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.
Scusami
Adriano Celentano Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mi stringi e mi baci con ardor ma sento
Che dentro nei pensieri tuoi c'è un
Altro che ti stringe al posto mio
E ti convinci che lui è l'uomo giusto per te
Ma non lo è lui, non lo è.
Sei presa dalla sua esteriorità,
Che il tuo mondo è quello li ma appena nel tuo letto
Non c'è più lui ricomincia a parlare come fa la Tv,
Dove ogni cosa è già scontata.
Ti perderai in questa video-società
Che ti vuol dire come devi far l'amore,
Come investire i soldi e quali... giornali leggere,
Illudendoti che tutto questo sia
Il tuo vero desiderio ma è solo illusione.
Ti prego, guardami ancora un po' e forse scoprirai
Negli occhi miei una ragazza
Che non sa riconoscersi più da quella che.... che eri tu.
Ti perderai in questa video-società
Che ti vuol dire come devi far l'amore,
Come investire i soldi e quali... giornali leggere,
Illudendoti che tutto questo sia
Il tuo vero desiderio ma è solo illusione.
The lyrics in Adriano Celentano's song Scusami speak to the singer's perception that the person he is speaking to is torn between her feelings for him and her desire for another man. He pleads with her to truly see the other man for who he is and not just for his exterior qualities. The singer goes on to warn her about the dangers of being caught up in a society that tells her how to live, how to love and how to spend her money. He urges her to look into his eyes and see that he is a person who cares for her and sees her for who she truly is, which is a different person from the one she has become.
The song is a commentary on the dehumanizing effects of mass media and consumer culture, as well as the struggles of navigating complex emotions, relationships and societal pressures. The line "Ti perderai in questa video-società" (You will lose yourself in this video-society) highlights the dangers of blindly following what is presented by the media.
Line by Line Meaning
Excusmi, vuoi dirmi da che parte stai.
You're being distant from me, so tell me honestly where you stand.
Mi stringi e mi baci con ardor ma sento
You hold me tight and kiss me passionately, but I sense
Che dentro nei pensieri tuoi c'è un
That deep inside your thoughts there is
Altro che ti stringe al posto mio
Someone else who holds your heart instead of me
E ti convinci che lui è l'uomo giusto per te
And you convince yourself that he is the right man for you
Ma non lo è lui, non lo è.
But he's not, he's not the right one for you.
Sei presa dalla sua esteriorità,
You're focused on his appearance
Non vedi quel che dentro lui non ha e pensi,
And you're blind to what he lacks within himself, thinking
Che il tuo mondo è quello li ma appena nel tuo letto
That he belongs in your world, but once in your bed
Non c'è più lui ricomincia a parlare come fa la Tv,
He disappears and you're left talking like you see on TV
Dove ogni cosa è già scontata.
Where everything is predetermined.
Ti perderai in questa video-società
You'll get lost in this video-obsessed society
Che ti vuol dire come devi far l'amore,
That tells you how to make love
Come investire i soldi e quali... giornali leggere,
How and where to invest money and which newspapers to read,
Illudendoti che tutto questo sia
Fooling yourself to believe that all of this is
Il tuo vero desiderio ma è solo illusione.
Your true desire, but it's just an illusion.
Ti prego, guardami ancora un po' e forse scoprirai
Please, look at me a little longer, and maybe you'll discover
Negli occhi miei una ragazza
In my eyes, a girl
Che non sa riconoscersi più da quella che.... che eri tu.
Who no longer recognizes herself as the person you used to be.
Contributed by Leo I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.