'O padrone - The Boss

‘O padrone nun dà duje sordi Dice sempe 'e faticà' E nuie ce magnammo 'o limone Pe' duje sordi ca ce dà Pe' duje sordi ca ce dà 'O padrone ogg'è venuto Nce vuleva parlà' Stateve accuorto ccà zompa tutt'e cose E 'na botta nce ha vugliuto dà E 'na botta nce ha vugliuto dà Quanta luce cchiù miseria nun ce stà 'Mparadiso se sta buono Senza nisciuno ca ce vo' cumannà' 'O Signore nun dà duje sordë Dice sempe 'e prià' Ca prianno 'a Maronna Ca 'ncoppa 'a terra po' cagnà Ca 'ncoppa 'a terra po' cagnà 'O Signore ogg'è venuto Nce vuleva parlà' Ma che ve site miso 'ncapa 'Mparadiso s'adda faticà' 'Mparadiso s'adda faticà' Quanta luce 'mparadiso nun se po' stà' Nemmeno 'e muorti stanno buono Manco 'o limone nce putimmö magnà' 'O padrone © 1977 Pino Daniele "'O padrone" is based on the explosion of a fireworks factory that had taken place a short time before, just outside Naples, with the resultant death of many workers. Daniele imagines the workers going to heaven, where they are again constrained to work for almost nothing. Unfortunately, death was not the great equalizer and heaven was not the refuge they'd immagined in their prayers to Mother Mary.

The boss doesn’t give two bits, he always says get to work. And we eat lemons for the two bits he gives us, for the two bits he gives us. The boss came today, he didn’t want to talk to us. Be careful, everything here explodes, and he didn’t want to give us a bang, and he didn’t want to give us a bang. Such light, no more suffering will there be. “In paradise you're fine, with no one who wants to boss you around.“ The Lord doesn’t give two bits, he always says to pray, because praying to Madonna, things on Earth can change, things on Earth can change. The Lord came today, he didn’t want to talk to us, but what was put in your head? “In heaven one must work, “In heaven one must work.” Such light, “in heaven you can't stay,” not even the dead are fine. Missing lemons, we can’t even eat that. 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."