He then moved back to his family in Modena and attended the local "istituto magistrale". He worked for a couple otf years as a reporter for a local newspaper Gazzetta di Modena. In 1960 the Guccinis moved to Bologna where Francesco studied at the local university. From 1965 to 1985 he held italian courses at the Dickinson College (an American school) in Bologna.
He played in local bands such as The Hurricanes and Gatti and achieved success in the 1960s writing songs for a legendary Italian band, Nomadi, also from Modena. Some of these successes include "Noi non ci saremo" and "Dio è morto". In the 1970s, Nomadi recorded two albums of Guccini's songs as well as a live album, Album Concerto, featuring him. Guccini's debut album was Folkbeat, No. 1 (1967).
Guccini always declared his first two works, Folk Beat n.1 and Due anni dopo, being merely tentatives, a nature probably noticeable in the quite essential musical arrangements. The latter, however, contained classics like the title-track and "La primavera di Praga" ("Prague Spring"). His first mature album is therefore L'Isola Non Trovata ("The Not Found Island") of 1970, which shows many the themes which were to be present in the future releases: a certain melancholy for a perceived nearness of death, as well as the portrait of outcasts figures like "Il frate" ("The Friar").
Radici ("Roots", 1972), is one of Guccini's finest works, and contains some of his most famous songs. These include: the title-track, a nostalgic declaration of love for Guccini's youth spent in the Appennine mountains; "La locomotiva", a long ballad about the solitary, unlucky revolt of a Bolognese railwayman during the 19th century; "Il vecchio e il bambino", a melancholic story about the dreams of an old man, and the different way in which they are perceived by the boy accompanying him; "Piccola città" ("Small City"), about Guccini's early years in the Emilia-Romagna provincial world.
Stanze di vita quotidiana ("Stanzas of Everyday Life") of 1974 deals with more private themes, sometimes with nearly desperate accents. The album contains at least one masterwork, the yearning "Canzone delle osterie di fuori porta".
In 1976 Guccini scored his greatest commercial success with the album Via Paolo Fabbri 43. The title is his residence street in Bologna. He declared this choice was an error, because many of his fans made true pilgrimages there to meet and talk with him. The album features the famous "L'avvelenata", a catchy ballad in which Guccini unleashes his rage against musics critics and people perceiving in a distorted way his career ans popularity as singer-songwriter.
Amerigo (1978), whose title-track is about the story of the emigration of Guccini's Pavanese uncle to the United States, Metropolis (1981), and Guccini (1983), showed that the Bolognese singer's inspiration was left untouched by the general switch to the more commercial themes that characterized the Italian musical world starting from the end of 1970s.
The 1984 live tournée was highly successful, and was soon collected in a double live LP, Fra la Via Emilia e il West ("Between the Via Aemilia and the West"). Emilia Romagna and the Old West symbolize well the double ties of Guccini to his native land and to America. Guccini declared to have knwown the latter soon in his life, through the comics and magazines imported by US soldiers during World War 2, but also through his uncle's tales. After the war, like many Italians of the period, he was of course influenced by American songs and Hollywood movies, and finally managed to touch with hand this kind of myth during his personal voyages to US (including a love story with an American girl).
Last album of 1980s was Signora Bovary (1987), containing notable pieces like "Scirocco". After several interlocutory albums in the 1990s, Guccini returned at his best with Stagioni ("Seasons") of 2000: the title-track is an effective, merciless accusation against media invadence and moral corruption of Italy.
Guccini's last studio release is Ritratti of 2004.
Canzone Delle Situazioni Differenti
Francesco Guccini Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
scoprivo gli USA e rari giornaletti.
Ridesti nel vedermi grande e grosso coi fumetti,
anch' io sorrisi sempre più scontento.
Poi scrissi il nome tuo versando piano sulla neve
la strana cosa che sembrava vino,
mi aveva affascinato il suo colore di rubino:
La scatola meccanica per musica è esaurita,
rimane solo l' eco in lontananza,
ma dimmi cosa fai lontana via nell' altra stanza,
ma dimmi cosa fai della tua vita.
O sera, scendi presto! O mondo nuovo, arriva!
Rivoluzione, cambia qualche cosa!
Cancella il ghigno solito di questa ormai corrosa
mia stanca civiltà che si trascina.
