▁then ▁a ▁work - in - progress ▁of ▁Vin ici us ▁de ▁M ora es . ▁The ▁original ▁title ▁was ▁" Men ina ▁que ▁Pass a " ▁(" The ▁Girl ▁Who ▁Pass es ▁By "); ▁the ▁first ▁verse ▁was ▁different . ▁Job im ▁composed ▁the ▁mel ody ▁on ▁his ▁piano ▁in ▁his ▁new ▁house ▁in ▁R ua ▁Bar ão ▁da ▁Torre , ▁in ▁I pan ema . ▁In ▁turn , ▁M ora es ▁had ▁written ▁the ▁lyr ics ▁in ▁Pet ró pol is , ▁near ▁Rio ▁de ▁Janeiro , ▁as ▁he ▁had ▁done ▁with ▁" Che ga ▁de ▁Sa ud ade " ▁(" No ▁More ▁Blues ") ▁six ▁years ▁earlier . ▁ ▁During ▁a ▁recording ▁session ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁with ▁João ▁Gil berto , ▁Antonio ▁Carlos ▁Job im ▁and ▁Stan ▁Get z , ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁cutting ▁an ▁English - language ▁version ▁came ▁up . ▁Norman ▁G im bel ▁wrote ▁the ▁English ▁lyr ics . ▁João ' s ▁wife , ▁A str ud ▁Gil berto , ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Bra z ili ans ▁who ▁could ▁speak ▁English ▁well ▁and ▁was ▁chosen ▁to ▁sing . ▁Her ▁voice , ▁without ▁trained ▁singer ▁manner isms , ▁proved ▁a ▁perfect ▁fit ▁for ▁the ▁song . ▁Eth el ▁En nis ▁and ▁Nat ▁King ▁Cole ▁have ▁also ▁both ▁recorded ▁the ▁song . ▁ ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁Hel o ís a ▁E ne ida ▁M enez es ▁Pa es ▁P into ▁( now ▁known ▁as ▁Hel ô ▁Pin he iro ), ▁a ▁sevent een -