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
Il Poeta
Gino Paoli Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Si parlava di donne e motori
Si diceva "son gioie e dolori"
Lui piangeva e parlava di te
Se si andava in provincia a ballare
Si cercava di aver le più belle
Lui, lui restava a contare le stelle
Alle carte era un vero campione
Lo chiamavano "il re del quartiere"
Ma una sera giocando a scopone
Perse un punto parlando di te
E alla fine una notte si uccise
Per la gran confusione mentale
Fu un peccato perché era speciale
Proprio come parlava di te
Ora dicono, che era un poeta
E che sapesse parlare d'amore
Cosa importa se in fondo uno muore
E non può più parlare di te
The lyrics of Gino Paoli's song "Il Poeta" tell a story about a man who spends his evenings in a bar with friends, talking about women and cars. While everyone talks about the joys and sorrows of love, he is the only one who speaks of you, the subject of his affection. Even when they go out to dance in the provinces, he remains alone, counting the stars and sighing, still talking about you.
The lyrics also mention that he is a skilled card player, known as the "king of the neighborhood." However, one night, while playing a card game called scopone, he lost a point while talking about you. Eventually, overwhelmed by mental confusion, he ended up taking his own life. The song laments the tragedy of his death, emphasizing that he was unique and just as he used to speak about you, he is now unable to do so anymore.
Overall, "Il Poeta" portrays a man who was deeply in love and obsessed with the person he was speaking about. It explores themes of unrequited love, loneliness, and the devastating impact of lost love on an individual's mental well-being.
Line by Line Meaning
Alla sera nel bar con gli amici
In the evening at the bar with friends
Si parlava di donne e motori
They talked about women and cars
Si diceva 'son gioie e dolori'
They said 'there are joys and sorrows'
Lui piangeva e parlava di te
He cried and talked about you
Se si andava in provincia a ballare
If they went dancing in the province
Si cercava di aver le più belle
They tried to have the most beautiful ones
Lui, lui restava a contare le stelle
He, on the other hand, stayed counting the stars
Sospirava e parlava di te
He sighed and talked about you
Alle carte era un vero campione
He was a true champion at cards
Lo chiamavano 'il re del quartiere'
They called him 'the king of the neighborhood'
Ma una sera giocando a scopone
But one evening while playing scopone
Perse un punto parlando di te
He lost a point talking about you
E alla fine una notte si uccise
And in the end, one night he killed himself
Per la gran confusione mentale
Because of the great mental confusion
Fu un peccato perché era speciale
It was a shame because he was special
Proprio come parlava di te
Just like he used to talk about you
Ora dicono, che era un poeta
Now they say he was a poet
E che sapesse parlare d'amore
And that he knew how to speak of love
Cosa importa se in fondo uno muore
What does it matter if in the end one dies
E non può più parlare di te
And can no longer talk about you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bruno Lauzi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind