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.

Statale 17
Francesco Guccini Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Statale 17, il sole cade a picco,
tre giorni sulla strada, nessuno che mi carichi, nessuno che si fermi
mentre tu chissà se aspetti me,
mentre qui l'asfalto che si scioglie brucia i tacchi alle mie scarpe:
sono a terra, senza un soldo, chissà mai se arriverò da te...

Statale 17, com'è lunga da far tutta,
romba svelto l'autotreno, questo cielo ancor sereno sembra esplodere d'estate

mentre tu chissà se pensi a me,
mentre qui mi sento solo al mondo senza un cane che mi cerchi:
son sudato e sono sporco, chissà mai se arriverò da te...

Statale 17, sembri esplodere di sole,
Statale 17, alzo il dito inutilmente,
Statale 17, lungo nastro di catrame:
la gente bene dorme, sei deserta all'orizzonte
a quest'ora non c'è un cane che mi voglia prender su...

Statale 17, sei triste nella sera,
non alzo più la mano, cammino piano piano sulla strada ormai deserta
mentre tu chissà se aspetti ancora,

mentre qui la strada che si sperde sembra un letto di cemento:
sono mortalmente stanco chissà mai se arriverò da te...

Overall Meaning

The song "Statale 17" by Francesco Guccini reflects the struggle of traveling on an endless road, feeling lonely and uncertain of reaching the destination. The lyrics evoke a sense of hopelessness and the longing for companionship on the road, which is depicted by the absence of anyone willing to give a ride or stop for help. The road itself is personified with all its wear and tear, as it burns the shoes and makes the journey harder. The singer is broke and has no idea whether he will reach his love. The landscape is depicted as an arid place, with a scorching sun and an empty horizon.

The song's lyrics focus on the struggle of traveling alone and the longing for someone to share the burden. It highlights the challenges of being alone, the moments of despair, and the uncertain future. However, the song also celebrates the resilience of the human soul, the determination to keep moving forward, and the hope of reaching a loved one. The lyrics depict the journey as a metaphor for life itself, where we are all trying to reach our own destination, with all its uncertainties and challenges along the way.

Line by Line Meaning

Statale 17, il sole cade a picco,
On highway 17, the sun is setting straight down,

tre giorni sulla strada, nessuno che mi carichi, nessuno che si fermi
Three days on the road, no one to give me a ride, no one to stop for me

mentre tu chissà se aspetti me,
Meanwhile, who knows if you're waiting for me,

mentre qui l'asfalto che si scioglie brucia i tacchi alle mie scarpe: sono a terra, senza un soldo, chissà mai se arriverò da te...
While here, the melting asphalt burning the heels of my shoes; I'm on the ground, penniless; who knows if I'll ever reach you...

Statale 17, com'è lunga da far tutta,
Highway 17, takes so long to travel all of it,

romba svelto l'autotreno, questo cielo ancor sereno sembra esplodere d'estate
A fast truck rumbles by, the still sky seems to explode in summer

mentre tu chissà se pensi a me,
While you, who knows if you're thinking of me,

mentre qui mi sento solo al mondo senza un cane che mi cerchi: son sudato e sono sporco, chissà mai se arriverò da te...
While here, I feel alone in the world, with no dog to search for me; I'm sweaty and dirty, who knows if I'll ever reach you...

Statale 17, sembri esplodere di sole,
Highway 17, seems to explode with sun

Statale 17, alzo il dito inutilmente,
Highway 17, I raise my thumb uselessly,

Statale 17, lungo nastro di catrame: la gente bene dorme, sei deserta all'orizzonte a quest'ora non c'è un cane che mi voglia prender su...
Highway 17, a long strip of asphalt; the well-off people sleep, it's deserted on the horizon; at this time, there's not a dog that wants to pick me up...

Statale 17, sei triste nella sera,
Highway 17, you're sad in the evening,

non alzo più la mano, cammino piano piano sulla strada ormai deserta
I don't raise my hand anymore, I walk slowly on the now deserted road

mentre tu chissà se aspetti ancora,
While you, who knows if you're still waiting,

mentre qui la strada che si sperde sembra un letto di cemento: sono mortalmente stanco chissà mai se arriverò da te...
While here, the road that disappears seems like a bed of cement; I'm deadly tired, who knows if I'll ever reach you...

Contributed by Thomas O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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