"Samba do Avião" (), also known as "Song of the Jet", is a Brazilian song composed in 1962 by

Antônio Carlos Jobim Antônio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim (25 January 1927 – 8 December 1994), also known as Tom Jobim (), was a Brazilian composer, pianist, guitarist, songwriter, arranger, and singer. Considered as one of the great exponents of Brazilian ...

, who also wrote the original Portuguese lyrics. The English-language lyrics are by

Gene Lees Frederick Eugene John Lees (February 8, 1928 – April 22, 2010) was a Canadian music critic, biographer, lyricist, and journalist. Lees worked as a newspaper journalist in his native Canada before moving to the United States, where he was a musi ...

. In the biography ''Antonio Carlos Jobim: An Illuminated Man'', Helena Jobim describes how her brother came up with the idea for the song: "Tom's many walks from

Ipanema Ipanema () is a neighbourhood located in the South Zone (Rio de Janeiro), South Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, Leblon and Arpoador. The beach at Ipanema became known internationally with the populari ...

Santos Dumont Airport The Santos Dumont Airport is the second major airport serving Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is named after the Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont, Alberto Santos Dumont (1873–1932). It is operated by Infraero. History Or ...

yielded that ode of beauty... He would head towards the airport, following the water's edge around Guanabara's Bay. The pretext to go there was to buy foreign magazines and newspapers. From Santos Dumont Airport he could observe his passion, the airplane. Yet he still kept some distance from those machines. He was afraid of flying, but he loved their power, splendor, and aerodynamics—man's conquest over machine".Jobim, Helena, ''Antonio Carlos Jobim: An Illuminated Man'', Hal Leonard, Montclair, NJ, 2011. > In the song, Jobim writes about landing at "Galeão" in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

. The airport was renamed in his honor in 1999 and is now called Rio de Janeiro–Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport. Jobim wrote "Samba do Avião" for an Italian film, ''Copacabana Palace'' (1962), where it was performed by

Jula De Palma Iolanda Maria Palma (born 21 April 1931 in Milan), known as Jula De Palma, is an Italian singer. Biography De Palma began her career in the early 1950s as a radio singer, collaborating with pianist, composer, and showman Lelio Luttazzi. Initia ...

and I 4 + 4 di Nora Orlandi. The movie was filmed in Rio and features cameo appearances by Jobim,

João Gilberto João Gilberto (born João Gilberto do Prado Pereira de Oliveira – ; 10 June 1931 – 6 July 2019) was a Brazilian guitarist, singer, and composer who was a pioneer of the musical genre of bossa nova in the late 1950s. Around the world, he w ...

and Os Cariocas. The first performance of the song was by Jobim and Os Cariocas in August 1962 at the Au Bon Gourmet restaurant in Copacabana, Rio, at what music historian

Ruy Castro Ruy Castro (born 26 February 1948, in Caratinga) is a Brazilian author and journalist. In 1996 he was a co-winner of the Prêmio Jabuti. He is known for his writings concerning Bossa nova and for his biographies, profiling figures such as Ga ...

calls "the bossa nova show to end all bossa nova shows", as it featured Jobim, João Gilberto,

Vinícius de Moraes Marcus Vinícius da Cruz e Mello Moraes (19 October 1913 – 9 July 1980), better known as Vinícius de Moraes () and nicknamed "O Poetinha" ("The Little Poet"), was a Brazilian poet, diplomat, lyricist, essayist, musician, singer, and playwrig ...

and Os Cariocas on stage together for the only time.Castro, Ruy, ''Bossa nova: the story of the Brazilian music that seduced the world'', A Cappella Books, Chicago, IL, 2000. > The first recording of the song was released in October 1962 by Elza Laranjeira.SecondHandSongs – Samba do Avião
/ref> Os Cariocas had a hit with their rendition in 1963. The first English-language version was by

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

for his 1965 album '' If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set''.

Recorded versions

* Elza Laranjeira (October 1962) * Os Cariocas – ''A Bossa dos Cariocas'' (1963) *

Sylvia Telles Silvia D'Atri Telles (; August 27, 1934 – December 17, 1966) was a Brazilian jazz Samba and Bossa Nova singer and composer of the 1950s and 1960s, considered one of the major artists of Bossa Nova and MPB. Most of her original recordings are o ...

