The Waters of March is a Brazilian song composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim. Jobim
wrote both the English and Portuguese lyrics. The lyrics, originally written
in Portuguese, do not tell a story, but rather present a series of images that
form a collage; nearly every line starts with "É...". In 2001, "Águas de Março"
was named as the all-time best Brazilian song in a poll of more than 200
Brazilian journalists, musicians and other artists conducted by Brazil's
leading daily newspaper, Folha de S.Paulo. It was also voted by the
Brazilian edition of Rolling Stone as the 2nd greatest Brazilian song.
The inspiration for "Águas de Março" came from Rio de Janeiro's rainiest
month. March is typically marked by sudden storms with heavy rains and
strong winds that cause flooding in many places around the city. The lyrics and
the music have a constant downward progression much like the water torrent
from those rains flowing in the gutters, which typically would carry sticks,
stones, bits of glass, and almost everything and anything. The
orchestration creates the illusion of the constant descending of notes much
like Shepard tones. Lyrics
In both the Portuguese and English versions of the lyrics, "it" is a stick,
a stone, a sliver of glass, a scratch, a cliff, a knot in the wood, a fish, a
pin, the end of the road, and many other things, although some specific
references to Brazilian culture, flora and folklore were intentionally omitted
from the English version, perhaps with the goal of providing a more universal
perspective. All these details swirling around the central metaphor of "the
waters of March" can give the impression of the passing of daily life and its
continual, inevitable progression towards death, just as the rains of
March mark the end of a Brazilian summer. Both sets of lyrics speak of
"the promise of life," perhaps allowing for other, more life-affirming
interpretations, and the English contains the additional phrases "the joy
in your heart" and the "promise of spring," a seasonal reference that would
be more relevant to most of the English-speaking world.
When writing the English lyrics, Jobim endeavored to avoid words with Latin
roots, which resulted in the English version having more verses than the
Portuguese. Nevertheless, the English version still contains some words from
Latin origin, such as promise, dismay, plan, pain, mountain, distance and mule.
Another way in which the English lyrics differ from the Portuguese is that the
English version treats March from the perspective of an observer in the
northern hemisphere. In this context, the waters are the "waters of defrost"
in contrast to the rains referred to in the original Portuguese, marking the end
of summer and the beginning of the colder season in the southern
hemisphere. Composer-guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves
relates that Jobim told him that writing in this kind of stream of consciousness
was his version of therapy and saved him thousands in psychoanalysis bills.
Versions = 1970s =
The first recording of this song appeared on an EP released in May, 1972,
named O Tom de Antonio Carlos Jobim e o Tal de João Bosco. This EP was released
as a bonus included in the Brazilian periodical O Pasquim and was never
reissued again. This type of vinyl record album was known as a "disco do
bolso". At the time, it was considered more of a novelty promotional item for
the magazine rather than one of Jobim's seminal works. For that reason, existing
copies of this recording are very rare. The second recording was on Elis
Regina's album Elis, which was the first in a series of 3 consecutive self-titled
solo albums by Regina. The third recording was on Jobim's
seventh album, Jobim. Album was titled Matita Perê in Brazil without additional
English version of song. João Gilberto's recording from João
Gilberto is known for its considerable deviation in rhythm and meter from the
original. Italian singer Mina sings it as "La
Pioggia di Marzo" on her album Frutta e verdura. Orchestra arranged & conducted
by Pino Presti. Georges Moustaki recorded his version of
the song as "Les Eaux de Mars" on the album Déclaration.
What many reviewers consider to be the definitive recording of the song is the
duet sung by Jobim and Elis Regina on the album Elis & Tom.
Stan Getz and João Gilberto recorded a version on their joint album The Best of
Two Worlds, with Portuguese lyrics sung by Gilberto and English lyrics sung by
Miúcha, Gilberto's wife at the time. Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '77 recorded this
song on the album Vintage 74. Jobim played guitar on this track.
Art Garfunkel recorded the song on his solo album Breakaway. His recording is
similar to the 1973 Jobim recording in inflection, rhythm, and evocation of the
song. Jack Parnell recorded the song on his
album Braziliana Mark Murphy recorded this song on the
album Stolen Moments. Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '88 recorded this
song on the album Brasil '88. = 1980s =
Jobim and Gal Costa recorded a live English version on the album, Rio
Revisited. New Zealand jazz singer Malcolm McNeill
recorded an English version in 1982 that was released on Malcolm McNeill.
= 1990s = Susannah McCorkle also released a
bilingual version on her album From Bessie to Brazil. It was repeated in her
album Most Requested Songs Atlantique Les eaux de mars.
David Byrne and Marisa Monte recorded the song for the benefit compilation
album Red Hot + Rio. Trio Esperança recorded a Portuguese
version on Segundo. The New York City group Cibo Matto
performed the song in Portuguese for their EP Super Relax.
Monica Vasconcelos performed the song in Portuguese for her album Nois.
Al Jarreau recorded this song on the album A Twist of Jobim.
Smoke City recorded a version of this song entitled "Águas de Março" for their
album Flying Away. Israeli singers Gidi Gov and Mika Karni
recorded a Hebrew version of the song titled "Ve Ha-Geshem Yavo" on Laila Gov
2. Basia recorded a version that was later
included on the release of Clear Horizon: The Best of Basia.
Rosa Passos recorded the song in Portuguese on Especial Tom Jobim.
