until my return
E os dias da minha volta

01:44

I count on my hand
Eu conto na minha mĂŁo

01:47

Goodbye Maria FulĂŽ
Adeus, Maria FulĂŽ

01:50

The quince tree dried out
Marmeleiro amarelou

01:53

Goodbye Maria FulĂŽ
Adeus, Maria FulĂŽ

01:56

The water spring ran dry
Olho d'ĂĄgua esturricou

02:04

Goodbye, I'm going, my dear
Adeus, vou-me embora, meu bem

02:07

Crying doesn't help anyone
Chorar não ajuda ninguém

02:10

Wipe your tears of pain
Enxugue seu pranto de dor

02:12

For the drought has only just started
Que a seca mal começou

02:18

For the drought has only just started
Que a seca mal começou

02:23

For the drought has only just started
Que a seca mal começou

02:29

For the drought has only just started
Que a seca mal começou

Baby

(Baby)

Written by
Caetano Veloso
Arranged by
Rogério Duprat


"Baby," famous in the voice of Gal Costa, parodies the upper-class, westernized culture that was on the rise at the time of its writing.

00:16

You
VocĂȘ

00:20

Need to know of the pool
Precisa saber da piscina

00:23

Of margarine, of Carolina, of gasoline
Da margarina, da Carolina, da gasolina

00:30

You need to know about me
VocĂȘ precisa saber de mim

00:40

Baby, baby
Baby, baby

00:45

I know that's how it is
Eu sei que Ă© assim

00:49

Baby, baby
Baby, baby

00:54

I know that's how it is
Eu sei que Ă© assim

00:58

You
VocĂȘ

01:01

Need to have an ice cream
Precisa tomar um sorvete

01:04

In the diner
Na lanchonete

01:06

Walk with us, see me up close
Andar com gente, me ver de perto

01:11

Listen to that Roberto
Roberto Carlos, highly influential heartthrob musician, dubbed "The King."
 song
Ouvir aquela canção do Roberto

01:21

Baby, baby
Baby, baby

01:26

How long has it been
HĂĄ quanto tempo

01:30

Baby, baby
Baby, baby

01:35

How long has it been
HĂĄ quanto tempo

01:39

You
VocĂȘ

01:42

Need to learn English
Precisa aprender inglĂȘs

01:46

You need to learn what I know
Precisa aprender o que eu sei

01:49

And what I don't know anymore
E o que eu nĂŁo sei mais

01:51

(And what I don't know anymore)
(E o que eu nĂŁo sei mais)

01:56

I don't know
NĂŁo sei

01:59

With me it's all been blue
Comigo vai tudo azul

02:03

With you everything's in peace
Contigo vai tudo em paz

02:08

We live in the best city
Vivemos na melhor cidade

02:10

Of South America
Da América do Sul

02:12

Of South America
Da América do Sul

02:15

You need
VocĂȘ precisa

02:17

You need
VocĂȘ precisa

02:22

I don't know
NĂŁo sei

02:25

Read it on my shirt
Leia na minha camisa

02:31

Baby, baby, I love you
Baby, baby, I love you

02:39

Baby, baby, I love you
Baby, baby, I love you

02:47

Baby, baby, I love you
Baby, baby, I love you

02:56

Baby, baby...
Baby, baby...

Senhor F

(Mr. F)

Arranged by
Rogério Duprat

00:05

Mr. F
O Senhor F

00:08

Dreams of being
Vive a querer

00:11

Mr. X
Ser Senhor X

00:14

But is afraid of never going back
Mas tem medo de nunca voltar

00:17

To being Mr. F again
A ser o Senhor F outra vez

00:21

Mr. X
O Senhor X

00:25

Is the hero (X)
É o herói (X)

00:28

That on TV (X)
Que na TV (X)

00:31

Never loses his hat
Nunca perde o seu chapéu

00:34

And makes Mr. F dream
E faz o Senhor F sonhar

00:38

Dream of having
Sonhar em ter

00:41

For the others to see
Pros outros ver

00:45

Blue eyes
Olhos azuis

00:48

A car just like Mr. X
Ter um carro igual ao de X

00:52

And winning over the boss' wife
E conquistar a mulher do patrĂŁo

00:59

Give your boss a kick
DĂȘ um chute no patrĂŁo

01:03

Give your boss a kick
DĂȘ um chute no patrĂŁo

01:05

Give your boss a kick
DĂȘ um chute no patrĂŁo

(instrumental)

01:28

You also
VocĂȘ tambĂ©m

01:31

Want to be somebody
Quer ser alguém

01:35

To abandon it all
Abandonar

01:38

But are afraid of forgetting
Mas tem medo de esquecer

01:41

Your handkerchief and documents again
From a Caetano Veloso song, which talks about a young man strolling through the streets of dictatorship-era Brazil
O lenço e o documento outra vez