– ''Bossa, Balanço, Balada'' (1963) *

Eumir Deodato Eumir Deodato de Almeida (; born 22 June 1943) is a Brazilian pianist, composer, arranger and record producer, primarily in jazz but who has been known for his eclectic melding of genres, such as Pop music, pop, Rock music, rock, disco, rhythm a ...

– ''Inútil Paisagem – As Maiores Composições de Antonio Carlos Jobim'' (1964) *

Paul Winter Paul Winter (born August 31, 1939) is an American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He is a pioneer of world music and earth music, which interweaves the voices of the wild with instrumental voices from classical, jazz and world music. The ...

, w/

Luiz Bonfá Luiz Floriano Bonfá (17 October 1922 – 12 January 2001) was a Brazilian guitarist and composer. He was best known for the music he composed for the film '' Black Orpheus''. Biography Luiz Floriano Bonfá was born on October 17, 1922, in Ri ...

Roberto Menescal Roberto Menescal (born October 25, 1937) is a Brazilian composer, record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and pioneer of bossa nova. In many of his songs there are references to the sea, including his best-known composition "O Barquinho" ("Little ...

Luiz Eça Luiz Mainzi da Cunha Eça (April 3, 1936 – May 24, 1992) was a samba and bossa nova pianist from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who was a member of the Tamba Trio with Helcio Milito and Bebeto Castilho. Trained as a classical pianist, Eça created ...

– ''Rio'' (1964) – as "Avion (Song of the Jet)" *

– '' If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set'' (1965) *

Charlie Byrd Charlie Lee Byrd (September 16, 1925 – December 2, 1999) was an American jazz guitarist. Byrd was best known for his association with Brazilian music, especially bossa nova. In 1962, he collaborated with Stan Getz on the album '' Jazz Samba' ...

– ''Brazilian Byrd'' (1965) *

– ''

The Wonderful World of Antonio Carlos Jobim ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' (1965) *

Bud Shank Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank Jr. (May 27, 1926 – April 2, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and thro ...

, with

João Donato João Donato de Oliveira Neto (; 17 August 1934 – 17 July 2023) was a Brazilian jazz and bossa nova pianist as well as a trombonist from Rio Branco. He first worked with Altamiro Carrilho and went on to perform with Antonio Carlos Jobim an ...

– '' Bud Shank & His Brazilian Friends'' (1965) *

Walter Wanderley Walter Wanderley (; born Walter Jose Wanderley Mendonça, May 12, 1932 – September 4, 1986) was a Brazilian organist and pianist, best known for his lounge and bossa nova music and for his instrumental version of the song '' Summer Samba'' wh ...

– ''

Rain Forest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

'' (1966) *

Dick Hyman Richard Hyman (born March 8, 1927) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Over a 70-year career, he has worked as a pianist, organist, arranger, music director, electronic musician, and composer. He was named a National Endowment for the Arts ...

– ''Brazilian Impressions'' (1967) *

Stanley Turrentine Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophone, tenor saxophonist and record producer. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note Reco ...

– ''

A Bluish Bag ''A Bluish Bag'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Stanley Turrentine consisting of two sessions recorded for the Blue Note label in 1967 and arranged by Duke Pearson, the first featuring Donald Byrd and the second McCoy Tyner, among others. Re ...

'' (rec. 1967, released 2007) *

Gilberto Gil Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira (; born 26 June 1942), is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and politician, known for both his musical innovation and political activism. From 2003 to 2008, he served as Brazil's Ministry of Culture (Brazil), Minister of ...

– ''Refavela'' (1977) *

Miúcha Heloísa Maria Buarque de Hollanda (30 November 1937 – 27 December 2018), known professionally as Miúcha, was a Brazilian singer and composer. She belonged to a musical family. Her siblings included singer and composer Chico Buarque and two ...

– ''Miúcha & Antonio Carlos Jobim'' (1977) *

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phra ...

– ''

Ella Abraça Jobim ''Ella Abraça Jobim'' or ''Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Antonio Carlos Jobim Songbook'' is a 1981 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald, devoted to the songs of Antônio Carlos Jobim. It was reissued on CD in 1991, although the CD version does not incl ...

