Salato
Jovanotti Lyrics

The lyrics of Jovanotti's song "Salato" create a vivid and poetic image of being lost, like a grain of salt in the sea. The song begins with a sunset upside down, in the southern hemisphere, followed by the appearance of Timbuctu, an ancient and remote city in Mali, under a sky made of rubber. The image conveys a feeling of being disoriented and uncertain, submerged in an unknown and surreal world.

The second stanza takes us to Bahia, a coastal city in Brazil, where seagulls are flying with their wings spread wide, and hands are moving to the rhythm of an old santeria song. The santeria is a religion that originated in Cuba and is based on African tribal beliefs, mixed with Catholicism. The reference to it connects us with the roots of the Afro-American culture and adds a mystical and spiritual layer to the lyrics.

The final stanza presents a series of comparisons that reinforce the idea of being lost, like a flower petal in a multitude of springs, a word in a library of books, a ray of sun in the summer of love, or a thread in a fabric covering a child's unbroken sleep. Each comparison evokes a sense of fragility and transience, as if everything is passing by quickly and nothing can be held onto forever. The song leaves a powerful impression of the elusiveness of life and the importance of cherishing every moment.