As recalled by a verse of one of his songs, "it was the fate that in three … Read Full Bio ↴As recalled by a verse of one of his songs, "it was the fate that in three months" moved his family out of Modena because of war. Guccini spent his childhood and part of his youth at his grandparents' place in a small village in the Apennine Mountains called Pàvana, a fraction of the commune Sambuca Pistoiese in the province of Pistoia (Toscana). The memory of the youth years spent in the somewhat archaic society of the mountains of central Italy was to be always present in his songs and books.

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.

Piazza Alimonda
Francesco Guccini Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Genova, schiacciata sul mare, sembra cercare
Respiro al largo, verso l'orizzonte
Genova, repubblicana di cuore, vento di sale
D'anima forte
Genova che si perde in centro nei labirintici vecchi carrugi
Parole antiche e nuove sparate a colpi come da archibugi
Genova, quella giornata di luglio, d'un caldo torrido d'Africa nera
Sfera di sole a piombo, rombo di gente, tesa atmosfera

Nera o blu l'uniforme, precisi gli ordini, sudore e rabbia
Facce e scudi da Opliti, l'odio di dentro come una scabbia
Ma poco più lontano, un pensionato ed un vecchio cane
Guardavano un aeroplano che lento andava macchiando il mare
Una voce spezzava l'urlare estatico dei bambini
Panni distesi al sole, come una beffa, dentro ai giardini

Uscir di casa a vent'anni è quasi un obbligo, quasi un dovere
Piacere d'incontri a grappoli, ideali identici, essere e avere
La grande folla chiama, canti e colori, grida ed avanza
Sfida il sole implacabile, quasi incredibile passo di danza
Genova chiusa da sbarre, Genova soffre come in prigione
Genova marcata a vista attende un soffio di liberazione
Dentro gli uffici uomini freddi discutono la strategia
E uomini caldi esplodono un colpo secco, morte e follia
Si rompe il tempo e l'attimo, per un istante, resta sospeso

Appeso al buio e al niente, poi l'assurdo video ritorna acceso
Marionette si muovono, cercando alibi per quelle vite
Dissipate e disperse nell'aspro odore della cordite

Genova non sa ancora niente, lenta agonizza, fuoco e rumore
Ma come quella vita giovane spenta, Genova muore
Per quanti giorni l'odio colpirà ancora a mani piene
Genova risponde al porto con l'urlo alto delle sirene
Poi tutto ricomincia come ogni giorno e chi ha la ragione
Dico nobili uomini, danno implacabile giustificazione
Come ci fosse un modo, uno soltanto, per riportare
Una vita troncata, tutta una vita da immaginare
Genova non ha scordato perché è difficile dimenticare
C'è traffico, mare e accento danzante e vicoli da camminare
La Lanterna impassibile guarda da secoli gli scogli e l'onda
Ritorna come sempre, quasi normale, piazza Alimonda

La "salvia splendens" luccica, copre un'aiuola triangolare
Viaggia il traffico solito scorrendo rapido e irregolare
Dal bar caffè e grappini, verde un'edicola vende la vita
Resta, amara e indelebile

Resta, amara e indelebile
Resta, amara e indelebile, la traccia aperta di una ferita

Overall Meaning

The song Piazza Alimonda by Francesco Guccini is a poignant and powerful tribute to the victims of the G8 riots that took place in Genoa, Italy, in July 2001. The song opens with a description of the city of Genoa, nestled by the sea and with a republican spirit, but also marked by a sense of loss and confusion, with ancient and new words shot like bullets in its narrow alleys. The narrative then moves to the day of the riots, with the scorching heat of a summer day, the imposing presence of the police, and the sense of tension and anger in the air. Against this backdrop, the song introduces a retired man and his dog, who watch an airplane in the distance while children play and laundry flaps in the sun, as if oblivious to the violence that will soon erupt. The contrast between innocence and brutality, between everyday life and political upheaval, is striking and poignant.

As the song progresses, it portrays the riots as a moment of rupture, a suspension of time and reason. The police and the protesters clash in a violent confrontation that leads to death and madness, leaving Genoa marked and wounded. The song ends with a somber note, acknowledging that, although life goes on, the memory of that day and its impact endure, like an open wound that cannot be erased.

Overall, Piazza Alimonda is a powerful and emotional song that offers a vivid and evocative portrayal of a tragic event in Italian history, while also reflecting on the complex relationship between politics, power, and individual lives.

