Thursday, December 17, 2020

A SONG FOR NOW

The album cover image is not about the song I am sharing here. I heard only a fragment of it and spent the night searching the internet for the rest. It's not the well-known romantic Santa Lucia, this one is by singer-songwriter Francesco De Gregori.I've translated his lyrics for you but not well enough.

Santa Lucia

For all those who have eyes

and a heart, when eyes are not enough.

Tranquility for all those who go to sea,

and for every tear on your dress,

for those who didn’t understand.

Santa Lucia,

to those who drink in the night,die in the night,read in the night

and fall under the last train.

To friends who pace back and forth,

to those who have lost heart and wings.

To those who live at crossroads of the winds

and are burned alive.

To easy people who never have doubts,

to our crown of stars and thorns.

To our fear of the dark and of fantasy.

Santa Lucia,

the violin of the poor is a sunken boat,

and a little boy on the second floor,

who sings and laughs out of tune,

he has far to go, make it sweet for him,

down to the rain in his shoes,

and even his solitude.

4 comments:

Carruthers said...

I've not come across this guy before. I thought, perhaps he's a kind of Italian Leonard Cohen? Checked him out on Wikipedia.

I suspect your translation's good and the original has that kind impressionistic Dylanesque quality to it, too!

Natalie d'Arbeloff said...

Yes, he was definitely influenced by Cohen and Dylan. He's neen around since the 1970s and famous in Italy and elsewhare but I'd never heard of him until I came across bits of this song recently then searched for it and found out about him. Lots of videos of him on YouTube. I also like this song very much: Guarda che non sono io. (Look, I'm not the one you're looking for).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE7A4c66DtE

Carruthers said...

Listening to it now. A touch of the "chansonniers" too!

Natalie d'Arbeloff said...

He certainly does borrow from the chansonniers but has a distinctive Italian voice, not the sentimental one, but rather disillusioned, sad, angry (in a good way!)