'' (1981) – Released on the original LP but left off the 1991 CD version *

Os Mulheres Negras Os Mulheres Negras ( Portuguese for "The Black Women") are a Brazilian experimental rock duo formed in São Paulo in 1985, by musicians André Abujamra (vocals, electric guitar, synthesizer, drum machine) and Maurício Pereira (vocals, saxophone) ...

– '' Música e Ciência'' (1988) * Baden Powell – ''Live in Hamburg'' (rec. 1983, released 1995) *

Eliane Elias Eliane Elias (born 19 March 1960) is a Brazilian jazz pianist, singer, composer and arranger. Biography Elias was born in São Paulo, Brazil, on 19 March 1960. She started studying piano when she was seven, and at age twelve she was transcribing ...

– '' Paulistana'' (1993) – As "Jet Samba (Samba do Avião)" *

Danilo Caymmi Danilo Candido Tostes Caymmi (born March 7, 1948) is a Brazilian musician, singer, composer and arranger. Danilo was born in Rio de Janeiro, the youngest son of Dorival Caymmi and Stella Maris, and brother of Dori and Nana Caymmi. Brought up by ...

– ''Sol Moreno'' (1995) *

– ''

Eliane Elias Sings Jobim ''Eliane Elias Sings Jobim'' is the thirteenth studio album by Brazilian jazz artist Eliane Elias. It was released on July 28, 1998 via Blue Note label. This is her second album solely dedicated to the works of Antônio Carlos Jobim after '' Elia ...

'' (1998) and '' Brazilian Classics'' (2003) *

Gal Costa Gal Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos (born Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos; 26 September 1945 – 9 November 2022), known professionally as Gal Costa (), was a Brazilian singer of Música popular brasileira, popular music. Twelve-times Bra ...

– ''Gal Costa Canta Tom Jobim ao Vivo'' (1999) *

Jaques Morelenbaum Jaques Morelenbaum (() born 18 May 1954) is a Brazilian instrumentalist, arranger, conductor, composer and music producer. Morelenbaum was born in Rio de Janeiro, the son of conductor Henrique Morelenbaum and piano teacher Sarah Morelenbaum. Hi ...

Paula Morelenbaum Regina Paula Martins Morelenbaum (, born July 31, 1962) is a Brazilian singer, born in Rio de Janeiro. She and her husband Jaques Morelenbaum were in the band that toured with Antonio Carlos Jobim from 1984 to 1994. In addition to Jobim's group, ...

and

Ryuichi Sakamoto was a Music of Japan, Japanese musician, composer, keyboardist, record producer, singer and actor. He pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the Synthesizer, synth-based band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his ...

– '' Morelenbaum 2/Sakamoto: A Day in New York'' (2003) *

Roseanna Vitro Roseanna Elizabeth Vitro (born February 28, 1951) is a jazz singer and teacher from Arkansas. Biography Born Roseanna Elizabeth VitroScott Fredrickson and Gary W. Kennedy.Vitro (Wickliffe), Roseanna" In ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'', 2 ...

– '' Tropical Postcards'' (2004) *

Toquinho Antônio Pecci Filho (born July 6, 1946), better known as Toquinho (), is a Brazilian singer and guitarist. He is well known for his collaborations, as composer and performer, with Vinicius de Moraes. Childhood and musical studies Toquinho was ...

– ''Tributo à Bossa Nova'' (2005) *

Milton Nascimento Milton Silva Campos do Nascimento (; born October 26, 1942), also known as Bituca, is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Nascimento has recorded 32 studio albums and has won five Grammy Awards, including Best World Music ...

– ''Novas Bossas'' (2008) *

Lisa Ono Lisa Ono (小野リサ; born 29 July 1962) is a Japanese-Brazilian bossa nova singer. Life Lisa Ono was born in São Paulo, Brazil, in 1962 but moved with her family to Tokyo at the age of 10. From that time on she spent half of every year i ...

and

'' - The Music of Antônio Carlos Jobim "Ipanema"'' (2007)

References

External links

Lyrical Brazil: Samba do Avião
– Includes additional information about the song. {{DEFAULTSORT:Samba do Aviao 1962 songs Tony Bennett songs Songs with music by Antônio Carlos Jobim Bossa nova songs Brazilian songs Songs in Portuguese Songs about Rio de Janeiro (city)