Lani Hall recorded the English lyrics version in on her album Brasil Nativo.
Paula West recorded a version on her album Restless.
Kim Scanlon on Night Songs & Lullabies. = 2000s =
John Pizzarelli recorded the song three times, first in a duet with Rosemary
Clooney on her album Brazil, then on his album Bossa Nova, and then in a duet
with his wife Jessica Molaskey on her album Sitting in Limbo. This version
combines the song with Joni Mitchell's "Circle Game".
Jazz singer Emilie-Claire Barlow performed an English version with
partial Portuguese lyrics on her album Tribute.
Jazz singer Jane Monheit recorded a version in English on her album Come
Dream with Me. Cassandra Wilson recorded the English
version on her album Belly of the Sun. Irish singers Damien Rice and Lisa
Hannigan recorded a version in Portuguese for the movie Goldfish
Memory. Oscar Castro-Neves recorded an English
version on his album Playful Heart. Richard "Bob" Greene, of The Bobs,
recorded a version on his solo album Low? Bottom? Me?, with guest vocalist
Angie Doctor. Bossacucanova recorded the English
version on their album Uma Batida Differente.
Utah-based singer Melissa Pace-Tanner included it on her release Am I Blue.
Argentinan pop/rock artist Fito Páez recorded the song live 112002 from Rio
de Janeiro. It was released on the live album Mi Vida Con Ellas.
Lisa Ono released the song on the album Best 1997-2001 as a bonus track. It was
recorded live at Bunkamura Orchard Hall, Tokyo, on December 8 & 10, 2001.[1].
Spanish actress/singer Victoria Abril recorded this song on the album
PutchEros do Brasil. Ana Paula Lopes recorded this song on
the album Meu. Tok Tok Tok recorded the English version
on their album I Wish. Uakti on their CD OIAPOK XUI included
four instrumental arrangements by Marco Antônio Guimarães: 1) "Tema e variação
I"; 2) "Variação II"; 3) "Variação III"; 4) "Variação IV"
Michelle Mailhot [2] recorded the English version on Happy Madness.
David Campbell released the song on the album The Swing Sessions.
Filipina bossa nova singer Sitti Navarro recorded her version of "Waters of
March" on her album Sitti Live!. Another Filipina singer, Agot Isidro
recorded her version featuring Mon David, from her first bossa nova album,
The Island. Holly Cole recorded this song on the
album Holly Cole. Nachtzuster [3] recorded a Dutch version
as "Stortbui in Maart". Brazilian singer Luciana Souza recorded
the English version on her album The New Bossa Nova.
Robert Lamm of the band Chicago recorded a version on a solo album The Bossa
Project. American singer Anya Marina released the
song on her album Slow and Steady Seduction : Phase II.
Sérgio Mendes released Encanto, produced with will.i.am, with a version featuring
Ledisi. The iTunes version of Encanto also contains a French version featuring
Zap Mama. Cabaret singer Nancy Lamott included
this song in her album Ask Me Again, and performs it on her DVD, I'll Be Here
With You. "If I Made a Commercial for Trader
Joe's" uses a lyrically modified version of the song with guitar by Enrique Coria
and piano by David Lisle. YouTube. = 2010s =
Stacey Kent recorded a version in French on her album Raconte-Moi, with lyrics
from Georges Moustaki. The song was featured in Episode 7 of
the third season of the TV series, Lie To Me.
French-Beninese singer Mina Agossi included her jazz version of "Waters of
March" on her album Just Like A lady. Jamie Broza and his daughter, Carmen,
recorded a version for his CD I Want a Dog!.
Atom, Toshiyuki Yasuda, Fernanda Takai and Moreno Veloso recorded a version for
the Red Hot Organization compilation Red Hot + Rio 2, all proceeds from which go
to AIDS/HIV research and education. Charlie Sheen and Katheryn Winnick
recorded "Águas de Março" for the film A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan
III. Brad Mehldau's "When It Rains" on his
album Largo is a re-harmonisation of Waters of March.
Gloria has a scene with "Águas de Março" performed by Hugo Moraga and other
musicians. Dieudonné M'bala M'bala adapts the
lyrics which he interprets in duo with his wife Noémie Montagne to describe a
rising civil unrest in France. Jazztronik performed a cover for their
album Vamos La Brasil. Natalie Dessay, Agnès Jaoui, Helena
Noguerra, and Liat Cohen perform "Les Eaux de Mars" on the album, Rio-Paris.
In popular culture The song was used by Coca-Cola for a
jingle in the mid-1980s concurrent with the "Coke is it!" campaign, which ran
until 1988. The duet between Jobim and Regina was
used in the "Return of Marco" episode of the Adult Swim series Sealab 2021, which
aired on December 12, 2004. In the Philippines, the song was used in
the early 90s as the soundtrack for an advertising campaign for the newly
developed Ayala Center. "Waters of March" was used for a 2008
British Gas advertisement in the UK and in Italy.
See also List of bossa nova standards
References Notes
Further reading Charles A. Perrone wrote about the song
in his doctoral dissertation, an abridged version of which was published
in Brazil as Letras e Letras da MPB. He notes such sources for the song as the
folkloric samba-de-matuto and a classic poem of pre-Modernist Brazilian
literature. External links
Original hand-written score by Jobim As performed by Elis Regina
As performed by Elis Regina and Jobim Radio show featuring many versions of
this song