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La luna è una lampadina...attaccata sul plafone, e le stelle sembrano limoni tirati nell'acqua. E io son qui, Lina, sul marciapiede, che cammino avanti e indietro, e mi fanno male i piedi, Lina! La luna l'è ona lampadina... E i stell paren limon traa in dell'acqua E mi sont chi che cammini avanti e indreé, E me fann mal i pee, e me fann mal i pee, Lina! Terzo piano, quarta ringhiera, la luce è ancora accesa; lo so che sei su, Lina, ma non guardi giù, non mi vedi, non vedi che son qui sul marciapiede che cammino avanti e indietro, e mi fanno male i piedi, Lina! Terz pian, quarta ringera, la lus l'è anmò pissada E mi sont chi che cammini avanti e indreé, E me fann mal i pee, e me fann mal i pee, Lina! e me fann mal i pee, Lina! Lo sanno tutti che sei su con Nino il barbiere perché ha un mucchio di soldi, e io son qui sul marciapiede, che cammino avanti e indietro, eccetera El sann tucc che te set su con nìn el barbee Perché el g'ha un mucc de danee E mi sont chi che cammini avanti e indré E me fann mal i pee, e me fann mal i pee, Lina! Il 31 (inteso come tram) è già passato, di 28 non ce n'è più, mi tocca andare a casa a piedi, Lina! E mi fanno male i piedi! El trentun l'è già passaa De vintott gh'è n'è pu Me tocca andaa a caa a pee, E mi son chi che cammini avanti e indré... E me fann mal i pee e me fann mal i pee, Lina!... E mi son chi che cammini avanti e indré... E me fann mal i pee e me fann mal i pee, Lina!... Una volta ho visto un gatto, che piangeva come un matto sotto il tuo portone, forse aveva perso il padrone Anca mi son come on gatt Son de sotta al to porton Che caragni come on matt E giughetti e giughetti cui botton, Lina... E mi son chi che cammini avanti e indré... E me fann mal i pee e me fann mal i pee, Lina!... E mi son chi che cammini avanti e indré... E me fann mal i pee e me fann mal i pee, Lina!... E mi son chi che cammini avanti e indré... E me fann mal i pee e me fann mal i pee, Lina!... Anche io sono come un gatto sono sotto al tuo portone che piango come un matto (3) e giocherello coi bottoni, Lina E sono qui che cammino avanti e indietro E mi fanno male i piedi, Lina! E sono qui che cammino avanti e indietro E mi fanno male i piedi, Lina! La luna è una lampadina © 1964 Fiorenzo Carpi and Dario Fo |
The moon is a lightbulb, attached on the ceiling, and the stars seem like lemons thrown in the water. And I’m here, Lina, on the sidewalk, that I’m walking back and forth, and my feet hurt, Lina! The moon is a lightbulb . . . and the stars seem like lemons thrown in the water. And I’m here, walking back and forth, and my feet hurt, and my feet hurt, Lina! Third floor, fourth railing, the light is still on; I know you’re up there, Lina, but you don’t look down, you don’t see me, you don’t see that I’m here on the sidewalk, that I’m walking back and forth, and my feet hurt, Lina! Third floor, fourth railing, the light is still on. And I’m here walking back and forth, And my feet hurt, and my feet hurt, Lina! And my feet hurt, Lina! Everyone knows you’re up there with Nino the haircutter because he has a pile of money, and I’m here on the sidewalk, walking back and forth, etc. Everyone knows you’re up there with Nino the haircutter because he has a pile of money, and I’m here walking back and forth and my feet hurt, and my feet hurt, Lina! The 31 (I mean the tram) has already passed, the 28 is no longer around I gotta go home by foot, Lina! And my feet hurt! The 31 (I mean the tram) has already passed, the 28 is no longer around I gotta go home by foot, and I’m here walking back and forth . . . And my feet hurt, and my feet hurt, Lina! And I’m here walking back and forth . . . And my feet hurt, and my feet hurt, Lina! One time I saw a cat, that cried like a crazy under your door, maybe he had lost his owner. Even I am like a cat, I’m under your door crying like a crazy and fiddling with the buttons, Lina . . . And I’m here walking back and forth . . . and my feet hurt, and my feet hurt, Lina! And I’m here walking back and forth . . . and my feet hurt, and my feet hurt, Lina! And I’m here walking back and forth . . . and my feet hurt, and my feet hurt, Lina! Even I am like a cat, I’m under your door crying like a crazy and fiddling with the buttons, Lina. And I’m here walking back and forth and my feet hurt, Lina! And I’m here walking back and forth and my feet hurt, Lina! English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser La milano di Enzo Jannacci was released in 1964. Most of the songs are in the local dialect of Milan. Jannacci studied music at the Milan Conservatory, and he subsequently fell in love with jazz, and played piano with Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, and Chet Baker. He also was part of the early rock 'n' roll scene in Italy, playing in Adriano Celentano's Rock Boys in 1957 and then forming his own duo with Giorgio Gaber in 1959, I Due Corsari. He really found his artistic voice when he started performing at the famed Derby Club in Milan in 1963, collaborating with others (like Dario Fo) in a very vibrant and diverse creative scene. This first album, reflecting cabaret and French chanson influences, is a real gem and was followed by a couple dozen more over the subsequent decades. |
I began exploring Italian popular songs as part of learning Italian. Here are my translations for some of my favorite "canzoni" by Italian singers, songwriters, and bands whose work I admire. It's a work in progress that can serve as a curated introduction to Italian popular music, with an emphasis on the 1950s through the 1990s. If you speak Italian, send me a message if you see lyrics I've misunderstood.

