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.
Lettera
Francesco Guccini Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Agli scoppi del nuovo sole
Il quartiere si presto riempito
Di neve, di pioppi e di parole
All'una in punto si sente il suono
Acciottolante che fanno i piatti
Le TV sono un rombo di tuono
Per l'indifferenza scostante dei gatti
In quest'inutile sarabanda
Ma nell'intreccio di vita uguale
Soffia il libeccio di una domanda
Punge il rovaio d'un dubbio eterno
Un formicaio di cose andate
Di chi aspetta sempre l'inverno
Per desiderare una nuova estate
Son tornate a sbocciare le strade
Ideali ricami del mondo
Girano tronfie la figlia e la madre
Nel viso uguali e nel culo tondo
In testa identiche, senza storia
Sfidando tutto senza confini
Frantumano un attimo quella boria
Grida di rondini e ragazzini
Come vedi tutto consueto
In questo ingorgo di vite morte
Ma mi rattristo, io sono lieto
Di questa pista di voglie sorte
Di questa rete troppo smagliata
Di queste mete da sognare
Di questa sete mai appagata
Di chi starnazza e non vuol mai volare
Appassiscono piano le rose
Spuntano a grappi i frutti del melo
Le nuvole in alto van silenziose
Negli strappi cobalto del cielo
Io sdraiato sull'erba verde
Fantastico piano sul mio passato
Ma lei all'improvviso disperde
Quel che credevo e non sono stato
Come senti tutto va liscio
In questo mondo senza patemi
In questa vita presa di striscio
Di svolgimento corretto i temi
Dei miei entusiasmi durati poco
Dei tanti chiasmi filosofanti
Di storie tragiche nate per gioco
Troppo vicino, troppo distanti
Ma il tempo, il tempo chi me lo rende
Chi mi da indietro quelle stagioni
Di vetro e sabbia, chi mi riprende
La rabbia e il gesto, donne e canzoni
Gli amici persi, i libri mangiati
La gioia piana degli appetiti
L'arsura sana degli assetati
La fede cieca in poveri miti
Come vedi tutto è usuale
Solo che il tempo stringe la borsa
E c'è il sospetto che sia triviale
L'affanno e l'ansimo dopo una corsa
L'ansia volgare del giorno dopo
La fine triste della partita
Il lento scorrere senza uno scopo
Di questa cosa che chiami vita
The song "Lettera" by Francesco Guccini is a reflection on life and the passing of time. The lyrics describe a cherry blossom garden that is filled with snow, poplars, and words when the sun rises. The neighborhood is bustling with activity, and at exactly one o'clock, the sound of clattering plates can be heard. The TVs make a booming thunder sound while the cats indifferently disregard everything going on around them. Guccini highlights how everything seems normal amidst the chaotic hustle and bustle of daily life, but in the midst of this, there is a storm of questions that blows. Guccini compares the storm of questions to the sting of an eternal doubt, an anthill of things that have passed away, of those who always wait for winter to desire a new summer.
Guccini portrays how the streets have come back to life, embroidered with the idealistic ideas of the world. The daughter and mother both bear two strikingly different faces while maintaining an identical look. In their head, they have no history and fearlessly challenge the limits. Someone screams among the swallows and children. Guccini highlights how in this dead end of life, everything appears ordinary. However, Guccini is sad because he is happy about the track of desires that he has suddenly formed. He also notices how his desires are too fragile, and there are destinations to dream of, a thirst that is never satisfied, and those who quack but never want to fly.
The final verse reflects Guccini's hopes and fears for the future. Flowers fade slowly, and apple trees bear many fruits in clusters. Silent clouds drift across the deep blue skies. Lying on the green grass, Guccini fantastically visualizes his past. He reminisces about what he thought he once was and has not become. Everything appears smooth on the surface of this life. But as the song progresses, we understand Guccini's remorse, his burning desire to turn the clock back and relive moments so that he can experience the same joy again. The song closes with Guccini's realization that time passes too quickly, and he has missed out on so many things that he wishes he could recapture.
