Considered one of the most influential popular musicians in Portugal, Godinho started his music career singing folk songs of música de intervenção (Portuguese protest songs) while in exile, in the years preceding the Carnation Revolution of 1974 in Portugal, and is regarded as one of the genre's major figures.

At the age of 20, he decided to leave Portugal, motivated by a desire of emancipation and also to avoid the conscription for the Portuguese Colonial War.

He then moved to Paris, where he worked as a stage actor, being cast for the French version of the musical Hair, and started writing songs.

In Paris, he befriended José Mário Branco, a fellow Portuguese songwriter, who is nowadays also regarded as one of the greatest singer-songwriters of música de intervenção.

In Brazil, he joined the theater group Living Theatre, and was arrested for two and a half months after taking part in a protest show in Minas Gerais.

[3][4] Sérgio Godinho started his music career in Paris, composing and recording with José Mário Branco in 1971.

In 1976, he released De Pequenino Se Torce O Destino, an album with production by Fausto Bordalo Dias, with lyrics marked by Portugal's transition to democracy in 1975.

[4] Godinho composed the soundtrack for José Fonseca e Costa's film Kilas, o Mau da Fita (1980), which was released in 1980.

His 1983 album Coincidências features the Brazilian musicians Milton Nascimento, Chico Buarque and Ivan Lins.

[4] In 1984 Godinho released the album Salão de Festas, where he started to incorporate elements of light jazz in his songs.

The exploration of jazz sounds continued in his following album, Na Vida Real (1986), which contained a more nocturnal ambiance.

In 2009, Godinho reunited with José Mário Branco and Fausto Bordalo Dias for the a series of concerts named Três Cantos.

[8] Recordings of the Campo Pequeno shows were released in the live album Três Cantos: Ao Vivo.