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.

Tango per due
Francesco Guccini Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Coppia che sta silenziosa
Un po' rigida e in posa, a ballare, una sera
La vita è solo una cosa rimasta indietro non c'è più, ma c'era
Composta e indomenicata, eleganza sfuocata raggiunta a fatica
L'oggi ha cambiato facciata
ma di quel ieri passato io so
Che tante ne potreste raccontare
e il ricordo stempera e non guasta

Quante cose e facce da narrare
che, come si dice, un romanzo non basta
Nate con un rapido "a domani"
continuate in giorni di "sì" e "no"
Lampi sotto cieli suburbani e raffica il tango che vi presentò

Lui biella, stantuffo, leva, muscoli, grinta, officina
Sole lei, lei quiete, chitarra, vela, segreti, donna, calore, viole
Lui bar, alcol, nicotina, capelli indietro, cravatta, bici
Lei, lei rayon, lei signorina, la permanente coi ricci

Coppia di fronte a un bianchino, anonimo vino frizzante anidride
La vita che buffa cosa, ma se lo dici nessuno ride
Coppia legata dai giorni, partenze e ritorni, fortezza e catena
Datemi i vostri ricordi, ditemi che ne valeva la pena

Ora le luci son spente, sta uscendo la gente, saluti e rumore
Ditemi che avete in mente, come una volta, di fare l'amore
Quello che è stato un segreto di un prato o di un greto, del buio di un viale
Quel gioco ardente e discreto, da allora sempre diverso ed uguale
Chi lo sa se ciò che è da cercare
ciò che non sai mai se vuoi o non vuoi
Sia così banale da trovare, sia lungo ogni strada, sia a fianco di noi
Perso in tante scatole di odori, angoli e tendine che non so
Impronte di paesaggi e di colori, manciata di un tango che vi accompagnò

Lui biella, stantuffo, leva, muscoli, grinta, officina
Sole lei, lei quiete, chitarra, vela, segreti, donna, calore, viole

Lui bar, alcol, nicotina, capelli indietro, cravatta, bici
Lei, lei rayon, lei signorina, lei, lei

Overall Meaning

"Tango per Due" is a song by Francesco Guccini that tells the story of a couple dancing together while reminiscing about all the times they've shared. The lyrics describe the couple as being quiet and posed while dancing, with the elegance of the past now faded away. The song also mentions the memories they have shared and the things they have experienced together, such as lightning storms and the introductions of tango.

The first paragraph speaks about the couple's graceful but rigid pose while dancing, and how the memories of the past are always present. The elegance of the past has been lost, but it's still there, evident in their dancing. The second paragraph describes the couple's past experiences, with the man being mechanical and determined, while the woman is serene, with some secrets and warmth. The third paragraph talks about how their enduring relationship has been surrounded by the coming and going of days, and how it has seen both departures and returns. It also seeks their reflections on whether the relationship has been worth the effort so far.

The lyrics pay tribute to a bygone era, creating a romantic mood through the description of memories and past experiences. The music itself is an elegant tango that encourages the listener to visualize the couple, their movements and their conversation. This song is one of the most famous Guccini songs in Italy and is considered as one of his most romantic works.

Line by Line Meaning

Coppia che sta silenziosa
A quiet couple standing, slightly stiff and posed, dancing one evening

Un po' rigida e in posa, a ballare, una sera
Slightly stiff and posed as they dance one evening

La vita è solo una cosa rimasta indietro non c'è più, ma c'era
Life is just something left behind that is no longer there

Composta e indomenicata, eleganza sfuocata raggiunta a fatica
Composed and untamed, elegance faded after much effort

L'oggi ha cambiato facciata
Today has changed its face

ma di quel ieri passato io so
But I know about that past yesterday

Che tante ne potreste raccontare
So many things you could tell

e il ricordo stempera e non guasta
And the memory soothes and doesn't spoil

Quante cose e facce da narrare
So many stories and faces to tell about

che, come si dice, un romanzo non basta
That, as they say, even a novel is not enough

Nate con un rapido "a domani"
Born with a quick "see you tomorrow"

continuate in giorni di "sì" e "no"
Continued in days of "yes" and "no"

Lampi sotto cieli suburbani e raffica il tango che vi presentò
Lightning under suburban skies and the tango that presented itself to you

Lui biella, stantuffo, leva, muscoli, grinta, officina
He's a gear, a piston, a lever, muscles, grit, and a workshop

Sole lei, lei quiete, chitarra, vela, segreti, donna, calore, viole
Just her, calmness, guitar, sail, secrets, woman, warmth, violets

Lui bar, alcol, nicotina, capelli indietro, cravatta, bici
He's a bar, alcohol, nicotine, slicked-back hair, tie, and a bike

Lei, lei rayon, lei signorina, la permanente coi ricci
She's rayon, a young lady, a perm with curls

Coppia di fronte a un bianchino, anonimo vino frizzante anidride
A couple facing a glass of white, anonymous sparkling wine with CO2

La vita che buffa cosa, ma se lo dici nessuno ride
Life is a funny thing, but if you say it, no one laughs

Coppia legata dai giorni, partenze e ritorni, fortezza e catena
Couple bound by days, departures and returns, fortress and chain

Datemi i vostri ricordi, ditemi che ne valeva la pena
Give me your memories, tell me if it was worth it

Ora le luci son spente, sta uscendo la gente, saluti e rumore
Now the lights are off, people are leaving, greetings and noise

Ditemi che avete in mente, come una volta, di fare l'amore
Tell me that you have in mind, like you used to, to make love

Quello che è stato un segreto di un prato o di un greto, del buio di un viale
What was once a secret in a meadow or a streambed, in the darkness of a street

Quel gioco ardente e discreto, da allora sempre diverso ed uguale
That burning and discreet game, since then always different yet the same

Chi lo sa se ciò che è da cercare
Who knows if what is to be sought

ciò che non sai mai se vuoi o non vuoi
What you never know if you want or not

Sia così banale da trovare, sia lungo ogni strada, sia a fianco di noi
Is so banal to find, is along every road, is by our side

Perso in tante scatole di odori, angoli e tendine che non so
Lost in many boxes of smells, corners and curtains that I don't know

Impronte di paesaggi e di colori, manciata di un tango che vi accompagnò
Footprints of landscapes and colors, a handful of a tango that accompanied you

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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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