Antonello Venditti was born in Rome, the son of a police commissary.
He studied piano in his youth and made his debut in the music world in the early 1970s at the Folkstudio of Rome, together with singers the like of Francesco De Gregori and Giorgio Lo Cascio. In duo with the former he released in 1972 his first LP, Theorius Campus. The LP scored little success, but Venditti at least made himself being noted for the strength of his vocal qualities and for his attention for social issues, evidenced by pieces like "Sora Rosa" which is sung in Roman dialect. Also in dialect was "Roma Capoccia", a declaration of love for his city, that later became one of his most famous songs. Curiously, Venditti refused to sing it for several years, as he considered it not politically or socially "engaged" enough.
Venditti subsequently moved to Milan and released L'orso bruno (1973), made in collaboration with musician Vince Tempera: this album included another song in dialect, "E Li Ponti So’ Soli", but for the rest was marked by an even stronger attention to social themes. His next work, Le cose della vita ("Things of Our Life"), released the same year for the colossus RCA Music, confirmed this tendency. The following LP Quando verrà Natale ("When Christmas Will Come") was similar; its even more naked arrangements emphasize the strength of Venditti's denunciation. After a live performance of the song "A Cristo" ("Hey, Christ"), he was denounced by an Italian Police officer for blasphemy: Venditti, however, was later totally acquitted.
Venditti's fortunes grew and peaked in 1975, with the LP Lilly: the yearning title-track was another strong accusation, this time against drugs, but it met an outstanding success anyway. Other famous pieces in the album were "Compagno di scuola" ("Schoolmate") and the long ballad "Lo Stambecco Ferito" ("The Wounded Steinbeck"), the story of a corrupted Northern Italy tycoon. Venditti continued to deal with front-page facts with the following LP, Ullalà (1976), whose "Canzone per Seveso" was about the eponymous industrial accident that happened in July of that year.
Political involvement, however, had side-effects on Venditti's inspiration in the late 1970s, marked in Italy by the growing menace of terrorism and by the strategia della tensione: some events (like the public booing of his friend De Gregori by politicized fans during a show) forced him to rethink his way of being a public personality. Sotto il segno dei Pesci ("(Born) Under the Pisces astrological sign", 1978) contained more personal and intimate themes. The eponymous track scored a great success, but was largely misinterpreted as a song about a woman: it instead referred to Venditti's career itself; he was effectively born "under the Pisces sign".
Success was however marred by his divorce to his wife Simona Izzo. She won custody of Venditti's son, Francesco Saverio. The following LP, Buona Domenica (1979), was highly marked by this difficult period. It contained anyway several classics, like the title-track and the ballad "Modena", which featured Gato Barbieri saxophone and is considered one of his finest works.
In 1982 the bitter Sotto la pioggia marked Venditti's passage to his own label, Heinz Music, and the beginning of the long-lasting collaboration with producer Alessandro Colombini. The following year A.S. Roma, his city's football team, won its long-awaited second scudetto: Venditti was therefore called in the official celebration show, and the song that he composed for the occasion, "Grazie Roma" ("Thank You Roma"), turned into a great success, surprisingly not confined to Rome's boundaries. Venditti had already composed several songs about his favourite soccer team: some criticized them harshly, mostly because of the strong contrast with the political-social themes of his other songs.
In following years, and notably in the 1990s, Venditti inspiration seemed to become more mainstream and commercial. His LPs (Cuore, In questo mondo di ladri, Benvenuti in Paradiso, Prendilo tu questo frutto amaro) were very successful, but his former themes were absent, or generally less stressed. Pieces like "Notte prima degli esami" or "Ma che bella giornata di sole" (about the Italian Liberation Day of September 1943) were anyway praised by critics. Among the songs of this period, "Dolce Enrico" was dedicated to the former leader of Partito Comunista Italiano, Enrico Berlinguer, dead in 1984.