01:46

Give your boss a kick (Extra, extra, extra)
DĂȘ um chute no patrĂŁo (Extra, extra, extra)

01:49

Give your boss a kick (Give your boss a kick)
DĂȘ um chute no patrĂŁo (DĂȘ um chute no patrĂŁo)

01:53

Give your boss a kick
DĂȘ um chute no patrĂŁo

Bat Macumba

(Bat Macumba)

Written by
Caetano Veloso & Gilberto Gil
Arranged by
Rogério Duprat


Now, "Bat Macumba," Macumba being a blanket term for the wide umbrella of Afro-Brazilian religions (sometimes pejorative, though that's not the case here.) Notice the shape that the lyrics make, and see if you can relate it to a pun on the song title about a certain masked vigilante.

00:23

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ, Bat Macumba obĂĄ

00:29

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ, Bat Macumba obĂĄ

00:32

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ, Bat Macumba obĂĄ

00:36

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ, Bat Macumba o

00:40

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ, Bat Macumba

00:44

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ, Bat Macum

00:48

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ, Bat Ma

00:52

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ, Bat

00:56

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ, Ba

01:00

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ

01:03

Bat Macumba ĂȘ

01:06

Bat Macumba

01:10

Bat Macum

01:13

Bat Ma

01:18

Bat

01:22

Ba

01:25

Bat

01:30

Bat Ma

01:33

Bat Macum

01:37

Bat Macumba

01:41

Bat Macumba ĂȘ

01:45

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ

01:49

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ, Ba

01:54

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ, Bat

01:58

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ, Bat Ma

02:03

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ, Bat Macum

02:06

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ, Bat Macumba

02:10

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ, Bat Macumba o

02:14

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ, Bat Macumba obĂĄ

02:18

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ, Bat Macumba obĂĄ

02:22

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ, Bat Macumba obĂĄ

03:02

Bat Macumba ĂȘ ĂȘ, Bat Macumba obĂĄ

Le Premier Bonheur du Jour

(The First Happiness of the Day)

Written by
Franck Gerald & Jean Renard
Arranged by
Rogério Duprat


This song is in french, which I do not speak. See footnote2 for the source for this translation. Thank you to @frenchrescue on YouTube!

00:18

The first happiness of the day
Le premier bonheur du jour

00:23

It's a ribbon of sunshine
C'est un ruban de soleil

00:28

Which is wound around your hand
Qui s'enroule sur ta main

00:33

And gently strokes my shoulder
Et caresse mon Ă©paule

00:38

It's the breath of the sea
C'est la souffle de la mĂšre

00:43

And the beach that awaits
Et la plage qui attend

00:48

It's the bird that sang
C'est l'oiseau qui a chanté

00:53

On the branch of the fig tree
Sur la branche du figuier

01:48

The first sorrow of the day
La premier chagrin du jour

01:52

It's the door that closes
C'est la porte qui se ferme

01:57

The car that goes away
La voiture qui s'en va

02:02

The silence that settles
Le silence qui s'installe

02:07

But you come back soon
Mais bien vite tu reviens

02:12

And my life is getting back to normal
Et ma vie reprend son cours

02:17

The last happiness of the day
Le denier bonheur du jour

02:22

It's the lamp that switched off
C'est la lampe qui s'Ă©teint

Trem Fantasma

(Ghost Train)

Written by
Caetano Veloso & Os Mutantes
Arranged by
Rogério Duprat

00:23

Four hundred cruzeiros
Old Brazilian currency
Quatrocentos cruzeiros

00:28

Old men buy, frightened
Velhos compram com medo

00:31

From the ticket booth
Da mĂŁo do bilheteiro

00:34

Admissions to the ghost train
As entradas do trem fantasma

00:39

Him and his girlfriend
Ele e a namorada

00:43

He doesn't think of anything
Ele nĂŁo pensa em nada

00:46

She gets scared
Ela fica assustada

00:51

Four hundred cruzeiros of power
Like in "horsepower"
Quatrocentos cruzeiros de força

00:55

Drag the young man and the lady
Arrastam o rapaz e a moça

00:59

To the place in
Para o lugar em

01:01

Shiny CinemaScope
CinemaScope brilhante

01:06

The giant mountain
A montanha gigante

01:08

Of green generals
De generais verdejantes

01:13

And it appears in the distance
E aparece distante

01:16

The train on the shiny mirror
O trem no espelho brilhante

01:20

The kiss, the first kiss
O beijo, o primeiro beijo

01:24

Shatters the mirror
Arrebenta o espelho

01:38

Four hundred cruzeiros
Quatrocentos cruzeiros

01:42

Four hundred bats of power
Quatrocentos morcegos de força

01:47

The kiss, the young man, and the lady
O beijo, o rapaz e a moça

01:51

The train in the water
O trem dentro d'ĂĄgua

01:53

The still pool
A piscina parada

01:57

She doesn't think of anything
Ela nĂŁo pensa em nada

02:01

He thinks but doesn't say
Ele pensa e nĂŁo diz

02:04

Where there's a lot of water, everything's happy
Onde tem muita ĂĄgua tudo Ă© feliz

