Buti was born near Florence. As a boy, he mastered the Tuscan folk song technique known as "stornello". He ws soon being paid by other men to serenade their girlfriends. He received limited vocal training from Raoul Frazzi and Gino Bechi. He was featured on Italian radio and recorded for Edison Records starting in 1930, but went to Columbia Records by 1934.
Buti has been called the "Frank Sinatra of Italy", because of his preference for the popular songs of the day over the more operatic songs. He retired in 1956 after having recorded 1574 songs[1]. At the time, he was the most recorded voice in Italian music history. His unique warm and melodic "tenorino" style of high quasi-falsetto phrasing sung in the "mezza voce" made him an international success. He also starred in several Italian movies. He passed away at his home in Montelupo Fiorentino, in Tuscany, Italy at the age of 61.
Signora fortuna
Carlo Buti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
che porta in collina.
C'è sul colle una casa argentata
dal chiaro di luna.
Chi va in cerca d'amore
ritrova una fata divina.
È signora del bene e del male
Bella, le dissi in pianto,
tu che fai tante grazie,
una soltanto:
Dammi l'amore di una bimba bruna.
Questa volta
m'hai chiuso la porta
Signora Fortuna.
Oh! Signora Fortuna.
Ed avevo una bella casetta
di sogni e d'amore.
Ed avevo un amore di bimba
dagli occhi di mare.
Ma l'ondata di vento
ha distrutto la casa e il mio cuore.
T'ho pregato, Signora Fortuna,
davanti all'altare.
Bella, se mi vuoi bene,
falla tornar ch'io muoio dalle pene,
non ho più amore,
non ho più nessuna.
Ed ancora
m'hai chiuso la porta
Signora Fortuna.
Oh! Signora Fortuna.
Ma stanotte guidato dal cuore
e da un raggio di luna,
ho ripreso la strada più antica
ch'è sempre più buona.
C'era un'ombra tremante,
la chioma più bianca che bruna,
e m'ha detto in un bacio:
Son mamma che mai t'abbandona.
Mamma, Fortuna mia,
questa è la miglior grazia
che ci sia
perché di mamma ce n'è solo una.
Questa volta
puoi chiuder la porta
Signora Fortuna.
Oh! Signora Fortuna
The song Signora Fortuna by Carlo Buti tells a story about a man's quest for love and luck. The first two stanzas describe destiny as a road leading to a silver house on the hill, which is illuminated by moonlight. The man seeking for love will find a divine fairy named Fortuna, who is a lady with powers over good and evil. The singer asks Fortuna for the love of a dark-haired girl, which she grants without hesitation. However, her fortunes soon turn, and his happy life with his beloved girl is destroyed by a wave of misfortunes.
The singer attempts to call on Fortuna's aid once more, pleading with her to bring his love back to him. Still, she seems to ignore his pleas, and he is left heartbroken and alone. After some time, the man decides to take his fate into his own hands and follows the path he knows best. Amidst the shadows and moonlight, he finds an older white-haired woman who embraces him, telling him she is his mother and will never abandon him. He is overjoyed, and the song ends on a note of acceptance and newfound luck, with the singer declaring that Fortuna can now close the door on him as his mother will guide him from now on.
Overall, the song is a poignant tale of one man's struggle with love and fortune, and his eventual acceptance of his fate. It highlights the powerlessness of humanity in controlling life's events, and how sometimes the only way out of a tough situation is to rely on oneself and the love of family.
Line by Line Meaning
C'è una strada chiamata Destino che porta in collina.
There is a road named Destiny that leads to the hill.
C'è sul colle una casa argentata dal chiaro di luna.
On the hill, there is a silver house shining in the moonlight.
Chi va in cerca d'amore ritrova una fata divina.
Those who search for love find a divine fairy.
È signora del bene e del male e si chiama Fortuna.
She is the mistress of good and evil, and her name is Fortune.
Bella, le dissi in pianto, tu che fai tante grazie, una soltanto: Dammi l'amore di una bimba bruna.
Beautiful, I said to her in tears, you who grant so many favors, just one: give me the love of a brown-haired girl.
Questa volta m'hai chiuso la porta Signora Fortuna. Oh! Signora Fortuna.
This time, Lady Fortune, you have closed the door on me. Oh! Lady Fortune.
Ed avevo una bella casetta di sogni e d'amore. Ed avevo un amore di bimba dagli occhi di mare.
And I had a beautiful little house of dreams and love. And I had a love of a girl with sea-colored eyes.
Ma l'ondata di vento ha distrutto la casa e il mio cuore. T'ho pregato, Signora Fortuna, davanti all'altare.
But a gust of wind destroyed the house and my heart. I prayed to Lady Fortune in front of the altar.
Bella, se mi vuoi bene, falla tornar ch'io muoio dalle pene, non ho più amore, non ho più nessuna.
Beautiful, if you love me, make her come back, for I am dying of pain, I have no more love, I have no one else.
Ed ancora m'hai chiuso la porta Signora Fortuna. Oh! Signora Fortuna.
And again, Lady Fortune, you have closed the door on me. Oh! Lady Fortune.
Ma stanotte guidato dal cuore e da un raggio di luna, ho ripreso la strada più antica ch'è sempre più buona.
But tonight, guided by my heart and a moonbeam, I have taken the oldest and best road.
C'era un'ombra tremante, la chioma più bianca che bruna, e m'ha detto in un bacio: Son mamma che mai t'abbandona.
There was a trembling shadow, with hair whiter than brown, and in a kiss she told me: I am the mother who never abandons you.
Mamma, Fortuna mia, questa è la miglior grazia che ci sia perché di mamma ce n'è solo una.
Mother, my Fortune, this is the greatest favor there is, because there is only one mother.
Questa volta puoi chiuder la porta Signora Fortuna. Oh! Signora Fortuna
This time, Lady Fortune, you can close the door. Oh! Lady Fortune.
Contributed by Ian P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.