Chilton said in the September 1994 issue of Guitar Player that he considers himself a "musical performer, not a songwriter" and that some of his songs sound only "half-baked" to him. Nonetheless, his compositions have been performed by a number of artists, including Teenage Fanclub, This Mortal Coil, The Bangles, Wilco, Graham Coxon, Garbage, Tom Bradbury, Son Volt, Counting Crows, Elliott Smith, Jeff Buckley, Superdrag, Evan Dando, Cat Power, Yo La Tengo, Placebo, Xiu Xiu, and His Name Is Alive. The Replacements wrote the song Alex Chilton in his honor on their 1987 Pleased to Meet Me album, produced by Jim Dickinson in Memphis.
On March 17, 2010, Alex Chilton died of an apparent heart attack in a hospital in New Orleans. He was 59.
Il ribelle
Alex Chilton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Non mi piace questo mondo che non vuol la fantasia
io son ribelle
nel vestire nel pensarenell'amar la bimba mia
ma trovo un poco di felicita'
ballando il rock
io son ribelle
Non mi curo del denaro vivo come un gran signore
Ma sincero non e' vero che non abbia un po' di cuore
la mia chitarra piangere mi fa
ballando il rock
mi piace la velocita' sono un frenetico del jazz
vorrei ballar perche' sento il rock
Io son ribelle
Non mi piace questo mondo che non vuol la fantasia
io son ribelle
Nel vestire nel pensare nell'amar la bimba mia
ma trovo un poco di felicita'
ballando il rock
[instrumental]
Mi piace la velocita' sono un frenetico del jazz
vorrei ballar perche' sento il rock
io son ribelle
non mi piace questo mondo che non vuol la fantasia
io son ribelle
nel vestire nel pensare nell'amar la bimba mia
ma trovo un poco di felicita'
ballando il rock
ballando il rock
ballando il rock
ballando il rock
In "Il ribelle," Alex Chilton sings about being a rebel because he doesn't like the world that doesn't encourage imagination. He talks about rebelling in his clothing, thoughts, and in loving his girl. He finds a little bit of happiness in dancing to rock and roll music. He doesn't care about money and lives like a wealthy man, but he is sincere and has a heart. His guitar cries when he plays it while dancing to rock and roll. He likes speed, is a jazz fanatic, and wants to dance because he feels the rock and roll.
The song is a declaration of rebellion against societal norms and expectations of conformity while celebrating individuality and freedom of self-expression. It reflects the spirit of the youth culture of the mid-1950s to early 1960s that embraced rock and roll music and lifestyle. The rebelliousness of the song can be seen in the repeated refrain of "Io son ribelle" (I am a rebel), which emphasizes the central theme of the song. The song also highlights the importance of music as a source of happiness and escape from the constraints of society.
Line by Line Meaning
Io son ribelle
I am a rebel
Non mi piace questo mondo che non vuol la fantasia
I don't like this world that doesn't want imagination
nel vestire nel pensare nell'amar la bimba mia
in dressing, in thinking, in loving my girl
ma trovo un poco di felicita' ballando il rock
but I find a little happiness while dancing rock
Ma sincero non e' vero che non abbia un po' di cuore
But sincerely, it's not true that I don't have a heart
la mia chitarra piangere mi fa ballando il rock
My guitar makes me cry while dancing rock
mi piace la velocita' sono un frenetico del jazz
I like speed, I am a frenetic of jazz
vorrei ballar perche' sento il rock
I want to dance because I feel the rock
ballando il rock
Dancing rock
Contributed by Jayce E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.