“Ovelha Negra” by Rita Lee (1975)

Source: Marco Senche from Araçatuba, Brasil, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Brazilian rock and roll icon Rita Lee was born in São Paulo on the last day of 1947 to an American dad and a Brazilian mother. She has been in the news even more than usual this past month, after revealing she has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Her continued popularity is evident in the fact that her autobiography was Brazil’s best-selling non-fiction book of 2017. Year after year, “Ovelha Negra” is one of her most played songs. Listen to the original version or a more recent live version.

Black Sheep
I was living a peaceful life
I liked shade and fresh water
My god how much time I spent
Not knowing
That’s when my dad said daughter
You’re the black sheep of the family
Now it’s time for you to take over
Ooh and disappear

Baby baby
It doesn’t help to call
When someone is lost
Trying to find you
Baby baby
It’s not worth waiting, oh no
Get that out of your head
And put the rest in place

No, black sheep of the family
Tchu tchu tchu tchu tchu (not coming back anymore)
No, gonna disappear