"Desafinado" (a Portuguese word, usually rendered into English as "Out of Tune", or as "Off Key") is a 1959 bossa nova song and jazz standard composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim with lyrics (in Portuguese) by Newton Mendonça.
"Desafinado" was originally a response to critics who claimed that the bossa nova genre was created for singers who can't sing. English language lyrics were written by Jon Hendricks and "Jessie Cavanaugh" (a pseudonym used by The Richmond Organisation). Another English lyric, more closely based on the original Portuguese lyric (but not a translation) was written by Gene Lees, and appears on some recordings as well.
The version by Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd (from the album Jazz Samba) was a major hit in 1962, reaching number 15 and number 4 on Billboard′s pop and easy-listening charts, respectively; their definitive rendering also reached number 11 in the UK. In Canada the song was co-charted with the Grammy nominated version by Pat Thomas where they reached No. 14.[1]
| Peak position | ||
| Canada CHUM Chart[2] | 14 | |
|---|---|---|
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[3] | 11 | |
| US Billboard Easy Listening[4] | 4 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[5] | 15 |
The song was voted by the Brazilian edition of Rolling Stone as the 14th greatest Brazilian song.[6] The 1959 João Gilberto album Chega de Saudade contained the song and was inducted into the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001.[7]
. Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Joel Whitburn . 2002 . Record Research . 43.
. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012 . Joel Whitburn . 2013 . Record Research . 128.