02:09

The first kiss
O primeiro beijo

02:12

Four hundred cruzeiros
Quatrocentos cruzeiros

02:16

Joe 40HPs of thrills
"HPs" as in horsepower. Also, this is a reference to an old car ad (see footnote 3)
Zé quarenta HPs de emoção

02:20

Coffin Joe
Classic Brazilian horror movie character, an undertaker, to round out the "dark ride" theme of the song
O ZĂ© do CaixĂŁo

02:23

Brings forth the creatures of creation
Traz os bichos da criação

02:29

To the gate and—
AtĂ© o portĂŁo e—

02:33

The session's over
Terminou a sessĂŁo

02:36

Four hundred cruzeiros
Quatrocentos cruzeiros

02:39

Old men buy, frightened
Velhos compram com medo

02:42

Him and his girlfriend
Ele e a namorada

02:46

She doesn't think of anything
Ela nĂŁo pensa em nada

02:50

He secretly thinks
Ele pensa em segredo

02:54

He secretly thinks
Ele pensa em segredo

02:58

He secretly thinks
Ele pensa em segredo

03:02

He secretly thinks
Ele pensa em segredo

03:05

He secretly thinks...
Ele pensa em segredo...

Tempo no Tempo (Once Was a Time I Thought)

(Time in Time (Once Was a Time I Thought))

Adapted by
Os Mutantes
Written by
John Phillips
Arranged by
Os Mutantes & Rogério Duprat


Cover of “Once Was a Time I Thought” by “The Mamas & The Papas.”

00:00

Hallelujah
Aleluia

00:11

I want to be with my Lord
Eu quero estar com meu Senhor

00:28

There's always a time in time when the body of man rots
HĂĄ sempre um tempo no tempo em que o corpo do homem apodrece

00:32

And his tired, sorrowful soul sinks into the ground
E sua alma cansada, penada, se afunda no chĂŁo

00:35

And the wizard of luxury, his hood lowered, crying on a niche, sycophant of trash
E o bruxo do luxo baixado o capucho chorando num nicho capacho do lixo

00:40

Whims will not be coming back
Caprichos nĂŁo mais voltarĂŁo

00:42

There once was time when time stopped passing by
JĂĄ houve um tempo em que o tempo parou de passar

00:47

And a so-called homo sapiens didn't know how to harness it
E um tal de homo sapiens nĂŁo soube disso aproveitar

00:51

Crying, smiling, talking about shutting up
Chorando, sorrindo, falando em calar

00:54

Thinking about thinking once time stops passing by
Pensando em pensar quando o tempo parar de passar

00:58

There's always a time in time when the body of man rots
HĂĄ sempre um tempo no tempo em que o corpo do homem apodrece

01:01

And his tired, sorrowful soul sinks into the ground
E sua alma cansada, penada, se afunda no chĂŁo

01:05

And the wizard of luxury, his hood lowered, crying on a niche, sycophant of trash
E o bruxo do luxo baixado o capucho chorando num nicho capacho do lixo

01:10

Whims will not be coming back
Caprichos nĂŁo mais voltarĂŁo

01:12

But if between tears you find yourself and you think you're crying
Mas se entre lĂĄgrimas vocĂȘ se achar e pensar que estĂĄ a chorar

01:19

This was the time in which time is
Este era o tempo em que o tempo Ă©

Ave Gengis Khan

(Hail Gengis Khan)

Os Mutantes (feat. Dr. CĂ©sar Baptista)

Arranged by
Rogério Duprat

00:26

Hail Gengis Khan
Ave Gengis Khan

00:37

Hail Gengis Khan
Ave Gengis Khan

(instrumental)

Featuring a reversed sample of Dr. CĂ©sar Baptista, father of Arnaldo and SĂ©rgio, singing an opera

02:43

Hail Gengis Khan
Ave Gengis Khan

02:54

Hail Gengis Khan
Ave Gengis Khan

Footnotes

  1. Nowadays, only SĂ©rgio Dias is left of the original formation. Rita Lee was kicked out of the band in 1972 and unfortunately passed away in 2023, while Arnaldo Baptista left in 1973 due to issues with drug abuse (he is doing much better now!) Both of them led successful solo careers, with Rita Lee often being called the Brazilian “Queen of Rock.” ↩
  2. Le Premier Bonheur du Jour Translation by frenchrescue↩
  3. “Renault Gordini: 40HPs of thrills!” From a time when 40HP was enought to thrill ya.↩