Libertà - Freedom

Chiove ‘ncoppa a ‘sti palazze scure ‘ncoppa ‘e mure fracete d’a casa mia tutt’attuorno l’aria addora ‘e ‘nfuso chi songh’io, chi songh’io ce cammine mmiezo ‘a via parlanno ‘e libertà parlanno ‘e libertà Sta durmenno senza tiempo ‘nu ricordo ca nun penzo cchiù ma che succede io sto chiagnenno penzanno a ‘o tiempo ca se ne va ‘e cammine ‘mmiezo ‘a via parlanno ‘e libertà parlanno ‘e libertà. Libertà © 1977 Pino Daniele

It’s raining over these dark palaces, over the rotten walls of my house. All around, the smelly air is soaked. Who am I, who am I, that walks through the streets talking of freedom, talking of freedom? He’s sleeping timelessly, a memory I no longer think of. But what happens, I’m crying, thinking of a time that's going away, of walking through the streets, talking of freedom, talking of freedom. 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."