… Read Full Bio ↴Enrico Ruggeri (born June 5, 1957) is an Italian singer-songwriter.
A native of Milan, Ruggeri made his debut in the 1970s with a punk band, the Decibel. In 1981 he began the career as a sole singer and established as a songwriter: his most famous success in this latter role is "Il mare d'inverno" ("The Sea in Winter"), brought to chart by Loredana Bertè.
He won the Sanremo Music Festival twice: in 1987 singing "Si può dare di più" ("You can give more") together with Gianni Morandi and Umberto Tozzi and in 1993 singing "Mistero" ("Mistery"). He represented Italy at Eurovision Song Contest 1993 with the song "Sole D'Europa" ("Sun of Europe").
His personal web site can be found at http://www.enricoruggeri.net/
First of May
Enrico Ruggeri Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We used to love while others used to play
Don't ask me why, but time has passed us by
Someone else moved in from far away
Now we are tall and Christmas trees are small
And you don't ask the time of day
But you and I, our love will never die
The apple tree that grew for you and me
I watched the apples falling one by one
And I recall the moment of them all
The day I kissed your cheek and you were gone
Now we are tall and Christmas trees are small
And you don't ask the time of day
But you and I, our love will never die
But guess we'll cry come first of May
When I was small and Christmas trees were tall
Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do
Don't ask me why, but time has passed us by
Someone else moved in from far away
The lyrics of Enrico Ruggeri's song First of May speak of a nostalgic remembrance of a past love. The first stanza establishes a contrast between the singer's happy memories of love during childhood Christmases and the present where the love has faded away. The second stanza focuses on a specific moment of love and the eventual heartbreak that followed. The third stanza circles back to the first, repeating the first few lines almost verbatim, emphasizing the passing of time and the bitter-sweetness of memories.
The song is a poignant reflection on how love can change and fade away with time, yet still remain an indelible part of one's life. The lyrics evoke a sense of longing and wistfulness for what could have been, but also an acceptance of what is.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was small and Christmas trees were tall
In my youth, during the peak of Christmas spirit, when everyone decorated the most extravagant trees.
We used to love while others used to play
While others engaged in childish games, we were in love and enjoying our relationship.
Don't ask me why, but time has passed us by
There's no clear explanation for how time seemingly flew by and left us behind.
Someone else moved in from far away
Now we are apart because someone else came from a far-off place and took you away from me.
Now we are tall and Christmas trees are small
We have grown up and lost the childlike wonder we once had. The trees that used to tower over us now seem small.
And you don't ask the time of day
You no longer care about the small details and don't even bother asking about the time of day.
But you and I, our love will never die
Despite the passing of time and our physical distance, the love we shared will never die.
But guess we'll cry come first of May
We'll likely shed tears on May 1st, a holiday that represents rebirth and new beginnings, while we reminisce about our past and what we once had.
The apple tree that grew for you and me
The apple tree that we once had, which grew to bear fruit for us to enjoy.
I watched the apples falling one by one
I recall looking on as the apples would fall from the tree, a visual representation of how our love was fading away.
And I recall the moment of them all
Above all else, I remember the moment we parted ways and thought about you as the apples would fall.
The day I kissed your cheek and you were gone
The day I gave you one last goodbye kiss on the cheek before you left and we were separated.
Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do
Background vocals that add a melodious flair to the song, but have no tangible meaning.
Contributed by Daniel Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.