Poi piovve all' improvviso sull' Amstel, ti ricordi?
Dicesti qualche cosa sorridendo;
risposi, credo, anch' io qualche banalità scoprendo
il fascino di un dialogo tra i sordi.
Tuo nonno era un grand' uomo, famoso chissà cosa,
di loro si usa dire "è ancora in gamba".
Mi espose a gesti e a sputi quella "weltanshauung" sua stramba
puntando come un indice una rosa.
Malinconie discrete che non sanno star segrete,
le piccole modeste storie mie,
che non si son mai messe addosso il nome di poesie,
amiche mie di sempre, voi sapete!
Ebbrezze conosciute già forse troppe volte:
di giorno bevo l' acqua e faccio il saggio.
Per questo solo a notte ho quattro soldi di messaggio
da urlare in faccia a chi non lo raccoglie.
Il tuo patrigno era un noto musicista,
tuo padre lo incontravi a qualche mostra.
Bevemmo il tè per terra e mi piaceva quella giostra
di gente nelle storie tue d' artista.
Mi confidasti trepida non so quale segreto
dicendo "donna" e non "la cameriera".
Tua madre aveva un forte mal di testa quella sera:
fui premuroso, timido, discreto.
E tu nell' altra stanza che insegui i tuoi pensieri,
non creder che ci sia di meglio attorno:
noi siamo come tutti e un poco giorno dopo giorno
sciupiamo i nostri oggi come ieri.
Ma poi che cosa importa? Bisogna stare ai patti:
non voglio il paradiso né l'inferno.
Se a volte urlo la rabbia, poi dimentico e mi perdo
nei mondi dentro agli occhi dei miei gatti.
Uscimmo un po' accaldati per il troppo vino nero,
danzammo sulla strada, già albeggiava.
Sembrava una commedia musicale americana,
tu non lo sai, ma dentro me ridevo...
The lyrics to the song "Canzone Delle Situazioni Differenti" by Francesco Guccini describe different situations or encounters that the singer experiences with a woman. The encounters are described in a series of memories and flashbacks. The first stanza describes spending afternoons together, discovering the United States, and reading rare magazines. The woman noticed the singer's love for comics and smiled, but the singer became increasingly discontented. The second stanza describes the singer writing the woman's name on the snow with what seemed like red wine, but the woman later destroyed it with her foot. The singer wonders why she did so.
The third stanza describes the mechanical music box running out of music, leaving only echoes in the distance. The singer asks the woman what she's doing in the other room and what she's doing with her life. The last stanza describes a drunken night spent dancing in the street at dawn, resembling an American musical. The singer notes that sometimes he yells in anger, but he forgets and gets lost in the world of his cats' eyes. The lyrics seem to convey a sense of nostalgic melancholy and the fleeting moments that make up life.
Line by Line Meaning
Andammo i pomeriggi cercando affiatamento,
We spent afternoons trying to become close,
scoprivo gli USA e rari giornaletti.
I discovered the USA and rare newspapers.
Ridesti nel vedermi grande e grosso coi fumetti,
You laughed when you saw me with my comics, big and bulky,
anch' io sorrisi sempre più scontento.
I too smiled, growing increasingly discontent.
Poi scrissi il nome tuo versando piano sulla neve
Then I wrote your name on the snow, slowly,
la strana cosa che sembrava vino,
The strange thing that looked like wine,
mi aveva affascinato il suo colore di rubino:
I was fascinated by its ruby color,
perchè lo cancellasti con il piede?
But why did you erase it with your foot?
La scatola meccanica per musica è esaurita,
The music box is out of order,
rimane solo l' eco in lontananza,
Only echoes in the distance remain,
ma dimmi cosa fai lontana via nell' altra stanza,
But tell me, what are you doing far away in the other room,
ma dimmi cosa fai della tua vita.
And tell me, what are you doing with your life?
O sera, scendi presto! O mondo nuovo, arriva!
Oh evening, come down quickly! Oh new world, arrive!
Rivoluzione, cambia qualche cosa!
Revolution, change something!
Cancella il ghigno solito di questa ormai corrosa
Erase the usual smirk of this now corroded
mia stanca civiltà che si trascina.
civilization that drags itself on.
Poi piovve all' improvviso sull' Amstel, ti ricordi?
Then it suddenly rained on the Amstel, do you remember?
Dicesti qualche cosa sorridendo;
You said something smiling;
risposi, credo, anch' io qualche banalità scoprendo
I answered, I think, some banality discovering
il fascino di un dialogo tra i sordi.
the charm of a dialogue between the deaf.
Tuo nonno era un grand' uomo, famoso chissà cosa,
Your grandfather was a great man, famous who knows for what,
di loro si usa dire "è ancora in gamba".
People say of them 'he is still fit'.
Mi espose a gesti e a sputi quella "weltanshauung" sua stramba
He exposed to me in gestures and spitting his strange worldview,
puntando come un indice una rosa.
pointing like an index finger to a rose.
Malinconie discrete che non sanno star segrete,
Discreet melancholies that don't know how to stay hidden,
le piccole modeste storie mie,
My little modest stories,
che non si son mai messe addosso il nome di poesie,
That never put on the name of poetry,
amiche mie di sempre, voi sapete!
Friends of mine forever, you know!
Ebbrezze conosciute già forse troppe volte:
Intoxication that maybe we know too well already:
di giorno bevo l' acqua e faccio il saggio.
During the day I drink water and pretend to be wise.
Per questo solo a notte ho quattro soldi di messaggio
That's why only at night I have four pennies of message
da urlare in faccia a chi non lo raccoglie.
to scream in the face of those who don't collect it.
Il tuo patrigno era un noto musicista,
Your stepfather was a famous musician,
tuo padre lo incontravi a qualche mostra.
I met your father at a few exhibitions.
Bevemmo il tè per terra e mi piaceva quella giostra
We drank tea on the ground, and I liked that ride
di gente nelle storie tue d' artista.
of people in your artist's stories.
Mi confidasti trepida non so quale segreto
You confided in me, trembling, I don't know what secret,
dicendo "donna" e non "la cameriera".
saying 'woman' and not 'the maid'.
Tua madre aveva un forte mal di testa quella sera:
Your mother had a strong headache that evening:
fui premuroso, timido, discreto.
I was caring, shy, discreet.
E tu nell' altra stanza che insegui i tuoi pensieri,
And you in the other room, chasing your thoughts,
non creder che ci sia di meglio attorno:
Don't believe that there's something better around:
noi siamo come tutti e un poco giorno dopo giorno
we are like everyone else, and a little bit day by day
sciupiamo i nostri oggi come ieri.
we waste our todays like our yesterdays.
Ma poi che cosa importa? Bisogna stare ai patti:
But then what does it matter? We must keep our promise:
non voglio il paradiso né l'inferno.
I don't want heaven or hell.
Se a volte urlo la rabbia, poi dimentico e mi perdo
If sometimes I shout in anger, then I forget and lose myself
nei mondi dentro agli occhi dei miei gatti.
In the worlds inside the eyes of my cats.
Uscimmo un po' accaldati per il troppo vino nero,
We went out a bit heated from too much black wine,
danzammo sulla strada, già albeggiava.
dancing on the road, the dawn was already breaking.
Sembrava una commedia musicale americana,
It seemed like an American musical comedy,
tu non lo sai, ma dentro me ridevo...
You don't know it, but inside me I was laughing...
Contributed by Cameron R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@gdp0789
“Le piccole modeste storie mie
Che non si son mai messe addosso il nome di poesie”
“Weltanshauung” una parola che voleva usare da tanto tempo. È poesia si!
Avremmo ancora bisogno dei suoi concerti!
@chialuce2220
Fai vivere immagini. Pura poesia maestro
@ElephantRage
Epica oltre ogni livello.
@MrMauro1893
una perla rara!Guccini+ chitarra un binomio fantastico
@giusimuscolino3135
Tantissimi auguri per i tuoi 81anni!
Quanta malinconia...!
... sciupiamo i nostri oggi come ieri
Ma poi che cosa importa? 😢
@lubo3235
Fantastica!!!
@iacopoguadagni858
stupenda
@cainroberto1173
you prolly dont care but if you guys are stoned like me during the covid times then you can stream pretty much all of the new series on InstaFlixxer. I've been binge watching with my gf for the last couple of weeks :)
@colinjax3381
@Cain Roberto Yup, I have been watching on instaflixxer for since december myself :D
@leonardodona5930
Bellissima