Line by Line Meaning

Genova, schiacciata sul mare, sembra cercare Respiro al largo, verso l'orizzonte
Genoa, pressed against the sea, seems to be searching for a breath of fresh air towards the horizon

Genova, repubblicana di cuore, vento di sale D'anima forte
Genoa, with a republican spirit and the strong salt wind of the sea

Genova che si perde in centro nei labirintici vecchi carrugi Parole antiche e nuove sparate a colpi come da archibugi
Genoa, losing itself in the maze of old streets, where both old and new words are thrown around like musket shots

Genova, quella giornata di luglio, d'un caldo torrido d'Africa nera Sfera di sole a piombo, rombo di gente, tesa atmosfera
Genoa, on that day in July, under the scorching heat of the African sun, amidst the overwhelming crowd and the tense atmosphere

Nera o blu l'uniforme, precisi gli ordini, sudore e rabbia Facce e scudi da Opliti, l'odio di dentro come una scabbia
Dressed in black or blue uniforms, precise orders amidst sweat and anger, faces and shields like ancient Greek hoplites, consumed by inner hatred like a plague

Ma poco più lontano, un pensionato ed un vecchio cane Guardavano un aeroplano che lento andava macchiando il mare Una voce spezzava l'urlare estatico dei bambini Panni distesi al sole, come una beffa, dentro ai giardini
But not far away, an elderly man and his dog watched a plane slowly staining the sea; a voice broke the ecstatic screams of children, and clothes hung out to dry in the sun seemed like a cruel irony

Uscir di casa a vent'anni è quasi un obbligo, quasi un dovere Piacere d'incontri a grappoli, ideali identici, essere e avere
Leaving home at twenty is almost a duty, a pleasure of meeting like-minded people, ideals of having and being

La grande folla chiama, canti e colori, grida ed avanza Sfida il sole implacabile, quasi incredibile passo di danza
The huge crowd calls, with songs, colors, and shouts, challenging the implacable sun with an almost incredible dance step

Genova chiusa da sbarre, Genova soffre come in prigione Genova marcata a vista attende un soffio di liberazione
Genoa, locked behind bars, suffers as if in prison, marked and visible, waiting for a breath of liberation

Dentro gli uffici uomini freddi discutono la strategia E uomini caldi esplodono un colpo secco, morte e follia Si rompe il tempo e l'attimo, per un istante, resta sospeso
Inside the offices, cold men discuss strategy, while hot-blooded men explode into a deadly frenzy; time and the moment shatter, suspended for an instant

Appeso al buio e al niente, poi l'assurdo video ritorna acceso Marionette si muovono, cercando alibi per quelle vite Dissipate e disperse nell'aspro odore della cordite
Hanging in darkness and nothingness, then the absurd video turns back on Marionettes move, seeking excuses for those lives dissipated and scattered in the bitter smell of gunpowder

Genova non sa ancora niente, lenta agonizza, fuoco e rumore Ma come quella vita giovane spenta, Genova muore
Genoa still doesn't know anything, slowly agonizing, with fire and noise, like a young life cut short, Genoa dies

Per quanti giorni l'odio colpirà ancora a mani piene Genova risponde al porto con l'urlo alto delle sirene Poi tutto ricomincia come ogni giorno e chi ha la ragione Dico nobili uomini, danno implacabile giustificazione
For how many days will hatred strike again, unleashing its full force? Genoa responds with the loud wail of the sirens at the harbor; then everything restarts like every day, and noble men justify the implacable damage

Come ci fosse un modo, uno soltanto, per riportare Una vita troncata, tutta una vita da immaginare Genova non ha scordato perché è difficile dimenticare
As if there was only one way to bring back a cut life, to imagine an entire lifetime, Genoa has not forgotten because it is difficult to forget

C'è traffico, mare e accento danzante e vicoli da camminare La Lanterna impassibile guarda da secoli gli scogli e l'onda Ritorna come sempre, quasi normale, piazza Alimonda
There's traffic, the sea, and a dancing accent, with alleys to walk through; the Lantern has been staring at the cliffs and the waves for centuries, and as always, Piazza Alimonda returns almost normally

La 'salvia splendens' luccica, copre un'aiuola triangolare Viaggia il traffico solito scorrendo rapido e irregolare Dal bar caffè e grappini, verde un'edicola vende la vita Resta, amara e indelebile Resta, amara e indelebile Resta, amara e indelebile, la traccia aperta di una ferita
The 'salvia splendens' shines, covering a triangular flower bed; traffic travels quickly and irregularly; from the café-bar and the green newsstand, life is sold bitterly and indelibly, leaving an open wound

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Francesco Guccini

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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