Adriano Celentano (born January 6, 1938) is an Italian singer, songwriter, … Read Full Bio ↴Adriano Celentano (born January 6, 1938) is an Italian singer, songwriter, comedian, actor, and TV host. He was born in Milan at 14 Gluck Street (about which he later wrote the song "Il ragazzo della via Gluck"), his parents were from Puglia and had moved north for work.

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.

Non Mi Dir
Adriano Celentano Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Non mi dir,
non mi dir di no
tutto sei per me
e tu lo sai.
Dimmi di sì
oh, dimmi ancor di sì
vivo sol per te
e tu lo sai.

Cosa farò
se mi manchi tu
come vivrò
senza i baci tuoi.
Dimmi di sì...
Dimmi di sì...
Non mi dir
mai non mi dir di no
dimmi ancor di si
e tu lo sai.
Cosa farò
se mi manchi tu
come vivrò
senza i baci tuoi.
Dimmi di sì...
Dimmi di sì...
Non mi dir
mai non mi dir di no
dimmi ancor di si
e tu lo sai
e tu lo sai...

e tu lo sai...
non mi dire di no.

Overall Meaning

In Adriano Celentano's song Non Mi Dir (Don't Tell Me), the singer pleads with his lover not to deny him her affection. He confesses his deep love for her and how she is everything to him. The repeated refrain of "dimmi di sì" (tell me yes) emphasizes his desperation for her to reciprocate his feelings. The lyrics also express his fear of losing her and how he would not be able to live without her kisses. He implores her to not say no, but rather to tell him yes.

The song touches on themes of love, desire, and vulnerability, which are staples in the romantic genre. The music itself has a catchy rhythm and a crooning quality to it, which complements the heartfelt lyrics. Celentano's vocal delivery is emotive, further emphasizing the passion behind the words.

Overall, Non Mi Dir is a classic love song that captures the essence of romantic longing, and it remains a popular choice for Italian music enthusiasts.

Line by Line Meaning

Non mi dir,
Don't tell me,

non mi dir di no
Don't tell me no

tutto sei per me
You are everything to me

e tu lo sai.
And you know it

Dimmi di sì
Tell me yes

oh, dimmi ancor di sì
Oh, tell me yes again

vivo sol per te
I live only for you

e tu lo sai.
And you know it

Cosa farò
What will I do

se mi manchi tu
If I miss you

come vivrò
How will I live