'Na tazzulella e' cafè - A Cup of Coffee

Na' tazzulella e' cafè e mai niente cè fanno sapè Nui cè puzzammo e famme, o sanno tutte quante E invece e c'aiutà c'abboffano e' cafè Na' tazzulella e' cafè ca sigaretta a coppa pe nun verè Che stanno chine e sbaglie, fanno sulo mbruoglie S'allisciano se vattono se pigliano o' cafè E nui passammo e uaie e nun puttimmo suppurtà E chiste invece e rà na mano s'allisciano se vattono se magniano a città Na' tazzulella e' cafè acconcia a vocca a chi nun po' sapè E nui tirammo annanz che rulore e' panze E invece e c'aiutà c'abboffano e' cafè Na' tazzulella e' cafè ca' sigaretta a coppa pè nun verè S'aizano e' palazze fanno cose e' pazze ci girano C'avotano ci iengono e' tasse E nui passammo e uaie e nun puttimmo suppurtà E chiste invece e rà na mano s'allisciano se vattono se magniano a città © 1977 Pino Daniele "'Na tazzulella 'e cafè" tells the story of the disfunction of politics in Naples and the resignation of the people behind their daily joe - as the birthplace of espresso, you know that coffee is an intrinsic part of daily culture in Naples, whose denizens regularly drink from three to ten cups a day! In early live performances, the song was played in a stripped-down almost jugband fashion, the album version sprucing it up with some bluesy piano and that distinctive Talk Box guitar (see it here).

A cup of coffee and never do they let us know anything. We’re dying of hunger, everyone knows it, and instead of helping us they fill us with coffee. A cup of coffee with a cigarette to avoid seeing that they are full of mistakes, they only commit scams. They comb their hair, they fight, they grab some coffee. And we pass over the troubles, we can’t stand it. And these, instead of giving a hand, they comb their hair, they fight, they eat the city. A cup of coffee improves the palate for those who don’t want to know. And we pull ourselves forward with stomach aches, and instead of helping us they refill our coffee. A cup of coffee with a cigarette to avoid seeing. They build the palaces, they do crazy stuff, they go about, they revolt, they load us up with taxes. And we pass by the troubles, we can’t stand it. And these, instead of giving a hand, they comb their hair, they fight, they eat the city. 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."