Antonello nel Paese delle Meraviglie ("Antonello in Wonderland") of 1997 featured his greatest hits accompanied by the Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra of Sofia, directed by Renato Serio. Goodbye Novecento (1999) gave increasing attention to social and historical themes, but had a sub par success for Venditti's standards. In 2001 A.S. Roma won again a scudetto, and Venditti played again in a free concert in the Circo Massimo for an immense audience of tifosi and lovers of his songs. His latest studio release is Che fantastica storia è la vita ("What a Fantastic Story Is Life", October 2003). Gato Barbieri played with Venditti in this release. After resolved the difficulties in his friendship with Venditti, told in the latter's 1979 song "Scusa Francesco", "Sorry Francesco", De Gregori is also present as singer in "Io e mio fratello" ("Me and My Brother"). The album also contains a satire of Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi ("Il Sosia").
Venditti released the soundtrack for the 1985 movie Troppo forte by his friend, the Roman director Carlo Verdone. Verdone also played occasionally drums in Venditti's concertos.
Discography
* Bomba o non Bomba
* Theorius Campus (1972), with Francesco De Gregori under the collective byname of Theorius Campus)
* L'orso bruno (1973)
* Le cose della vita (1973)
* Quando verrà Natale (1974)
* Lilly (1975)
* Ullalà (1976)
* Sotto il segno dei pesci (1978)
* Buona domenica (1979)
* Sotto la pioggia (1982)
* Circo Massimo (1983, live)
* Cuore (1984)
* Centocittà (1985, live)
* Venditti e Segreti (1986)
* In questo mondo di ladri (1988)
* Gli anni ’80 (1990, collection)
* Benvenuti in Paradiso (1991)
* Da Sansiro a Samarcanda – L’amore insegna agli uomini (1992, live)
* Prendilo tu questo frutto amaro (1995)
* Antonello nel Paese delle Meraviglie (1997, live)
* Goodbye Novecento (1999)
* Se l'amore è amore... (2000, collection)
* Circo Massimo 2001 (2001, live)
* Il coraggio e l’amore (2002, collection)
* Che fantastica storia è la vita (2003)
* Campus Live (2005, live)
Chen Il Chinese
Antonello Venditti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quello che ha cambiato l'insegna del bar
E che cantava fantastiche storie d'amore
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, per caso avete visto Chen il cinese?
Chen il cinese è passato di qua
Non vedi tutte le vetrine accese
Ed il muto assassino parlare alla luna
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, Chen il cinese è passato di qua
Lui era un bravo ragazzo
Parlava di cose mai viste e segrete
E l'erba che dava era sempre più dolce
La coltivava in ricordo di lei
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, ma Chen il cinese non tornerà
Scusate avete visto il muto assassino?
È lui che gli ha offerto quel biglietto per Roma
E che ha tagliato quel pane con gocce di vino
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, avete visto per caso quel muto assassino
È lui che in silenzio è passato di qua
Non vedi tutti i portoni chiusi
E la nera padrona cantare ai bambini
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, che Chen il cinese non tornerà
Lui era un bravo ragazzo davvero
Amava cose mai viste e lontane
E l'erba che dava era sempre più dolce
La coltivava in ricordo di lei
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, ma Chen il cinese non tornerà
The lyrics of Antonello Venditti's song "Chen Il Cinese" paint a vivid and haunting picture of a character named Chen, who is described as a Chinese man who captivates the attention of those around him. The opening lines ask if anyone has seen Chen, who has changed the sign of a bar and sings fantastic love stories. This sets the stage for Chen's mysterious and enchanting presence in the narrative.
As the song progresses, there is a sense of Chen's fleeting and enigmatic nature as he passes by, leaving behind a trail of illuminated shop windows and the previously mute assassin now speaking to the moon. This imagery symbolizes the transformative impact that Chen has on his surroundings, bringing light and communication to previously silent and dark corners.
The lyrics highlight Chen as a good-hearted individual who spoke of unseen and secret things, and whose offerings of sweet grass were in memory of a lost love. This portrayal adds depth to Chen's character, suggesting a sense of longing and nostalgia that accompanies his presence and actions. The tender reminiscence of his lost love adds a poignant layer to the story of Chen.
