Berta filava - Berta Spun

E Berta filava, e filava la lana La lana e l'amianto Del vestito del santo che andava sul rogo E mentre bruciava Urlava e piangeva e la gente diceva: "Anvedi che santo vestito d'amianto" E Berta filava, e filava con Mario E filava con Gino E nasceva il bambino Che non era di Mario Che non era di Gino E Berta filava, filava a dritto E filava di lato E filava, filava e filava la lana E filava, filava. E filava, filava. E filava, filava E filava, filava. E filava, filava E Berta filava, e Berta filava e filava la lana Filava l'amianto del vestito del santo che andava sul rogo E mentre bruciava Urlava e piangeva e la gente diceva: "Anvedi che santo vestito d'amianto" E Berta filava, filava con Mario Filava con Gino E nasceva il bambino che urlava e piangeva E la gente diceva: "Anvedi che santo" E filava, filava. E filava, filava. E filava, filava E filava, filava. E filava, filava E Berta filava, e Berta filava, filava con Gino Filava il bambino cullava cullava, filava l'amianto E Berta filava Berta filava © 1976 Rino Gaetano "Berta filava" at first glance is like a children's song. The title comes from an old Italian saying "È passato il tempo in cui Berta filava" (And gone is the time when Berta spun), meaning that things are different from what they were in the past. But the song references political events unfolding in 1976, the so-called Historic Compromise between the Christian Democracy and Communist parties (Berlinguer is the saint dressed in asbestos) and what would become the Lockheed bribery scandal (Mario Tanassi and "Gino" Gui are two politicians accused of taking kickbacks). In one of his concerts, Gaetano dedicates the song to Aldo Moro, certainly a deft weaver of relationships in the complex world of Italian politics.

And Berta spun, and she spun the wool, the wool and the asbestos of the gown of the saint who went on the stake. And while he burned, he yelled and he cried and the people said, “Look at the saint dressed in asbestos.” And Berta spun, she spun with Mario and she spun with Gino and a baby was born who wasn’t of Mario, who wasn’t of Gino. And Berta spun, she spun straight ahead and she spun to the side, and she spun, she spun, and she spun the wool. And she spun, she spun. And she spun, she spun. And she spun, she spun. And she spun, she spun. And she spun, she spun. And Berta spun, and Berta spun, and she spun the wool, she spun the asbestos of the gown of the saint who went on the stake. And while he burned, he yelled and he cried and the people said, “Look at the saint dressed in asbestos.” And Berta spun, she spun with Mario, she spun with Gino and a baby was born who yelled and cried, and the people said, “Look at the saint.” And she spun, she spun. And she spun, she spun. And she spun, she spun. And she spun, she spun. And she spun, she spun. And Berta spun, and Berta spun, she spun with Gino, she spun the baby, she cradled, she cradled, she spun the asbestos. And Berta spun . . . English translation © 2023 Dennis Criteser Mio fratello è figlio unico (My Brother Is an Only Child) was Gaetano's second album, released in 1976. The magazine Rolling Stone Italia lists it as the 14th finest Italian album of all time.