The song B… Read Full Bio ↴"Bella ciao" is an Italian partisan song of World War II.
The song Bella Ciao was sung by the left anti-fascist resistance movement in Italy comprised of anarchists, communists, socialists and other anti-fascist partisans. The author of the lyrics is unknown, and the music seems to come from an earlier folk song sung by riceweeders in the Po Valley.
International versions:
The song has been recorded by various artists in many different languages including Italian, Russian, Bosnian, Kurdish, Croatian, Serbian, Serbo-Croatian, Hungarian, English, Spanish, Finnish, Kabyle, German, Turkish, Japanese, Tagalog, Breton and Chinese.
The song is sung in a slightly different manner by Norwegian socialists. This Norwegian version describes the oppression of workers on the rice fields, and speaks of the freedom to come.
Bella Ciao is the end theme song for the Yugoslav WWII movie Most (The Bridge, The Savage Bridge).
A rewritten version of the song can be heard on Chumbawamba's acoustic album "A Singsong and a Scrap".
Another version of the song was recorded by the punk rock band Dog Faced Hermans on the album "Every Day Time Bomb."
Former Yugoslav punk rock bands KUD Idijoti and later Goblini recorded their versions of the track.
The German hip-hop group Chaoze One has recorded an electronic version of the song with opera singing on their album "Neue Kreise."
Bella ciao
Chumbawamba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
Drags my senses into the sunlight
For there are things that I must do
Wish me luck now, I have to leave you
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
With my friends now up to the city
And I will tell them - we will tell them
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
That our sunlight is not for franchise
And wish the bastards drop down dead
Next time you see me I may be smiling
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
I'll be in prison or on the TV
I'll say, "the sunlight dragged me here!"
The lyrics of Chumbawamba's Bella Ciao depict a sense of urgency and determination to fight against oppression and injustice. The phrase "Bella Ciao" is an Italian folk song that was originally sung by the rice field workers to express their sorrow and struggle against harsh working conditions during the 19th century. The lyrics also contain references to the Italian resistance movement against the fascist regime during World War II.
The first stanza expresses a certain sense of detachment from the world outside, characterized by a dream-like quality, while the second stanza announces the departure of the singer and their friends to the city to fight against the established order, symbolized by the "Gates of Hell". In the third stanza, the lyrics reflect a certain defiance against corrupt institutions and a desire to resist their control. The last stanza mentions the possibility of imprisonment or media exposure, but ultimately completes the circle by returning to the idea that the singer is an agent of the light, or the "sunlight", that will ultimately shine upon the oppressed.
Overall, the lyrics of Bella Ciao are an expression of hope and determination in the face of hardship and oppression. They recognize the struggles of the past, while also symbolizing the potential for future triumph over adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
The world is waking outside my window
The day is starting and the world is becoming more active outside my window
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
Bella Ciao is a song of resistance that represents the struggle of oppressed people
Drags my senses into the sunlight
The sunlight energizes me and gets me ready for the day
For there are things that I must do
There are important tasks that I need to accomplish
Wish me luck now, I have to leave you
I am leaving and would appreciate your good luck wishes
With my friends now up to the city
I am going to the city with my group of friends
We're going to shake the Gates of Hell
We are going to fight against oppression and tyranny with all our might
And I will tell them - we will tell them
We will communicate our message and stand for what we believe in
That our sunlight is not for franchise
Our freedom and rights are not to be sold or controlled by anyone
And wish the bastards drop down dead
We wish the oppressive and tyrannical people to perish
Next time you see me I may be smiling
Even though I may face challenges and struggles, I will remain optimistic and strong
I'll be in prison or on the TV
I may face imprisonment, discrimination, or censorship because of my beliefs
I'll say, "the sunlight dragged me here!"
I will not stop fighting for my rights and freedom, because they are fundamental to my existence
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Judith Abbott, Neil Ferguson, Louise Watts, Allan Whalley, Traditional
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@katherinec7941
The world is waking outside my window
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
Drags my senses into the sunlight
For there are things that I must do
Wish me luck now, I have to leave you
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
With my friends now up to the city
We're going to shake the Gates of Hell
And I will tell them - we will tell them
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
That our sunlight is not for franchise
And wish the bastards drop down dead
Next time you see me I may be smiling
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
I'll be in prison or on the TV
I'll say, "the sunlight dragged me here!"
@lefkoio8696
Gün penceremde, uyandı güneş
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
Tenimde terin, gözümde ferin
Bekler beni kardeşlerim
Bana şans dile, yolculuk kente
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
Dostlarımla biz, göstereceğiz
O kiralık katillere
Ve şimdi bakın, durmayın bakın
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
Güneş ışığı, satılık değil
Malınız mülkünüz değil
Sana bir daha, göründüğümde
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
TV'de belki belki hapiste
Yüzümde var gülümseme
@EXTRA9564
Questo è il testo in italiano di "BELLA CIAO!"
BELLA CIAO
Stamattina mi sono alzato
O bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao
Stamattina mi sono alzato
E ho trovato l'invasor
O partigiano portami via
O bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao
O partigiano portami via
Che mi sento di morir
E se io muoio da partigiano
O bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao
E se io muoio da partigiano
Tu mi devi seppellir
E seppellire lassu' in montagna
O bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao
E seppellire lassu' in montagna
Sotto l'ombra di un bel fior
E le genti che passeranno
O bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao
E le genti che passeranno
Mi diranno che bel fior
E questo e' il fiore del partigiano
O bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao
E questo e' il fiore del partigiano
Morto per la liberta'
E questo e' il fiore del partigiano
Morto per la liberta'
@rupee66
This is straight up one of the greatest and underrated bands of all time.
@redlisted-0047
Agreed!
@richsimpson7186
Fuck yes
@GuinessOriginal
And from Leeds as well
@connorlynch6200
So good they only need 1 song
@Colonel453
Leftist pigs, they're disgusting
@iquitos46
The most stirring rendition of Bella Ciao...inspires those it should, scares the hell out of others
@Murrangurk2
I wish we never needed to sing this song, but I will sing it everyday.
@vapingotter7518
Sad thing is its a very very old song done in so many languages and we STILL need it.
@callusklaus2413
This right here is one of the many reasons I have found my political home here.
Fascists love violence for it's own sake.
Liberals are cold and ambivalent to it.
Anarchists do it, and desperately wish for a world where they didn't need go.