Ce sta chi ce penza - Someone's Taking Care of It

Ma che puzza dinto a 'stu vico Comme fa' 'a gente a campà' Cu 'sta puzza sotto 'o naso Ca nun se po' cchiù suppurtà' Mo' chiamammo a quaccheduno; ccà quaccosa s'adda fa' Simmo sciemë o poco buonë Forze è chesta 'a verità E s'è rotta 'a sajettera 'A gente scrive 'e nummarielle Ma qua' nummere e 'a culonna Ce vo' l'aiuto d'à Maronna Chi ce 'o dice a S. Gennaro Ma 'a fernimmo cu' 'sta storia Ccà scarzeano 'e denare e s'adda campà' Ma nun dà retta, ce sta chi ce penza 'Mmiezo a 'sta gente ce sta chi ce penza E' passata 'a prucessione Pure chesta è tradizione Se ne cadeno 'e palazze e a nuje ce abbrucia 'o Mazzo 'A città è cchiù pulita ma ognuno mette 'o dito E nce vo' mangnà' e nce vo' mangnà' E l'America è arrivata Nce ha purtato tanti cose So' tant'anne e tanta storia E nun se ne và S'è pigliato 'e meglio posti'e chesta città Mentre nuje jettammo 'o sang' Dinto 'e quartieri 'a Sanità Ma nun dà retta, ce sta chi ce penza 'Mmiezo a 'sta gente ce sta chi ce penza Ce sta chi ce penza © 1977 Pino Daniele "Ce sta chi ce penza" references the waste management crisis that subsequently unfolded in the 1980s and '90s in Naples, the lack of infrastructure maintenance, the effects of the US Navy military complex established in 1951, and the impulses of the people to turn to games of chance and religion for assistance while leaving the solution of the city's problems to someone else. The neighborhoods of Sanità are among the poorest, most degraded sections of the city.

But what stinks inside this alley? How do people get by with this stench under the nose that you can’t stand anymore? Let’s call someone; something should be done here. We are idiots or not too good, maybe this is the truth. And the manhole cover is broken. A person writes down numbers for the lottery, but which numbers and column? We need the help of Madonna, someone who talks to Saint Gennaro. But we end with this story - here they run low on money and have to get by. But pay no attention, someone’s taking care of it, among these folks someone’s taking care of it. A procession passed, this is just tradition. If the palaces fall and our asses are on fire, the city is cleaner, but everyone gets involved and they don't want us to eat, and they don't want us to eat. And America arrived - they didn't bring us so much. It's been so many years and so much history, and they don’t go away. They've taken the better places of this city while we sweat blood to survive inside the neighborhoods of Sanità. But pay no attention, someone’s taking care of it, among these folks someone’s taking care of it. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser Terra mia was released in 1977. The songs are in the local dialect of Naples and the music reflects a strong grounding in the centuries-old song tradition of the city - canzone napoletana - with an infusion of blues. The album was well received and several of its songs became mainstays in Pino Daniele's long career. Indeed, "Napule é" became a contemporary theme song of Naples; it's the only song on the album not arranged by Daniele himself. He said of the album that it "represents the birth of a new Neapolitan song, and also the social condemnations of a new generation that didn't accept compromises and that, through music, was able to express its own discontents." One of Daniele's ambitions at the time was to "write songs like Luigi Tenco."