The Boy from Gluck StreetA supposedly autobiographical song by Adriano Celentano which may have been Italy’s first environmental protest song, presented at the San Remo music festival in 1966. Note: Via Gluck in Milan, like many Italian streets, is named for someone famous, in this case composer Christoph Gluck. The further you go from city center, the more obscure or modern the historical figures so honored.
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| Questa è la storia di uno di noi anche lui nato per caso in via Gluck | This is the story of one of us, he, too, born by chance in via Gluck | ||
| in una casa fuori città gente tranquilla che lavorava | in a house outside the city, tranquil people who worked | ||
| La dove c’era l’erba ora c’è una città | Where once there was grass now there’s a city | ||
| E quella casa in mezzo al verde ormai dove sarà | And that house in the midst of the green, where is it now? | ||
| Questo ragazzo della via Gluck si divertiva a giocare con me | This boy from via Gluck had fun playing with me | ||
| Ma un giorno disse "Vado in città" e lo diceva mentre piangeva | but one day he said "I’m going to the city," and he said it while he was crying | ||
| Io gli domando "Amico non sei contento? Vai finalmente a stare in città" | I asked him "Friend, aren’t you happy? Finally you’re going to live in the city | ||
| Là troverai le cose che non hai avuto qui; | There you’ll find the things you never had here | ||
| Potrai lavarti in casa senza andar giù nel cortile!" | You can wash in the house without going down in the courtyard!" | ||
| "Mio caro amico", disse "qui sono nato e in questa casa io lascio il mio cuore | "My dear friend," he said, "I was born here, and in this house I leave my heart. | ||
| Ma come fai a non capire è una fortuna per voi che restate | You can you not understand what good fortune it is for you who remain | ||
| A piedi nudi a giocare nei prati mentre là in centro respiro il cemento | Barefoot to play in the field while I downtown will breathe cement | ||
| Ma verrà un giorno che ritornerò ancora qui | But one day will come when I will come back here again | ||
| E sentirò l’amico treno che fischia così "wa wa!" | And I’ll hear my friend the train that whistles like this: "wa wa!" | ||
| Passano gli anni ma otto son lunghi però quel ragazzo ne ha fatto di strada | The years pass but eight are long, but that boy has gone a long way. | ||
| Ma non si scorda la sua prima casa ora coi soldi lui può comperarla | But he never forgets his first home, now with his money he can buy it | ||
| Torna e non trova gli amici che aveva solo case su case catrame e cemento | He returns and doesn’t find the friends he had, just houses upon houses, tar and cement | ||
| Lò dove c’era l’erba ora c’è una città | There where once was grass now there’s a city | ||
| E quella casa in mezzo al verde ormai, dove sarà? | And that city in the midst of the green, where is it now? | ||
| Eh no, non so, non so perché, | Hey, no, I don’t know, I don’t know why | ||
| perché continuano a costruire, le case | they keep building the houses | ||
| e non lasciano l’erba… | and don’t leave the grass | ||
| Eh no, se andiamo avanti così, chissà | Hey, no, if we keep on like this, who knows | ||
| come si farà, chissà… | How we’ll manage, who knows… | ||
Tag Archives: Italian songs
Learn Italian in Song: Donne
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| Recorded by Neri per Caso. | ||||||
Donne |
Women |
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| Donne in cerca di guai | Women in search of trouble(s) | |||||
| Donne a un telefono che non suona mai | Women at a telephone that never rings | |||||
| Donne in mezzo a una via | Women in the middle of a street | |||||
| Donne allo sbando senza compagnia | Women out of control without company | |||||
| Negli occhi hanno dei consigli | In their eyes they have advice | |||||
| E tanta voglia di avventure | And much desire for adventure | |||||
| Se hanno fatto molti sbagli | If they have made many mistakes | |||||
| Sono piene di paura | They’re full of fears | |||||
| Le vedi camminare insieme | You see them walking together | |||||
| Nella pioggia o sotto il sole | In the rain or under the sun | |||||
| Dentro pomeriggi opachi | Within opaque afternoons | |||||
| Senza gioia né dolore | Without either joy or pain | |||||
| Donne pianeti dispersi | Women, dispersed [lost] planets | |||||
| Per tutti gli uomini cosi’ diversi | For all men so different | |||||
| Donne amiche di sempre | Women, friends forever | |||||
| Donne alla moda | Fashionable women | |||||
| Donne contro corrente | Women [who go] against the current | |||||
| Negli occhi hanno gli aereoplani | In their eyes they have airplanes | |||||
| Per volare ad alta quota | To fly high | |||||
| Dove si respira l’aria | Where [you can] breathe the air | |||||
| E la vita non vuota | And life is not empty | |||||
| Le vedi camminare insieme… | You see them walking together… | |||||
Learn Italian in Song: E Penso a Te
