Meu bem is a common and affectionate term of endearment in Portuguese, similar to "my dear" or "my darling" in English. While it might seem like an everyday phrase, its use in this song is particularly enticing because it directly addresses a loved one.
In Tim Maia's soulful lyrics, he sings, "Fala de você, meu bem" (It talks about you, my dear). This phrase immediately draws the listener into the personal and romantic narrative of the song, making them wonder who this "dear" person is and what the song reveals about their love. It's a sweet and intimate expression that sets a tender tone for the entire piece.
This song is Tim Maia singing about the simple joy of making music. He repeats a playful promise, these are the songs he wants to sing and play, again and again, like a hook he cannot get enough of.
Partway through he switches to Portuguese and gets more personal: the song he is singing is for someone he loves. He tells her it talks about her and about their love, and he is sure she is going to like it.
It closes back in English, still promising to keep singing and playing every little time. It is a song about the pleasure of making music and sharing it with someone you love.
Tim Maia, born Sebastião Rodrigues Maia in Rio de Janeiro in 1942, was the singer who gave Brazil its own brand of soul. He started out as a teenage drummer and singer in the Tijuca neighbourhood, spent a few restless years in the United States soaking up rhythm and blues, then came home and poured all of it into Portuguese.
His self-titled 1970 debut made him a national star almost overnight, carried by classics such as "Azul da Cor do Mar" and "Primavera". Over the next three decades he practically invented samba soul and Brazilian funk, took a famous mystical detour with the "Racional" albums, and became as legendary for his huge, unpredictable personality as for his voice. He died in 1998 at the age of 55, and his songs are still everywhere in Brazil, from beach radios to film soundtracks.