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.
Napoleone il cowboy e lo zar
Adriano Celentano Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ero in una citt?
Da un palazzo di vetro
Esce un cowboy
Dal fiume Volga esce lo zar.
Napoleone scende
A cavallo della torre Eiffel
Scende, scende a cavallo
L? sulla piazza sono in tre
Ognuno vuole la citt? per se,
Quei tre,
Hanno l'odio nel cuor
Che mai succeder?.
E' un ora di paura
E la gente lo sa
C'? chi piange con me
C'? chi prega perch?
La decisione ? in mano a quei tre.
Fredde facce di cera
Che non parlano pi?
In quel triangolo c'?
La nostra vita che,
Oscilla appesa al cuore dei tre.
Napoleone butta il cannone
Dritto sul cowboy
E c'? una lunga lama
Che brilla in mano dello zar
E la pistola del cowboy
Ha completato quella scena a tre,
Chiss?, chiss? se domani per noi,
Il sole splender?.
Il cielo blu si fa nero
E la guerra verr?
Ma ad un tratto dall'alto
In mezzo al nero che c'?
Si accende un raggio sopra quei tre
Viene da una finestra
Quello sguardo d'amor
E su quella citt?
Vestito in bianco c'?
Un uomo che la pace porter?.
Di gioia piange tutta la gente
Che felicit?
Salva ? finalmente tutta la citt?
Non sono nemici pi? quei tre,
E la paura se ne va
Chiss?, chiss? se il mio sogno potr?
Cambiare la realt?.
Chiss? se il mio sogno potr?
Cambiare la realt?.
This song is a dreamy, allegorical tale in which historical figures come together to make peace. The dreamer is in a city when a cowboy emerges from a glass palace and the tsar comes out of the Volga River. Napoleon descends from the Eiffel Tower on a horse, causing tension as the three leaders all want the city. There is hatred in their hearts and it is a time of fear and uncertainty, with the fate of the city in the hands of the three.
As the three leaders face off, Napoleon throws a cannon at the cowboy, the tsar wields a shining dagger, and the cowboy points his gun. The tension mounts until a ray of light illuminates them and a man dressed in white appears from a window above. This figure represents hope, with his loving gaze bringing peace to the city. The people rejoice and cry with happiness, as salvation has finally arrived thanks to the man in white. The dreamer hopes that this dream could become a reality and bring an end to the hatred and fear that plagues our world.
Overall, the song is a testament to the power of hope and the human desire for peace in times of conflict. It shows how historical figures, regardless of their differences, can come together and put aside their hatred to achieve a common goal. The song speaks to the need for leaders who can bring people together and inspire them to work towards a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Strano questo sogno
This dream is strange
Ero in una citt?
I was in a city
Da un palazzo di Vetro
From a glass palace
Esce un cowboy
A cowboy appears
Dal fiume Volga esce lo zar.
From the River Volga comes the Tsar.
Napoleone scende
Napoleon descends
A cavallo della torre Eiffel
On horseback and onto the Eiffel Tower
Scende, scende a cavallo
Descending, descending on horseback
Dalla torre Eiffel
From the Eiffel Tower
L? sulla piazza sono in tre
There are three on the square
Ognuno vuole la citt? per se,
Each one wants the city for himself
Quei tre,
Those three
Hanno l'odio nel cuor
They have hatred in their hearts
Che mai succeder?.
What will happen?
E' un'ora di paura
It's a scary hour
E la gente lo sa
And the people know it
C'? chi piange con me
There are those who cry with me
C'? chi prega perch?
There are those who pray why?
La decisione ? in mano a quei tre.
The decision is in their hands.
Fredde facce di cera
Cold wax faces
Che non parlano pi?
That don't speak anymore
In quel triangolo c'?
In that triangle there is
La nostra vita che,
Our life
Oscilla appesa al cuore dei tre.
Swings suspended on the hearts of three.
Napoleone butta il cannone
Napoleon throws the cannon
Dritto sul cowboy
Straight onto the cowboy
E c'? una lunga lama
And there is a long blade
Che brilla in mano dello zar
That glimmers in the hand of the Tsar
E la pistola del cowboy
And the cowboy's pistol
Ha completato quella scena a tre,
Completed that scene of three,
Chiss?, chiss? se domani per noi,
Who knows if tomorrow will be for us,
Il sole splender?.
The sun will shine.
Il cielo blu si fa nero
The blue sky turns black
E la guerra verr?
And war will come?
Ma ad un tratto dall'alto
But suddenly from above
In mezzo al nero che c'?
In the middle of the blackness, what is there?
Si accende un raggio sopra quei tre
A ray of light illuminates those three
Viene da una finestra
It comes from a window
Quello sguardo d'amor
That look of love
E su quella citt?
And over that city?
Vestito in bianco c'?
Dressed in white, there is
Un uomo che la pace porter?.
A man who will bring peace.
Di gioia piange tutta la gente
Everyone weeps for joy
Che felicit?
What happiness?
Salva ? finalmente tutta la citt?
Everybody is finally saved.
Non sono nemici pi? quei tre,
Those three are no longer enemies
E la paura se ne va
And the fear goes away
Chiss?, chiss? se il mio sogno potr?
Who knows if my dream can
Cambiare la realt?.
Change reality.
Chiss? se il mio sogno potr?
Who knows if my dream can
Cambiare la realt?.
Change reality.
Contributed by Grace C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.