He was an actor and Italian Tenor, who specialised in romantic-melodic “musica leggera”, reaching a sort of The Voice status in Italy as “il reuccio (della canzone)” - the small king, so called also because of his sanguine character. While Nilla Pizzi was the Queen.
But the baby-boomer generation disliked more and more his genre, style and virtuosisms (the long acute Grand Finale - e.g., notable in “Granada” -, bringing a stereotype operatic flavour into traditional pop or easy listening “musica leggera”). Sharp age divisions therefore emerged, so as to make music tastes become an identitarian, Weltanschaung space of generational divide, at the time of ‘50s rock (with Little Tony, Italy’s Elvis), then the ‘60s new pop (many thousands of cave bands, also in Italy). All this was not so specially Italian, of course; but, because of his so long career, Claudio became a target symbol (for the ritual “parricide”); he was gradually ghettoed into an ageing but always faithful audience (no empty space at his concerts). On the other hand, he basically sticked to his 1950s repertoire and style.
Together with Domenico Modugno, he holds the record for the most wins at the Sanremo Music Festival, where he won the competition in 1955 (Buongiorno tristezza), 1957 (Corde della mia chitarra), 1962 (Addio ... addio) and 1967 (Non pensare a me). He won the RAI-TV Canzonissima competition in 1964 with " ‘O sole mio", and in 1966 with "Granada".
His debut was as a follower of the folk singer Carlo Buti (Florence 1902-1963, “the Golden Voice of Italy”); in 1947 he records his first 78 giri record (a rarity now) and in 1952 he is the main actor in the movie “Serenata amara” dir. by Pino Mercanti - followed by about 30 movies, where he is often singing as well; he most loved the Mario Valli character, an artist in “Granada Addio” (1966) dir. by Marino Girolami.
In the 1950s, together with his archi-rival Luciano Tajoli, he interpreted even many songs that will almost disappear afterward: "Il Ponte", "La luna nel rio" (Who threw the moon in the river, who threw it ...) and "Fontane Romane". Among Claudio Villa’s classics, one shoud also mention: 1948 Scalinatella, 1949 Fontana di Trevi and Signorinella, 1950 Luna Rossa, the 1951 Neapolitan suite (Voce 'e notte - Core 'ngrato - 'Na sera 'e maggio - Anema e core - Malafemmena - Munasterio 'e Santa Chiara - Marechiaro), 1951 I’ te vurria vasà, 1952 Vola colomba and Vecchio scarpone, 1955 Arrivederci Roma, 1956 Guaglione, 1957 Corde della mia chitarra, Lazzarella, La vie en rose, and Ave Maria di Schubert, 1958 Nel blu dipinto di blu (Modugno’s Volare), 1960 Romantica and Marina, 1969 Strangers in the night, 1974 Michelle and La Paloma, 1980 Dove sta Zazà and Tamurriata nera, 1982 El Condor pasa, 1985 Nessun dorma, and Caro amore (Concerto per Aranjuez).
In 1973 he interprets unforgettably on TV some “stornelli a dispetto” in duet with the great folksinger Gabriella Ferri, his great admirer and friend. After different labels, he ended up recording with Cetra (later on becoming Fonit-Cetra).
His death in 1987 by heart attack was announced live on Italian television by Pippo Baudo, during the last night of the Sanremo Music Festival of 1987.
He recorded across 4 decades over 3000 songs, and sold over 45 million records.
Tic Ti Tic Ta
Claudio Villa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ma perché, ma perché,
un bacetto neghi a me?
Furba, tu dici sempre no,
ma so già che ti và
e gia pensi "Me lo dà!"
Pure i colombi fan così,
poi si baciano. E che fà?
Dolce è baciar con voluttà,
mia Ninì, mia Ninì,
bocca a bocca e star così!
Gira, rigira, biondina,
l'amore, la vita godere ci fà.
Quando ti veggo, piccina,
il mio cor sempre fà
"Tic-tì, Tic-tà!
Gira, rigira, biondina,
l'amore, la vita godere ci fà.
Quando ti veggo, piccina,
il mio cor sempre fà
"Tic-tì, Tic-tà!
Quando stasera aspetterò
che papà, che papà
a dormire se ne và,
su come un gatto, lì per lì,
salterò, salterò
e del topo in cerca andrò.
Zitto le scale salirò,
verrò sù, verrò sù,
ma la porta m'apri tu.
Ah! Se si sveglia il tuo papà
già lo sò, già lo sò
che d'un colpo abbasso andrò.