The melancholic tone of the lyrics becomes more pronounced as it is revealed that Chen will not return. The mention of the mute assassin offering him a ticket to Rome and cutting bread with drops of wine adds a sinister undertone to the narrative, hinting at betrayal or foul play. The final lines reinforce the sense of loss and absence, as the song mourns the departure of Chen the Chinese man, emphasizing his kind nature and deep connection to the past. Overall, the lyrics of "Chen Il Cinese" weave a tale of mystery, love, betrayal, and ultimately, the inevitability of loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Scusate, avete visto Chen il cinese?
Excuse me, have you seen Chen the Chinese man?
Quello che ha cambiato l'insegna del bar
The one who changed the sign of the bar
E che cantava fantastiche storie d'amore
And who sang fantastic love stories
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, per caso avete visto Chen il cinese?
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, have you happened to see Chen the Chinese man?
Chen il cinese è passato di qua
Chen the Chinese man passed by here
Non vedi tutte le vetrine accese
Can't you see all the lit up shop windows?
Ed il muto assassino parlare alla luna
And the mute assassin talking to the moon
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, Chen il cinese è passato di qua
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, Chen the Chinese man passed by here
Lui era un bravo ragazzo
He was a good boy
Parlava di cose mai viste e segrete
He talked about things never seen and secret
E l'erba che dava era sempre più dolce
And the grass he gave was always sweeter
La coltivava in ricordo di lei
He cultivated it in memory of her
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, ma Chen il cinese non tornerà
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, but Chen the Chinese man will not return
Scusate avete visto il muto assassino?
Excuse me, have you seen the mute assassin?
È lui che gli ha offerto quel biglietto per Roma
He's the one who offered him that ticket to Rome
E che ha tagliato quel pane con gocce di vino
And who cut that bread with drops of wine
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, avete visto per caso quel muto assassino
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, have you happened to see that mute assassin
E' lui che in silenzio è passato di qua
He's the one who passed by in silence
Non vedi tutti i portoni chiusi
Can't you see all the closed doors?
E la nera padrona cantare ai bambini
And the black landlady singing to the children
Che Chen il cinese non tornerà
That Chen the Chinese man will not return
Lui era un bravo ragazzo davvero
He was a really good boy
Amava cose mai viste e lontane
He loved things never seen and far away
E l'erba che dava era sempre più dolce
And the grass he gave was always sweeter
La coltivava in ricordo di lei
He cultivated it in memory of her
Ma Chen il cinese non tornerà
But Chen the Chinese man will not return
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Antonello Venditti
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gianluca De Marzi
Chen, il cinese a cui tutti noi vogliamo bene, così come ad Antonello. Questo album, come quello precedente, è un capolavoro.
TheCancio68
che ricordi! quell'album me lo sono letteralmente consumato a furia di ascoltarlo! capolavoro assoluto di antonello! e pensare che avevo 10 anni! che fortuna avere a quell'età musica così da ascoltare! altro che oggi!!!
Ouail Baktaoui
dedico questa canzone ad un mio caro amico, ex compagno delle superiori. Ci mancherai Chen
Fistignaccheri
Rimarrai nei nostri cuori Chen
kangurome
mi ricorda un viaggio fantastico a Bologna, tanti anni fa.... con questa cassetta nell'autoradio e l'allegria dei venti anni....
Giovanni Canu
Grazie maestro per quest'altro capolavoro
Marino Rota
dopo + di 40 anni è sempre un capolavoro
grande!!!!!!!!!
Silvana Macchi
Avevo 24 anni e tanta spensieratezza insieme a questo bellissimo album e in particolare ricordi legati a questo brano.
luigi brunetti
Silvana, gli anni migliori del nostro paese , guarda come siamo ridotti oggi.
lucio croce
Avevo 14 anni... età spensierata e ricordi stupendi...nostalgia infinita...