Heavily influenced by his idol, Elvis Presley, and the 1950s rock revolution, he is also known as the most famous dancer of the Hula hoop fad. For the last 40 years he has retained his popularity in Italy, selling millions of records and appearing in numerous TV shows and movies (including a short appearance in Fellini's La Dolce Vita, before becoming a famous artist). In the latter respect, he has also been a creator of a comic genre, with his characteristic walking and his facial expressions. For the most part, his films were commercially successful, in fact in the 1970s and part of the 1980s, he was the king of the Italian box office in low budget movies. As an actor, critics point to Serafino (1968), directed by Pietro Germi, as his best effort.
As a director he frequently casts Ornella Muti, Eleonora Giorgi and his wife Claudia Mori. His best movie like director is "Yuppi Du", winner of The Golden Palm at Cannes Festival. He and Claudia are the parents of Rosita, Rosalinda and Vincent Celentano, the latter most notable to worldwide audiences for playing the Satan character in Mel Gibson`s The Passion of the Christ. He also works often as a host for several Italian television shows.
His 1968 song "Azzurro" has regained popularity in 2006, due to it being the anthem of the Italian national football team (the Azzurri) who won the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The artist Vincent Fiorello has also created a remix of the song.
His last concert-event in 2012, after 18 years without live performances, was transmitted on Canale 5, with over 9 million viewers both evenings.
Il Ragazzo Della Via Gluck
Adriano Celentano Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Di uno di noi
Anche lui nato per caso in via Gluck
In una casa, fuori città
Gente tranquilla, che lavorava
Là dove c'era l'erba ora c'è
Una città
E quella casa in mezzo al verde ormai
Questo ragazzo della via Gluck
Si divertiva a giocare con me
Ma un giorno disse
Vado in città
E lo diceva mentre piangeva
Io gli domando amico
Non sei contento
Vai finalmente a stare in città
Là troverai le cose che non hai avuto qui
Potrai lavarti in casa senza andar
Giù nel cortile
Mio caro amico, disse
Qui sono nato
In questa strada
Ora lascio il mio cuore
Ma come fai a non capire
È una fortuna, per voi che restate
A piedi nudi a giocare nei prati
Mentre là in centro io respiro il cemento
Ma verrà un giorno che ritornerò
Ancora qui
E sentirò l'amico treno
Che fischia così
"Uah, uah"
Passano gli anni
Ma otto son lunghi
Però quel ragazzo ne ha fatta di strada
Ma non si scorda la sua prima casa
Ora coi soldi lui può comperarla
Torna e non trova gli amici che aveva
Solo case su case
Catrame e cemento
Là dove c'era l'erba ora c'è
Una città, ah
E quella casa in mezzo al verde ormai
Dove sarà, ah
Non so, non so
Perché continuano
A costruire, le case
E non lasciano l'erba
Non lasciano l'erba
Non lasciano l'erba
Non lasciano l'erba
Eh no
Se andiamo avanti così, chissà
Come si farà
Chissà
Chissà
Come si farà
The song "Il Ragazzo Della Via Gluck" by Adriano Celentano tells the story of a boy who grew up in a peaceful environment in a house outside the city in Via Gluck. He played with the singer who is full of regret that his friend left to go to the city, where he could find things he could not find in the street they grew up in. The boy is sad about leaving his home and friends, but at the same time, he is excited about the opportunities that the city has to offer. The song highlights the difference between the rural and urban environments and how it affects the relationship between the two friends.
The song has an underlying message of nostalgia and longing, as both the singer and the singer miss their childhood street and the way it used to be before the city took over. The singer's regret over his friend's decision to leave is palpable, but at the same time, he understands why he did it. The song is a reflection on the rapid modernization of society and the loss of the simple, peaceful way of life that used to exist.
Line by Line Meaning
Questa è la storia
This is the story
Di uno di noi
Of one of us
Anche lui nato per caso in via Gluck
He too was born by chance on Via Gluck
In una casa, fuori città
In a house, outside the city
Gente tranquilla, che lavorava
Quiet people who worked
Là dove c'era l'erba ora c'è
Where there was grass, there is now
Una città
A city
E quella casa in mezzo al verde ormai
And that house in the middle of the greenery, now
Dove sarà
Where could it be?
Questo ragazzo della via Gluck
This boy from Via Gluck
Si divertiva a giocare con me
Used to play with me
Ma un giorno disse
But one day he said
Vado in città
I'm going to the city
E lo diceva mentre piangeva
And he said it while crying
Io gli domando amico
I asked him, my friend
Non sei contento
Aren't you happy
Vai finalmente a stare in città
You're finally going to live in the city
Là troverai le cose che non hai avuto qui
There you will find the things you didn't have here
Potrai lavarti in casa senza andar
You can take a shower at home without
Giù nel cortile
Going down to the courtyard
Mio caro amico, disse
My dear friend said
Qui sono nato
I was born here
In questa strada
On this street
Ora lascio il mio cuore
Now I leave my heart
Ma come fai a non capire
But how can you not understand
È una fortuna, per voi che restate
It's a blessing for you who stay
A piedi nudi a giocare nei prati
To play barefoot in the meadows
Mentre là in centro io respiro il cemento
While there in the center I breathe concrete
Ma verrà un giorno che ritornerò
But there will be a day when I'll return
Ancora qui
Back here again
E sentirò l'amico treno
And I'll hear the friendly train
Che fischia così
Whistling like that
"Uah, uah"
"Uah, uah"
Passano gli anni
The years go by
Ma otto son lunghi
But eight are long
Però quel ragazzo ne ha fatta di strada
But that boy has come a long way
Ma non si scorda la sua prima casa
But he doesn't forget his first home
Ora coi soldi lui può comperarla
Now he can buy it with his money
Torna e non trova gli amici che aveva
He comes back and doesn't find his old friends
Solo case su case
Just houses after houses
Catrame e cemento
Tar and concrete
Là dove c'era l'erba ora c'è
Where there was grass, there is now
Una città, ah
A city, ah
E quella casa in mezzo al verde ormai
And that house in the middle of the greenery, now
Dove sarà, ah
Where could it be?, ah
Non so, non so
I don't know, I don't know
Perché continuano
Why do they continue
A costruire, le case
To build houses
E non lasciano l'erba
And not leave the grass
Non lasciano l'erba
Not leave the grass
Non lasciano l'erba
Not leave the grass
Non lasciano l'erba
Not leave the grass
Eh no
Oh no
Se andiamo avanti così, chissà
If we keep going like this, who knows
Come si farà
What will happen
Chissà
Who knows
Chissà
Who knows
Come si farà
What will happen
Lyrics © Clan Edizioni Musicali s.r.l., Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Adriano Celentano, Luciano Beretta, Mariano Detto, Michele Del Prete
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind