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.
Gli artisti
Francesco Guccini Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Non sembrano strani animali ma nascono un po' come tutti
Come individui normali
Hanno lacrime e riso
Hanno due occhi e due mani
Hanno stampata sul viso l'impronta di esseri umani
Poi, appena un po' cresciuti
E appare sui volti convinti la stigmate della vocazione
Non sperano di fare il pompiere
L'astronauta o il ciclista
Non vogliono un comune mestiere
Ma vogliono essere artista
Non sono più alti o più belli
Ma indossano panni curiosi
Son quelli che lancian coltelli
Sognando di esser famosi
C'è quello che annaspa e si pigia
Da abile contorsionista
Chiudendosi in una valigia con un costume d'artista
E girano il mondo dei circhi, vagando di qua e di là
Paghi d'applausi sol quando si inchinano e gridan: "Voilà"
E amano donne fedeli, che aspettano
Nel carrozzone, rattoppano una calzamaglia
E adorano il loro campione
Ci sono il cantante e l'attore, il poeta, lo stilista
Spesso son geni incompresi ma sempre si sentono artista
Ah come invidio gli artisti che vivono nell'utopia
Perché anche una vita infelice si illumina con la fantasia
Io semplice essere umano
Costretto a costretti ideali
Sono solo un umile artigiano
E volo con piccole ali
Fabbrico sedie e canzoni
Erbaggi amari, cicoria, o un grappolo di illusioni
Che svaniscono dalla memoria
E non restano nella memoria
In his song "Gli artisti," Francesco Guccini explores the nature of the artistic vocation, noting that artists do not come into the world as such but are, like everyone else, born as normal individuals. They have tears and laughter, two eyes and two hands, and bear the imprint of human beings on their face. As they grow up, however, they are marked by a unique expression, which becomes the "stigmata of vocation" on their faces. These individuals do not aspire to become firefighters, astronauts or cyclists, but want to be artists, as they feel called to that life.
The song goes on to describe the various types of artists, from knife throwers to singers, actors, poets, and fashion designers. Despite their differences, they all have one thing in common: they are driven by a deep-seated desire to create and to express themselves in their chosen medium. Guccini expresses his admiration for these artists, noting that even an unhappy life can be illuminated by imagination and creativity. Meanwhile, he describes himself as a mere artisan who makes chairs and songs and whose creations may fade from memory over time.
Overall, "Gli artisti" is an ode to the artistic temperament, which Guccini sees as a powerful force that can give meaning and purpose to life. It is a celebration of the dreamers, the eccentrics, and the visionaries who refuse to be limited by convention and who follow their hearts wherever they may lead.
Line by Line Meaning
Gli artisti non nascono artisti
Artists are not born as artists
Non sembrano strani animali ma nascono un po' come tutti
They don't look like strange animals but are born like everyone else
Come individui normali
As normal individuals
Hanno lacrime e riso
They have tears and laughter
Hanno due occhi e due mani
They have two eyes and two hands
Hanno stampata sul viso l'impronta di esseri umani
They have the imprint of human beings on their faces
Poi, appena un po' cresciuti
Then, as they grow up a little
Li avvolge una strana espressione
They are surrounded by a strange expression
E appare sui volti convinti la stigmate della vocazione
The mark of their vocation appears on their confident faces
Non sperano di fare il pompiere
They don't hope to be firefighters
L'astronauta o il ciclista
Astronauts or cyclists
Non vogliono un comune mestiere
They don't want a common job
Ma vogliono essere artisti
But they want to be artists
Non sono più alti o più belli
They are not taller or more handsome
Ma indossano panni curiosi
But they wear curious clothes
Son quelli che lancian coltelli
They are the ones who throw knives
Sognando di esser famosi
Dreaming of being famous
C'è quello che annaspa e si pigia
There is the one who struggles and pushes themselves
Da abile contorsionista
As a skilled contortionist
Chiudendosi in una valigia con un costume d'artista
Closing themselves in a suitcase with an artist's costume
E girano il mondo dei circhi, vagando di qua e di là
And they travel around the world of circuses, wandering back and forth
Paghi d'applausi sol quando si inchinano e gridan: "Voilà"
Only paid with applause when they bow and shout: "Voilà"
E amano donne fedeli, che aspettano
And they love faithful women who wait for them
Nel carrozzone, rattoppano una calzamaglia
In the caravan, they mend a leotard
E adorano il loro campione
And they adore their champion
Ci sono il cantante e l'attore, il poeta, lo stilista
There are the singer and the actor, the poet, the fashion designer
Spesso son geni incompresi ma sempre si sentono artisti
Often they are misunderstood geniuses but they always feel like artists
Ah come invidio gli artisti che vivono nell'utopia
Ah, how I envy the artists who live in utopia
Perché anche una vita infelice si illumina con la fantasia
Because even an unhappy life is brightened by imagination
Io semplice essere umano
I am just a human being
Costretto a costretti ideali
Forced to constrained ideals
Sono solo un umile artigiano
I am just a humble craftsman
E volo con piccole ali
And I fly with little wings
Fabbrico sedie e canzoni
I make chairs and songs
Erbaggi amari, cicoria, o un grappolo di illusioni
Bitter herbs, chicory, or a cluster of illusions
Che svaniscono dalla memoria
That disappear from memory
E non restano nella memoria
And do not remain in memory
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Juan Carlos Biondini, Francesco Guccini
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gianfelice Fusco
Uno dei più grandi artisti italiani! ❤
Pietro Bellè
Nel suo campo il più grande artista di sempre.
Cinzia Vidali
La musica ricorda una ballata francese; le parole sono, come sempre, al confine con la poesia più paludata.
Marco Balestra
Che canzone di classe, un po' malinconica che ti strappa un sorriso.... Bellabella ....
Pietro Pezzotti
Sempre grande 💛😎👍
Alessandra Ruggiero
Finalmente è stata pubblicata nuovamente su youtube..è stata rimossa per tanto tempo...
Carlo Metelli
Una canzone di una struggente avventura
Alessandra Ruggiero
Insieme alle altre dell'album