In 1994, Sepe recorded Vite Perdite, which was much more successful than any of his previous niche recordings. It was dubbed album of year by Rockerilla, one of the one hundred greatest albums of the 1990s by Rockstar[disambiguation needed], and received a rave review from Folk-Roots, an English magazine.
Tarantella Guappa
Daniele Sepe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Comu ballanu bellu sti figlioli
Chi Sant' Antoniu lì chi Sant' Antoniu là
Chi Sant' Antoniu li pozza aiutari
Minatemi sti colpi chianu chianu
'ca sunnu distinati 'ppi muriri
Staju 'n galera a vita e 'un mi ni pientu
Scinni maredda mia cunza lu lettu
Avja li carni sua comu lu lattu
E si 'u curtieddu miu si avja lu tagliu
Carogna io ti sfreggiu e t' azzaccagnu
E ppi piscà stu cefalu
Ce misi 'na semmana
Ca lu pigghiai di sulu
E stu cefalu capitunu
Ca lu pigghiai di notti
E stu cefalu ca è 'na trotta
Ca lu pugghiai di sira
E stu cefalu pellegrino
Citringolo e citrangolo
Cucuzze e cucuzzuni
Li gusti di li fimmini
So l' ummini 'n cudinuli
Nu guappicieddu mi cacciau nu denti
E l' ha pagata e l' ha chiangiuta tantu
Haju distruttu a jddru e a li parienti
Du sangu sua m' haju fattu nu mantu
The song “Tarantella Guappa” by Daniele Sepe is a variation on a traditional Calabrese song. The lyrics describe the dance of young boys and girls dedicated to Saint Anthony, the protector from the tarantula spider, a feared symbol of the bite that could lead to tarantism. They dance with joy and abandon, celebrating life and love, while the author sings about being imprisoned for a lifetime, without crying or surrendering. He then describes a woman for whom he has a passion, using metaphors of the sea, milk and meat, and declares that he would even kill his rival for her. The final part of the song tells the story of another man who took a week to catch a fish, while the singer got the fish of his dreams in one night. This story is followed by a list of vegetables and fruits that women love and a warning to young men to be careful not to lose their teeth over a girl.
The song seems to be both celebratory and cautionary in nature, invoking the spirit of Saint Anthony as a protector, but also warning against reckless behavior and the consequences of passion. Sepe’s variation on the traditional song adds a layer of complexity and nuance, while still retaining the joy and energy of the traditional tarantella.
Line by Line Meaning
Comu ballanu bellu sti figlioli
How beautifully these children are dancing
Chi Sant' Antoniu lì chi Sant' Antoniu là
Some are dancing for Saint Anthony here, some are dancing for Saint Anthony there
Chi Sant' Antoniu li pozza aiutari
Saint Anthony can help them
Minatemi sti colpi chianu chianu
Hit me gently with these drum beats
'ca sunnu distinati 'ppi muriri
Because we are destined to die
Staju 'n galera a vita e 'un mi ni pientu
I am in prison for life and I do not cry
Staju 'n galera a vita e mi ni vantu
I am in prison for life and I do not complain
Scinni maredda mia cunza lu lettu
My dear wife lies in bed sick
Avja li carni sua comu lu lattu
Her flesh is soft like milk
E si 'u curtieddu miu si avja lu tagliu
And if someone messes with my cousin, I will cut them
Carogna io ti sfreggiu e t' azzaccagnu
I'll slash and strike you down, you scoundrel
E ppi piscà stu cefalu
And to catch this mackerel
Ce misi 'na semmana
It took me a week
Ca lu pigghiai di sulu
Because I caught it alone
E stu cefalu capitunu
And this mackerel is the captain
Ca lu pigghiai di notti
Because I caught it at night
E stu cefalu ca è 'na trotta
And this mackerel is a fast one
Ca lu pugghiai di sira
Because I caught it in the evening
E stu cefalu pellegrino
And this mackerel is a traveler
Citringolo e citrangolo
Lemons and oranges
Cucuzze e cucuzzuni
Zucchini and little zucchini
Li gusti di li fimmini
Women's tastes
So l' ummini 'n cudinuli
Men are in the background
Nu guappicieddu mi cacciau nu denti
A young man knocked out one of my teeth
E l' ha pagata e l' ha chiangiuta tantu
But he paid for it and cried a lot
Haju distruttu a jddru e a li parienti
I destroyed him and his relatives
Du sangu sua m' haju fattu nu mantu
His blood made me a cloak
Contributed by Brooklyn Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.