Paoli was born in Monfalcone, but moved very early to Genoa.
After several different jobs, he was called by Ricordi with his friends Luigi Tenco and Bruno Lauzi. His first success was the single "La gatta". This was followed by "Sapore di sale", arranged by Ennio Morricone. In the same year he attempted suicide by shooting at his heart, but he survived.
In 1974 he returned with the LP I semafori rossi non sono Dio, followed by Il mio mestiere (1977). Both showed a more mature inspiration than his 1960s works. In the 1980s Paoli procuded a series of successful albums, and in 1985 he toured Italy together with Ornella Vanoni.
In 1987 he was elected to the Italian Chamber of Deputies for the Italian Communist Party. He abandoned politics in 1992.
He was married with actress Stefania Sandrelli, from whom he divorced. Their daughter Amanda Sandrelli is also an actress.
wikipedia.org
A Milano non crescono fiori
Gino Paoli Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In quei prati che prati non sono
Sono finti e non hanno profumo
Sotto un cielo che cielo non è
Ma dove vanno gli innamorati
Per dirsi quello che voglio dire a te
Devi venire nel mio paese
L'altra sera volevo baciarti
Non ho potuto farlo perché
Perché ci presero nome e cognome
In un prato che prato non è
Ma dove vanno gli innamorati
Per dirsi quello che voglio dire a te
Devi venire nel mio paese
Dove c'è il sole che brillerà per te
Ma dove vanno gli innamorati
Per dirsi quello che voglio dire a te
Devo venire al tuo paese
Dove c'è il sole che brillerà per me
Ma dove vanno gli innamorati
Per dirsi quello che voglio dire a te
Devo venire al tuo paese
Dove c'è il sole che brillerà per me
The song "A Milano non crescono fiori" by Gino Paoli talks about the lack of love and genuine emotions in the city of Milan. The lyrics start by saying that flowers do not grow in Milan, emphasizing that the environment there is artificial and lacks authenticity. The prati (meadows) mentioned in the song are not real, and everything in Milan seems to be fake, including the sky.
The next lines raise the question of where lovers go to express their feelings and say the things they want to say to each other. The singer suggests coming to his "paese" (his hometown) instead, where the sun will shine for the person he is addressing. This implies that their hometown is a place where love and genuine emotions can thrive, unlike Milan.
In the following stanza, the singer reveals a missed opportunity to kiss the person they are speaking to. They were unable to do so because they were caught and identified in a field that wasn't even real. This further emphasizes the lack of authenticity in Milan, where even the space for intimate moments is artificial.
The chorus repeats the question of where lovers go to express their feelings, suggesting that the singer should come to the other person's hometown. They mention that in that place, just like in their own hometown, the sun will shine for them. This repetition emphasizes the yearning for a genuine and sincere connection that seems unattainable in Milan.
Overall, the song portrays Milan as a city that lacks the natural beauty of love and emotions. It contrasts this with the idea of a hometown where authenticity and true feelings can be expressed freely. The lyrics evoke a sense of longing for a place where love is real and not bound by artificial constraints.
Line by Line Meaning
A Milano non crescono fiori
In Milan, flowers do not grow
In quei prati che prati non sono
In those meadows that are not really meadows
Sono finti e non hanno profumo
They are fake and have no scent
Sotto un cielo che cielo non è
Under a sky that is not really a sky
Ma dove vanno gli innamorati
But where do lovers go
Per dirsi quello che voglio dire a te
To express what I want to say to you
Devi venire nel mio paese
You must come to my country
Dove c'è il sole che brillerà per te
Where the sun will shine for you
L'altra sera volevo baciarti
The other night, I wanted to kiss you
Non ho potuto farlo perché
I couldn't do it because
Perché ci presero nome e cognome
Because they took our names
In un prato che prato non è
In a meadow that is not really a meadow
Ma dove vanno gli innamorati
But where do lovers go
Per dirsi quello che voglio dire a te
To express what I want to say to you
Devi venire nel mio paese
You must come to my country
Dove c'è il sole che brillerà per te
Where the sun will shine for you
Ma dove vanno gli innamorati
But where do lovers go
Per dirsi quello che voglio dire a te
To express what I want to say to you
Devo venire al tuo paese
I must come to your country
Dove c'è il sole che brillerà per me
Where the sun will shine for me
Ma dove vanno gli innamorati
But where do lovers go
Per dirsi quello che voglio dire a te
To express what I want to say to you
Devo venire al tuo paese
I must come to your country
Dove c'è il sole che brillerà per me
Where the sun will shine for me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Franco Migliacci, Gino Paoli
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind