La Gatta - The Cat

C'era una volta Una gatta Che aveva una macchia nera Sul muso E una vecchia soffitta Vicino al mare Con una finestra A un passo dal cielo blu Se la chitarra suonavo La gatta faceva le fusa Ed una stellina Scendeva vicina, vicina Poi mi sorrideva E se ne tornava su Ora non abito più la Tutto è cambiato Non abito più la Ho una casa bellissima Bellissima come vuoi tu Ma io ripenso a una gatta Che aveva una macchia nera Sul muso A una vecchia soffitta Vicino al mare Con una stellina Che ora non vedo più Ma io ripenso a una gatta Che aveva una macchia nera Sul muso A una vecchia soffita Vicino al mare Con una stellina Che ora non vedo più La gatta © 1960, Gino Paoli "La gatta" did not have immediate success, but with time it became a huge and enduring hit. The song is based on Paoli moving from Genoa to Rome, then missing the simpler life he had in his earlier days, though at the time of writing the song in 1960, having "a house most fine" was still a few months off in Paoli's future.

Once upon a time there was a cat that had a black spot on her snout and an old attic near the sea with a window a step away from the blue sky. If I played guitar, the cat purred and a little star came down nearby, nearby, then she smiled at me and returned back up. Now I don’t live there anymore, everything has changed. I don’t live there anymore, I have a house most fine, most fine as you would want. But I think back to a cat that had a black spot on her snout and an old attic near the sea with a little star that now I don’t see anymore. But I think back to a cat that had a black spot on her snout and an old attic near the sea with a little star that I don’t see anymore. English translation © 2023 Dennis Criteser "La gatta" was Gino Paoli's fifth single, released in February of 1960 and then included on his eponymous first album in 1961.