And I Think of YouLucio Battisti again. Ran across this on my iPod yesterday and realized I needed to translate it. |
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| Io lavoro e penso a te torno a casa e penso a te le telefono e intanto penso a teCome stai e penso a te dove andiamo e penso a te le sorrido abbasso gli occhi e penso a te Non so con chi adesso sei E’ troppo grande la citta’ Scusa e’ tardi e penso a te Sono al buio e penso a te |
I work, and think of you Return home, and think of you I call her, and meanwhile think of you “How are you?” – and I think of you “Where are we going?” – and I think of you I smile at her, lower my eyes, and think of you I don’t know who you’re with now The city is too large “Sorry, it’ s late” – and I think of you I’m in the dark and I think of you |
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Learn Italian in Song: USA for Italy
USA for ItalyProduced in 1985 by the satirical music group Squallor, this song now appears uncomfortably prophetic. |
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| Caro Michael Jackson, tu che mandi i soldi in Africa, Perché la speranza torni a vivere, Ricordati di noi che stiamo a Napoli E un disco faccelo anche per noiE poi, mandaci i danari Tanti danari e siamo pari E se tu vuoi mandali anche a Bari E a tutti i meridionali for ItalyFacci una canzone col compare Steve Wonder E poi mandala a Sanremo o al Festivalbar Pero’ Pero’ mandaci i danari Caro Bob Dylan Appena puoi mandaci i danari Concludendo Mike E in riva la mar dollari in contanti E poi mandaci i danari [ USA For Italy Lyrics on http://www.lyricsmania.com/ ] |
Dear Michael Jackson, you who send money to Africa So that hope can return to live Remember us who are in Naples And make a record for us, too.And then, send us money Lots of money, and we’ll call it even And if you want, send some to Bari as well And to all the [Italian] southerners, for ItalyMake us a song with your buddy Stevie Wonder And then send it to Sanremo or Festivalbar* But, but send us the money Dear Bob Dylan, As soon as you can, send us the money To finish, Mike, And by the seaside [?] cash money And then, send us money |
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Sanremo is a pop music festival/competition (NB: widely believed to be rigged) which takes place annually in the seaside resort town of San Remo. It used to be a very big deal in the Italian music scene, not so much anymore – every year the media wax nostalgia about declines in the TV audience. Bringing in big American stars (including some who have little or nothing to do with music) has done nothing to reverse this. Festivalbar is a summer TV concert series. |
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Learn Italian in Song: La Casetta in Canada
The Little House in Canada(Panzeri / Mascheroni, performed by Carla Boni and Gino Latilla Rossella’s great-grandmother used to sing this phrase to her. It never made any sense to me then and, now that I’ve heard the whole song, it makes even less sense! But it apparently was very popular in 1960. |
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| Quando Martin vedete solo per la cittÃ
forse voi penserete dove Solo, senza una meta. Solo… ma c’è un perché: Aveva una casetta piccolina in Canada con vasche, pesciolini e tanti fiori di lillà , e tutte le ragazze che passavano di là dicevano: “Che bella la casetta in Canada”! Ma un giorno, per dispetto, Pinco Panco l’incendiò e a piedi poveretto “Allora cosa fece?” – Voi tutti chiederete. Ma questa è la sorpresa che in segreto vi dirò: Lui fece un’altra casa piccolina in Canada con vasche, pesciolini e tanti fiori di lillà , e tutte le ragazze che passavano di là dicevano: “Che bella la casetta in Canada”! E tante e tante case lui rifece ma, però, quel tale Pinco Panco tutte quante le incendiò. Allora cosa fece? Voi tutti lo sapete! Lui fece un’altra casa piccolina in Canada con vasche, pesciolini e tanti fiori di lillà , e tutte le ragazze che passavano di là dicevano: “Che bella la casetta in Canada”! |
When you see Martin alone in the city
perhaps you’ll wonder where he’s wandering to. Alone, without a goal. Alone… but there’s a reason: He had a little house in Canada with tanks, fish, and many lilacs, and all the girls who passed that way said: “What a beautiful little house in Canada!” But one day, out of spite, Pinco Panco set it on fire And the poor chap “What did he do then?” you will all ask. But this is the surprise which I will secretly tell you: He made another little house in Canada, with tanks, fish, and many lilacs, and all the girls who passed that way said: “What a beautiful little house in Canada!” And many and many houses he rebuilt, but still that damned Pinco Panco burned them all. Then what did he do? You all know! He made another little house in Canada, with tanks, fish, and many lilacs, and all the girls who passed that way said: “What a beautiful little house in Canada!” (repeat ad nauseam…) |
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