Line by Line Meaning
Il giardino di ciliegi fiorito
The cherry garden is in full bloom
Agli scoppi del nuovo sole
At the bursting of the new sun
Il quartiere si presto riempito
The neighborhood is quickly filling up
Di neve, di pioppi e di parole
With snow, poplars, and words
All'una in punto si sente il suono
At exactly one, you can hear the sound
Acciottolante che fanno i piatti
Of plates clacking on stones
Le TV sono un rombo di tuono
The TV is a thunderous roar
Per l'indifferenza scostante dei gatti
Due to the aloofness of cats
Come vedi tutto normale
As you can see, everything is normal
In quest'inutile sarabanda
In this useless hustle and bustle
Ma nell'intreccio di vita uguale
But in the intertwining of equal lives
Soffia il libeccio di una domanda
The Libeccio wind of a question blows
Punge il rovaio d'un dubbio eterno
The eternal doubt stings like a swarm of bees
Un formicaio di cose andate
An ant colony of things gone
Di chi aspetta sempre l'inverno
Of those who always wait for winter
Per desiderare una nuova estate
To desire a new summer
Son tornate a sbocciare le strade
The streets have blossomed again
Ideali ricami del mondo
Ideal embroideries of the world
Girano tronfie la figlia e la madre
The daughter and mother proudly strut
Nel viso uguali e nel culo tondo
With identical faces and round buttocks
In testa identiche, senza storia
Identical in their head without a story
Sfidando tutto senza confini
Challenging everything without boundaries
Frantumano un attimo quella boria
Breaking for a moment that arrogance
Grida di rondini e ragazzini
Screams of swallows and children
Come vedi tutto consueto
As you see, everything is usual
In questo ingorgo di vite morte
In this traffic jam of dead lives
Ma mi rattristo, io sono lieto
But I am saddened, I am happy
Di questa pista di voglie sorte
About this runway of desires arising
Di questa rete troppo smagliata
About this net that is too loose
Di queste mete da sognare
About these destinations to dream about
Di questa sete mai appagata
About this never-sated thirst
Di chi starnazza e non vuol mai volare
About those who squawk and never want to fly
Appassiscono piano le rose
The roses are slowly wilting
Spuntano a grappi i frutti del melo
The apple tree fruits sprout in clusters
Le nuvole in alto van silenziose
The clouds silently move up high
Negli strappi cobalto del cielo
In the cobalt tears of the sky
Io sdraiato sull'erba verde
Me, lying on the green grass
Fantastico piano sul mio passato
Fantasize about my past
Ma lei all'improvviso disperde
But then she suddenly scatters
Quel che credevo e non sono stato
What I believed and never was
Come senti tutto va liscio
As you hear, everything goes smoothly
In questo mondo senza patemi
In this world without passions
In questa vita presa di striscio
In this life, sliding along
Di svolgimento corretto i temi
With topics progressing correctly
Dei miei entusiasmi durati poco
Of my short-lived enthusiasm
Dei tanti chiasmi filosofanti
Of the many philosophical arguments
Di storie tragiche nate per gioco
Of tragic stories born from play
Troppo vicino, troppo distanti
Too close, too far
Ma il tempo, il tempo chi me lo rende
But time, who returns it to me?
Chi mi da indietro quelle stagioni
Who brings back those seasons for me?
Di vetro e sabbia, chi mi riprende
Of glass and sand, who takes me back?
La rabbia e il gesto, donne e canzoni
The anger and gesture, women and songs
Gli amici persi, i libri mangiati
The lost friends, the eaten books
La gioia piana degli appetiti
The flat joy of appetites
L'arsura sana degli assetati
The healthy dryness of the thirsty
La fede cieca in poveri miti
The blind faith in poor myths
Come vedi tutto è usuale
As you see, everything is usual
Solo che il tempo stringe la borsa
Only that time tightens the purse
E c'è il sospetto che sia triviale
And there is suspicion that it is trivial
L'affanno e l'ansimo dopo una corsa
The shortness of breath and panting after a race
L'ansia volgare del giorno dopo
The vulgar anxiety of the day after
La fine triste della partita
The sad end of the game
Il lento scorrere senza uno scopo
The slow flow without a purpose
Di questa cosa che chiami vita
Of this thing you call life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Francesco Guccini
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@barteca3960
La canzone più bella del mondo. Grazie francesco
@carlorusso9388
Un pezzo bellissimo...la musica arrangiata finemente, il testo malinconico e così brutalmente realistico... Non sono un fan di Guccini, ma Lettera è una delle più belle canzoni italiane in assoluto!
@simonagiuliani8191
la canzone più bella di Guccini. ...Solo chi ha vissuto il midollo della vita la può sentire dentro come un brivido che ti passa sotto pelle
@mariogambino44
Confermo! Pezzo da pelle d'oca, mix di brividi e lacrime! ❤
@alessandrozara924
Mi riporta in mente anche un'altra persona.
VITTORIO GALLINA SEI UN GRANDE!!!!
@giulianagervaso4193
Inno alla vita... Tra i più belli mai scritti! Non smetterei mai di sentirla
@pastra9198
Per me questo è il vero capolavoro di guccini
@albertopoli3482
Sai quante volte l'ho detto ascoltando una sua canzone? Almeno una trentina di volte.
@nwat3933
Leggo commenti di 2, 3, 4, 5 anni fa e ne leggerò ancora su questo testo fatto di storia, valori, tempo, vita. Un testo che saprà regalare qualcosa all'anima anche quando non riuscirò più a leggere. Immenso Francesco
@pole6761
Questo disco è del 1996.......ed è un capolavoro.
Solo i grandi artisti,dopo 30 anni di grande carriera, riescono a sfornare,con immensa semplicità, ancora dei capolavori