Influenced by Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and the Italian singer-songwriter Fabrizio de André, Francesco De Gregori started his career in the beginning of the 1970's.
He is popularly known as "Il Principe Poeta" ("The Poet Prince"), the nickname refers to the elegance of his lyrics.
Sotto Le Stelle Del Messico A Trapanar
Francesco De Gregori Lyrics
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nelle miniere di petrolio a dimenticar,
e nelle sere quando scende la sera andar.
Sotto le stelle del Messico a trapanr.
Sotto la luna dei tropici a innamorar,
dentro le ascelle dei poveri a respirar,
sul pavimento dei treni a vomitar
e quando arriva lo sciopero a scioperar.
E quando arriva la musica a emozionar,
e quando arrivan le femmine a immaginar
e intanto arrivano i treni e si va si va.
Sotto le stelle del Messico a passeggiar.
E quando arrabbiano i diavoli a spaventar,
e quando tornano gli angeli a ringraziar,
e quando suona l'armonica a festeggiar,
e quando torna domenica a lavorar.
Sotto le stelle del Messico a ritornar,
e quando arriva le nuvole a rincasar,
e quando piove nel fango a transumanar.
Sotto le stelle del Messico a naufragar.
The lyrics of Francesco De Gregori's "Sotto le stelle del Messico a trapanàr" paint a vivid picture of life in Mexico, taking us on a journey through the sights and sounds of this vibrant country. In the first stanza, the song talks about working in the oil mines, forgetting everything else under the starry sky of Mexico, and wandering around during the evenings. The second stanza talks about falling in love under the tropical moon, taking refuge in the poor's armpits, vomiting on train floors, and striking when there's a strike.
The third stanza of the song speaks about how people respond to music, how women arrive from nowhere and inflame the imaginations of men, and how people get on trains and leave. The fourth and fifth stanzas mention how the devil's anger terrifies people, how the returning angels are thanked, and how the harmonica celebrates moments. It then concludes with the return to Mexico's stars, waiting for the clouds to descend, and the struggles of surviving in challenging conditions.
Line by Line Meaning
Sotto le stelle del Messico a trapanar
Under the stars of Mexico, drilling for oil
nelle miniere di petrolio a dimenticar
Forgetting oneself in the oil mines
e nelle sere quando scende la sera andar
And in the evenings, when night falls, going out
Sotto le stelle del Messico a trapanar
Under the stars of Mexico, drilling for oil
Sotto la luna dei tropici a innamorar
Under the tropical moon, falling in love
dentro le ascelle dei poveri a respirar
Breathing in the armpits of the poor
sul pavimento dei treni a vomitar
Vomiting on the train floor
e quando arriva lo sciopero a scioperar
And when the strike arrives, striking
E quando arriva la musica a emozionar
And when the music arrives, stirring emotions
e quando arrivano le femmine a immaginar
And when the women arrive, imagining
e intanto arrivano i treni e si va si va
And meanwhile, the trains arrive and we go, we go
Sotto le stelle del Messico a passeggiar
Under the stars of Mexico, taking a walk
E quando arrabbiano i diavoli a spaventar
And when the devils get angry, scaring
e quando tornano gli angeli a ringraziar
And when the angels return, thanking
e quando suona l'armonica a festeggiar
And when the harmonica plays, celebrating
e quando torna domenica a lavorar
And when Sunday returns, working
Sotto le stelle del Messico a ritornar
Under the stars of Mexico, returning
e quando arriva le nuvole a rincasar
And when the clouds arrive, retreating to bed
e quando piove nel fango a transumanar
And when it rains in the mud, transuming
Sotto le stelle del Messico a naufragar
Under the stars of Mexico, shipwrecking
Contributed by Henry D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.