Following a spell in London he began performing as a one-man-band playing guitar, harmonica, kazoo and kick drum. He shaped his character on Blues and Rock, fusing them with mediterranean elements.
His debut album called "Non farti cadere le braccia" was published in 1973. Over the next few years Bennato became one of the main Italian singer-songwriters for the counter-cultural youth movement, with songs which fused social protest with irony and sarcasm. "Burattino senza fili" (1978) which used Pinocchio's fable as a metaphor for Bennato's social commentary, introduced him to a more mainstream audience. His popularity was at its highest peak during a triumphal tour that included the St. Siro Stadium in Milan for an unforgettable concert in front of 70.000 people.
Nowadays he has 29 album published, and conuntered various collaborations: he performed with Bo Diddley, B.B. King and Jeff Healy. Still memorable are the great concerts at Hallenstadium in Zurich and at the Prater in Wien (1977), his partecipations at Montreux Jazz Festival (1987, 1992) and at the Apollo Theatre in New York City (1987) and the monogram of the Championship 1990 "Un'estate Italiana", sung with Gianna Nannini, which remained in hit parade for four months and went all around the world.
Still performing succesfully on stage with his new songs , he's also engaged in a new theatrical production: the Italian musical Peter Pan. The soundtrack of the Italian version is totally composed by Edoardo Bennato's lyrics, taken from his concept album "Sono solo canzonette" a musical transcription of the tale of Peter Pan which is going to be translated into English.
Official web site: www.bennato.net
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DISCOGRAPHY
NON FARTI CADERE LE BRACCIA (1973)
I BUONI E I CATTIVI (1974)
IO CHE NON SONO L’IMPERATORE (1975)
LA TORRE DI BABELE (1976)
BURATTINO SENZA FILI (1977)
UFFA, UFFA (1980)
SONO SOLO CANZONETTE (1980)
E’ ARRIVATO UN BASTIMENTO (1983)
E’ GOAL (live) (1984)
KAIWANNA (1985)
OK ITALIA (1987)
EDOARDO LIVE (1987)
IL GIOCO CONTINUA (1988)
ABBI DUBBI (1989)
EDO RINNEGATO (1990)
E’ ASCIUTO PAZZO ‘O PADRONE (1992)
IL PAESE DEI BALOCCHI (1992)
PERSONE PULITE (1993)
SE SON ROSE FIORIRANNO (1994)
LE RAGAZZE FANNO GRANDI SOGNI (1995)
QUARTETTO D’ARCHI (1996)
W LA MAMMA (Spanish) (1996)
SBANDATO (1998)
SEMBRA IERI (2000)
AFFERRARE UNA STELLA (2001)
IL PRINCIPE E IL PIRATA – soundtrack (2001)
L’UOMO OCCIDENTALE (2003)
TOTO’ SAPORE E LA MAGICA STORIA DELLA PIZZA - soundtrack (2004)
LA FANTASTICA STORIA DEL PIFFERAIO MAGICO (2005)
Sembra ieri
Edoardo Bennato Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Non c'è bene non c'è male
Emigrante alla conquista
Di un impero coloniale
...sembra ieri
Italiano - finalmente
Reclutato in fretta e furia
Per la prima guerra mondiale
...sembra ieri
Italiano - brava gente
Lungo il fronte orientale
Con le scarpe di cartone
Nello sbando più totale
...sembra ieri
...Yesterday!
Italiano - nelle mani
Dei maestri americani
Per sapere dove andare
Che mercato conquistare
...sembra ieri
...Yesterday!
Grande orchestra grande musica
E il paese in festa ogni domenica!...
Italiano - novecento
Non c'è bene non c'è male
Ma è così che va la storia
E così doveva andare...
The song "Sembra ieri" by Edoardo Bennato talks about how time flies and how the events of the past seem like they happened just yesterday. The lyrics are a reflection on the history of Italy in the 20th century, describing the different periods and events that shaped the country.
The first stanza talks about the time when Italy was an emigrant country, where people were leaving the country to conquer new lands and territories. This was the beginning of the Italian colonization period in Africa, which started at the end of the 19th century and lasted until the 1930s. The lyrics suggest that this was not a good or bad thing, but simply the way things were at that time.
The second stanza talks about the time of World War I, when Italy joined the war on the side of the Allies. The lyrics suggest that people were recruited quickly and urgently, without much thought or preparation, and that this was a chaotic and difficult time.
The third stanza talks about the time of World War II, when Italy was fighting on the Eastern front against the Soviet Union. The lyrics describe the difficult conditions that Italian soldiers faced, including the lack of proper shoes and equipment.
The fourth stanza talks about the post-war period, when Italy was under the influence of the United States and the American way of life. The lyrics suggest that Italians were trying to find their place in the world and figure out which markets to conquer.
Overall, the song is a reflection on the complex and difficult history of Italy in the 20th century, and how these events have shaped the country and its people.
Line by Line Meaning
Italiano - novecento
Italian - twentieth century
Non c'è bene non c'è male
There's neither good nor bad
Emigrante alla conquista
Immigrant on a conquest
Di un impero coloniale
Of a colonial empire
...sembra ieri
...it seems like yesterday
Italiano - finalmente
Italian - finally
Adunata generale
General gathering
Reclutato in fretta e furia
Recruited in haste
Per la prima guerra mondiale
For the First World War
...sembra ieri
...it seems like yesterday
Italiano - brava gente
Italian - brave people
Lungo il fronte orientale
Along the eastern front
Con le scarpe di cartone
With cardboard shoes
Nello sbando più totale
In the total chaos
...sembra ieri
...it seems like yesterday
...Yesterday!
...Yesterday!
Italiano - nelle mani
Italian - in the hands
Dei maestri americani
Of the American masters
Per sapere dove andare
To know where to go
Che mercato conquistare
Which market to conquer
...sembra ieri
...it seems like yesterday
...Yesterday!
...Yesterday!
Grande orchestra grande musica
Great orchestra great music
E il paese in festa ogni domenica!...
And the country celebrating every Sunday!...
Italiano - novecento
Italian - twentieth century
Non c'è bene non c'è male
There's neither good nor bad
Ma è così che va la storia
But that's how the story goes
E così doveva andare...
And that's how it had to be...
Contributed by Keira I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Monica Petrucci
Italiano nelle mani dei maestri americani per sapere dove andare e che mercato conquistare... In una frase hai detto tutto
Gianni Ramarini
Musica e testo bellissimi. "Italiani brava gente" .
Danilo Puleo
Edoardo un MITO ❤🇮🇹🔝
Simone Biggi
🇮🇹❤️
Antonietta Paone
Sembra ieri davvero. In tutto ....
Martino Ceretta
canzone della sigla del programma ITALIANI di Paolo Bonolis nel 2001/2002. Dissero che fu un flop ma io probabilmente fui l'unico ad apprezzarlo, poi con una canzone così come sigla....contribuiva ad apprezzarlo. Altro che Panariello
David Need
Con le scarpe di cartone... eravamo pezzenti, verissimo!
Fabio Dimagli
Ma con due palle così !! Sempre