Caruso
Jonathan Charlotte Lyrics


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[* = English translation]

Qui dove il mare luccica e tira forte il vento
*Here, where the sea shines and the wind howls,
Su una vecchia terrazza davanti al golfo di Sorrento
*On the old terrace beside the gulf of Sorrento,
Un uomo abbraccia una ragazza
*A man embraces a girl
Dopo che aveva pianto
*He wept after,
Poi si schiarisce la voce e ricomincia il canto:
*Then clears his throat and continues the song:

Te voglio bene assai
*I love you very much,
Ma tanto tanto bene sai
*Very, very much, you know;
E′ una catena ormai
*It is a chain by now
Che scioglie il sangue dint' e′ vene sai...
*That melts the blood inside the veins, you know...

Vide le luci in mezzo al mare
*He saw the lights out on the sea,
Pensò alle notti la in America
*Thought of the nights there in America,
Ma erano solo le lampare
*But they were only the fishermen's lamps
E la bianca scia di un'elica
*And the white wash astern.
Guardò negli occhi la ragazza
*He looked the girl in the eyes,
Quegli occhi verdi come il mare
*Those eyes as green as the sea.
Poi all′improvviso uscì una lacrima
*Then suddenly a tear fell
E lui credette di affogare.
*And he believed he was drowning.

Te voglio bene assai
*I love you very much,
Ma tanto tanto bene sai
*Very, very much, you know;
E′ una catena ormai
*It is a chain by now
E scioglie il sangue dint'e vene sai...
*That melts the blood inside the veins, you know...

Ma due occhi che ti guardano
*But two eyes that look at you,
Così vicini e veri
*So close and real,
Ti fanno scordare le parole
*Make you forget the words,
Confondono i pensieri.
*Confuse your thoughts,

Te voglio bene assai
*I love you very much,
Ma tanto tanto bene sai
*Very, very much, you know;
E′ una catena ormai
*It is a chain by now
Che scioglie il sangue dint'e vene sai...
*That melts the blood inside the veins, you know...

Te voglio bene assai
*I love you very much,
Ma tanto tanto bene sai
*Very, very much, you know;
E′ una catena ormai
*It is a chain by now




Che scioglie il sangue dint'e vene sai...
*That melts the blood inside the veins, you know...

Overall Meaning

Jonathan and Charlotte's song Caruso tells the story of a man who is on an old terrace on the Gulf of Sorrento with a girl he loves. The man sings about how he loves her so much that it's like a chain that melts the blood inside his veins. He mentions seeing lights out on the sea and thinking about the nights in America, but then realizes it was only the fishermen's lamps. The green eyes of the girl make him forget his words and confuse his thoughts. The song ends with the man singing about how his love for the girl is like a chain that melts the blood inside his veins.


The lyrics of Caruso were written by Lucio Dalla, an Italian singer and songwriter, in 1986. The song is widely regarded as one of Dalla's most famous works and has been covered by numerous artists. The song tells the story of the famous tenor Enrico Caruso, who was known for his powerful voice and emotional performances. Dalla wrote the song after visiting Sorrento and being inspired by the beauty of the area.


Line by Line Meaning

Here, where the sea shines and the wind howls,
Description of the location and weather


On the old terrace beside the gulf of Sorrento,
More specific description of the location


A man embraces a girl
Description of action


He wept after,
Explanation of emotions


Then clears his throat and continues the song:
Description of action and continuation of story


I love you very much,
Expression of love


Very, very much, you know;
Further emphasis on the depth of the love


It is a chain by now
The love has become a part of them


That melts the blood inside the veins, you know...
The love is so powerful, it affects them physically


He saw the lights out on the sea,
Description of what he saw


Thought of the nights there in America,
Explanation of what he was thinking


But they were only the fishermen's lamps
Clarification of what he saw


And the white wash astern.
Description of the waves behind the lamps


He looked the girl in the eyes,
Description of what he did


Those eyes as green as the sea.
Description of the girl's eyes


Then suddenly a tear fell
Description of what happened


And he believed he was drowning.
Explanation of how he felt


But two eyes that look at you,
Description of the girl's eyes


So close and real,
Description of the intensity of the moment


Make you forget the words,
Description of the effect of the moment


Confuse your thoughts.
Further description of the effect of the moment




Writer(s): Lucio Dalla

Contributed by Samuel J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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