Caruso
Flavio Lyrics
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Qui dove il mare luccica
E tira forte il vento
Sulla vecchia terazza
Davanti al golfo di surriento
Un uomo abbraccia una ragazza
Dopo che aveva pianto
E ricomincia il canto
Te voglio bene assai
Ma tanto tanto bene sai
E una cantena ormai
Che sciogliei sangue dint′e vene sai
Vide le luci in mezzo al mare
Pens alle notti l in Àmerica
Ma erano solo le lampare
E la bianca scia di un'elica
Sent il dolore nella musica
E si alz dal pianoforte ma quando vide uscire
La luna da una nuvola
Gli sembro pi dolce anche la morte
Guardo negli occhi la ragazza
Quegli occhi verdi come il mare
Poi all′improvisso usci una lacrima
E lui credette di affogare
Te voglio bene assai
Ma tanto tanto bene sai
E una cantena ormai
Che sciogliei sangue dint'e vene sai
The lyrics to Caruso by Flavio depict a poignant and emotional scene where a man is expressing his love for a girl on a terrace overlooking the Gulf of Sorrento. The setting is described as the sea glistening and the wind blowing strongly. The man holds the girl in his arms after she had been crying, and then his voice clears up and he begins to sing again. He tells her “Te voglio bene assai, ma tanto tanto bene sai” which means "I love you dearly, so much love you know". The phrase is repeated and emphasized, conveying the depth of his feelings.
As the song progresses, the man reminisces about seeing lights in the middle of the sea and thinking about the nights in America, but realizing they were just lights from boats. He also mentions the pain he feels in music and how it moves him deeply. He gets up from the piano when he sees the moon emerging from a cloud and believes that even death would be sweeter. The man then looks into the girl's eyes, which are described as green like the sea, and suddenly a tear falls from her eyes, making him feel like he is drowning.
Line by Line Meaning
Qui dove il mare luccica
Here, where the sea glitters
E tira forte il vento
And the wind blows strongly
Sulla vecchia terrazza
On the old terrace
Davanti al golfo di Sorrento
Facing the Gulf of Sorrento
Un uomo abbraccia una ragazza
A man embraces a girl
Dopo che aveva pianto
After she had cried
Poi si sciarisce la voce
Then his voice clears up
E ricomincia il canto
And he starts singing again
Te voglio bene assai
I love you very much
Ma tanto tanto bene sai
But so, so much, you know
E una cantena ormai
And it's a chain now
Che scioglie il sangue dint'e vene sai
That melts the blood in the veins, you know
Vide le luci in mezzo al mare
He saw the lights in the middle of the sea
Pensò alle notti lontane in America
He thought about the distant nights in America
Ma erano solo le lampare
But they were only the lamps
E la bianca scia di un'elica
And the white wake of a propeller
Sentì il dolore nella musica
He felt the pain in the music
E si alzò dal pianoforte
And he got up from the piano
Ma quando vide uscire la luna da una nuvola
But when he saw the moon come out from a cloud
Gli sembrò più dolce anche la morte
Death seemed sweeter to him too
Guardò negli occhi la ragazza
He looked into the girl's eyes
Quegli occhi verdi come il mare
Those green eyes like the sea
Poi all'improvviso uscì una lacrima
Then suddenly a tear came out
E lui credette di affogare
And he believed he was drowning
Te voglio bene assai
I love you very much
Ma tanto tanto bene sai
But so, so much, you know
E una cantena ormai
And it's a chain now
Che scioglie il sangue dint'e vene sai
That melts the blood in the veins, you know
Writer(s): Lucio Dalla
Contributed by Caleb M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.