▁Portuguese ▁lyr ics ▁by ▁Newton ▁M end on ça . ▁The ▁English ▁lyr ics ▁were ▁written ▁by ▁Jon ▁Hend r icks . ▁It ▁was ▁first ▁recorded ▁by ▁João ▁Gil berto ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁for ▁his ▁album ▁O ▁Am or , ▁o ▁Sor ris o ▁e ▁a ▁Flor . ▁▁ ▁The ▁song ▁title ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁main ▁mel ody ▁line , ▁which ▁at ▁first ▁consists ▁of ▁a ▁long ▁series ▁of ▁notes ▁of ▁a ▁single ▁tone ▁( typ ically ▁D , ▁as ▁played ▁in ▁the ▁key ▁of ▁G ) ▁played ▁over ▁a ▁desc ending ▁ch ord ▁pro gression ▁in ▁a ▁b ossa ▁nova ▁rh ythm . ▁The ▁first ▁eight ▁measures ▁consist ▁of ▁D , ▁followed ▁by ▁four ▁measures ▁of ▁G , ▁and ▁then ▁four ▁measures ▁of ▁D . ▁This ▁is ▁followed ▁by ▁eight ▁measures ▁of ▁a ▁more ▁conventional , ▁scalar ▁mel ody ▁line . ▁ ▁This ▁well - known ▁song ▁first ▁reached ▁a ▁wide ▁audience ▁on ▁the ▁Gram my - win ning ▁b ossa ▁nova ▁LP ▁Jazz ▁S amba ▁( Get z / By rd / B et ts ), ▁which ▁reached ▁the ▁number ▁one ▁spot ▁on ▁the ▁Billboard ▁ 2 0 0 ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 . ▁ ▁Another ▁well - known ▁release ▁is ▁the ▁Ser gio ▁M endes - B ras il ▁' 6 6 ▁version , ▁in ▁med ley ▁with ▁" Span ish ▁Fle a ". ▁ ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁featured ▁in ▁a ▁prominent ▁scene ▁of ▁" A ▁Man ▁Without ▁a ▁Sk in ", ▁a ▁ 1