Gira, rigira, biondina,
l'amore, la vita godere ci fà.
Quando ti veggo, piccina,
il mio cor sempre fà
"Tic-tì, Tic-tà!
Gira, rigira, biondina,
l'amore, la vita godere ci fà.
Quando ti veggo, piccina,
il mio cor sempre fà
"Tic-tì, Tic-tà!
Dice il proverbio, oh mia Ninì,
"Gioventù, gioventù
se ne và e non torna più".
Passa la vita tua così,
tra l'età di mamma
e la pipa di papà.
Rose e garofani, e che sò,
che buquè, che buquè
ci vorrebbero per te!
Ma se un marito sogni tu,
già si sà, già si sà,
il marito eccolo quà!
Gira, rigira, biondina,
l'amore, la vita godere ci fà.
Quando ti veggo, piccina,
il mio cor sempre fà
"Tic-tì, Tic-tà!
Gira, rigira, biondina,
l'amore, la vita godere ci fà.
Quando ti veggo, piccina,
il mio cor sempre fà
"Tic-tì, Tic-tà!
Gira, rigira, biondina,
l'amore, la vita godere ci fà...
The song "Tic Ti Tic Ta" by Claudio Villa is a tune about a man trying to persuade his love interest (Nini, who he calls "biondina" or little blonde) to give him a kiss, despite her initially rejecting his advances. The lyrics depict the man comparing Nini's behavior to that of doves, who playfully fly around each other before embracing, and he ultimately convinces her to give in to his advances. The song then goes on to contemplate the fleeting nature of youth and the importance of enjoying life while you still can.
Throughout the song, the theme of romance is intertwined with the idea of living life in the moment. The man urges Nini to enjoy the thrill of their interactions and to not worry about societal expectations or the future. The song speaks to the universal experience of young love, and the desire to live passionately and without regret.
Line by Line Meaning
Bella, mi neghi un bacio tu.
Beautiful, you deny me a kiss. You refuse to give me a little kiss?
Ma perché, ma perché, un bacetto neghi a me?
Why, oh why, do you deny me a little kiss?
Furba, tu dici sempre no, ma so già che ti và e gia pensi "Me lo dà!"
Clever girl, you always say no, but I know you want to and you're already thinking "Will he give it to me!"
Pure i colombi fan così, van di quà, van di là, poi si baciano. E che fà?
Even doves behave like that, they go here and there, and then they kiss. So what's the matter?
Dolce è baciar con voluttà, mia Ninì, mia Ninì, bocca a bocca e star così!
It's sweet to kiss with pleasure, my Ninì, my Ninì, mouth to mouth and stay like this!
Gira, rigira, biondina, l'amore, la vita godere ci fà. Quando ti veggo, piccina, il mio cor sempre fà "Tic-tì, Tic-tà!
Round and round, blondie, love, life makes us enjoy it. When I see you, little one, my heart goes "Tick-tock, Tick-tock!"
Quando stasera aspetterò che papà, che papà a dormire se ne và, su come un gatto, lì per lì, salterò, salterò e del topo in cerca andrò.
When tonight I wait for dad to go to sleep, I'll jump like a cat and go in search of the mouse.
Zitto le scale salirò, verrò sù, verrò sù, ma la porta m'apri tu. Ah! Se si sveglia il tuo papà già lo sò, già lo sò, che d'un colpo abbasso andrò.
Quietly, I'll climb up the stairs, I'll come up, I'll come up, but you open the door for me. Oh! If your dad wakes up, I already know, I'll have to knock him down with one blow.
Dice il proverbio, oh mia Ninì, "Gioventù, gioventù se ne và e non torna più". Passa la vita tua così, tra l'età di mamma e la pipa di papà.
As the proverb says, oh my Ninì, "Youth, youth goes away and never comes back." Your life passes like this, between your mother's age and your father's pipe.
Rose e garofani, e che sò, che buquè, che buquè ci vorrebbero per te! Ma se un marito sogni tu, già si sà, già si sà, il marito eccolo quà!
Roses and carnations, and what about the bouquets, what kind of bouquets would you like? But if you dream of a husband, you already know, you already know, your husband is here!
Contributed by Cole R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@pack-wr6nq
Sounds like something that would be playing on the jukebox in Sonny's bar in "A Bronx Tale"
@giuseppelogiurato5718
"Tichi tri, tichi tra" is what he says, not "tic-tac" whatever... Listen!