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.
Miseria Nera
Adriano Celentano Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nel mondo d'oro
Mattina a sera
Io cerco lavoro
Ho buone braccia da adoperare
Son quattro le bocche
Che in casa mi chiedono da mangiare.
Io vendo, per non morire
La vita e bella,
Ma e bella per pochi
E non per me.
Da muratore
In fonderia
Poi minatore
E cose via
Con queste mani
Non so rubare
E batto la porta di tutti chiedendo
Da lavorare.
Io vendo il cuore
Io vendo, per non morire
La vita e bella,
Ma e bella per pochi
E non per me.
Miseria nera
Nel mondo d'oro
Mattina a sera
Io cerco lavoro
Ho buone braccia da adoperare
Son quattro le bocche
Che in casa mi chiedono da mangiare.
Io vendo il cuore
Io vendo, per non morire
La vita e bella,
Ma e bella per pochi
E non per me
The song "Miseria Nera" (Black Misery) by Adriano Celentano portrays the struggles of a working-class man desperately searching for employment to provide for his family. Despite having good hands and a willingness to work hard, he constantly faces rejection and is forced to resort to selling his body and soul just to survive. Celentano's poignant lyrics capture the harsh reality of poverty and the unequal distribution of wealth in modern society.
The opening lines "Miseria nera / Nel mondo d'oro" (Black misery / In the golden world) set the tone for the rest of the song, as the singer describes the stark contrast between the luxurious lifestyle of the wealthy and the daily struggle of the poor. He goes on to detail the various jobs he has tried, including masonry, foundry work, and mining, but finds no success in any of them. He admits that he is not a thief and refuses to beg, instead demanding the right to work and earn a living wage.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Io vendo il cuore / Io vendo, per non morire" (I sell my heart / I sell, to not die), emphasizing the desperation and sacrifice that the singer is willing to make to provide for his family. Despite the harsh reality of his situation, he acknowledges that life is beautiful, but only for a privileged few. This song is a powerful message about the plight of the working class and a call for greater equality and opportunities for all.
Line by Line Meaning
Miseria nera
The darkness of poverty
Nel mondo d'oro
In a world of gold
Mattina a sera
Morning till night
Io cerco lavoro
I search for work
Ho buone braccia da adoperare
I have strong arms to use
Son quattro le bocche Che in casa mi chiedono da mangiare.
There are four mouths at home asking for food.
Io vendo il cuore
I sell my heart
Io vendo, per non morire
I sell, so I don’t die
La vita e bella,
Life is beautiful
Ma e bella per pochi
But it is beautiful for a few
E non per me.
And not for me.
Da muratore
As a bricklayer
In fonderia
In a foundry
Poi minatore
Then a miner
E cose via
And so on
Con queste mani
With these hands
Non so rubare
I don’t know how to steal
E batto la porta di tutti chiedendo
And knock on everyone's door asking
Da lavorare.
For work.
Miseria nera
The darkness of poverty
Nel mondo d'oro
In a world of gold
Mattina a sera
Morning till night
Io cerco lavoro
I search for work
Ho buone braccia da adoperare
I have strong arms to use
Son quattro le bocche Che in casa mi chiedono da mangiare.
There are four mouths at home asking for food.
Io vendo il cuore
I sell my heart
Io vendo, per non morire
I sell, so I don’t die
La vita e bella,
Life is beautiful
Ma e bella per pochi
But it is beautiful for a few
E non per me.
And not for me.
Contributed by Connor V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
concepcion gallo
Hermoso tema bien para los.que no le gusta trabajar....
Galina Raducan
03.03.2020.Bravo.Celentano unico.
Joan Lui
immenso AdriaNo 😍🤩😍
lucy lockner
this is beautiful
Romolo Carpino
la vita è bella ma non per me. Quando uno non ha lavoro. la vita non può essere bella. La dignita' che spetta ad ogni individuo, quale persona , uomo, o donna che sia, e' inviolabile e insindacabile.
Kujtim. Zano
Anche.oggi.questta.canzone.e.attuale.per.i.poveri.che.esiste.in.tutto.il.monda.MISSERIA.NERA.1968.A.CELANTANO.
Roberta Massignan Celentano
Bravissimo Adriano 6 Grande
Adriano Mancini
❤️
Stefano Mancastroppa
Bellima e attuale