The meeting of 5 punk (though it was then on the decline), new wave and simply rock music fans with then no musical background gave birth to Litfiba.
The band was born in Florence in 1980. The name Litfiba is the mixing of several words: Località ("place"), ITalia (Italy), FIrenze ("Florence") and via dei BArdi ("Bardi street" where the band was based). The original band was composed of four members: Federico Renzulli (nicknamed Ghigo) on guitars, Gianni Maroccolo on bass, Sandro Dotta on solo guitar (who left the band after a few weeks) and Francesco Calamai on drums. Vocals were then performed by Renzulli. Antonio Aiazzi on keyboards and Piero Pelù on vocals joined the band shortly after.
From the early 1980s until now, the band evolved from a British influenced new wave pop-rock to a more personal and inspired rock music, always with Italian singing. Litfiba is often considered Italy's most important and influential rock band.
Piero Pelù left the band July 11th, 1999 pursuing a solo career.
Ghigo then decided to follow on immediately with a renewed and rejuvenated band. New singer Gianluigi Cabo Cavallo, bass and drums player Gianluca Venier e Ugo Nativi from the funk-rock band Malfunk join Litfiba.
The new group deprived of its historical frontman releases 4 albums (Elettromacumba, Insidia, LiveOnLine, Essere o sembrare)
In the beginning of November 2006 Cabo decided to leave Litfiba.
Guerra
Litfiba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
EIN ZWEI DREI VIER
DER KRIEG!
EIN ZWEI DREI VIER
FEUER!
Guardo
Oltre il muro di vetro
L' esercito che passa
Cerco
In una mano chiusa
La causa della morte di
Uomini neri!
GUERRA
Aria vuota nelle strade
Si muovono le ombre di
Uomini neri!
GUERRA
Ma che cosa mi succede
E dove sono gli occhi di
Uomini neri!
Uomini neri uh oh!
Uomini neri
e' GUERRA e' GUERRA e' GUERRA
' E VOLA .... IN ALTO .... FINO ........ A D I O ! ! ! ! '
The song "Guerra" by Litfiba is an anti-war anthem that is a critique of the chaos and destruction wrought by warfare. The opening line of the song, "Ein Zwei Drei Vier, Der Krieg!" ("One, two, three, four, War!") is a call to arms that is used to count off the start of a military operation. The singer of the song then looks out beyond the "wall of glass" and sees "men in black" marching in a military parade. He searches desperately in the clenched fist of one of these men for the cause of their deaths, but finds only emptiness. The air is empty and filled with the "shadows of men in black" who have died for this war.
The chorus of the song repeats the word "Guerra" or "war" multiple times, as if to emphasize the horror of war and the devastation it brings. The singer is confused and asks: "What's happening to me, and where are the eyes of the men in black?" The final lines of the song depict the singer crying out for the end of the war and the ascent of the spirits of the dead soldiers: "And it flies.... up high.... up to GOD!!!"
The song conveys a sense of the devastation of war and the toll it takes on humanity. In addition, the use of the German language in the opening line of the song adds to the sense of brutality and militarism, while the repeated use of the phrase "Uomini neri" ("Men in black") underscores the dehumanizing effect of war.
Line by Line Meaning
EIN ZWEI DREI VIER
As a countdown, this line symbolizes the beginning of the war
DER KRIEG!
The German word for 'the war'. It could possibly indicate that the song is about World War II
FEUER!
German for 'fire', this line could represent the destruction and chaos caused by war
Guardo
Oltre il muro di vetro
L' esercito che passa
Uomini neri!
The artist is watching the army of 'men in black' march beyond a glass wall. This could represent the detachment and separation between the soldiers and civilians
Cerco
In una mano chiusa
La causa della morte di
Uomini neri!
The artist is searching for the reason behind the deaths of the 'men in black'. This line portrays the search for meaning and understanding in war
GUERRA
Aria vuota nelle strade
Si muovono le ombre di
Uomini neri!
The word 'guerra' means 'war' in Italian. This line describes an empty atmosphere in the streets, where the shadows of the 'men in black' are seen. This may represent the impact of war on civilian life
GUERRA
Ma che cosa mi succede
E dove sono gli occhi di
Uomini neri!
The singer questions what is happening around them and where the soldiers' attention is directed. This line represents the confusion and chaos that comes with war
Uomini neri uh oh!
Uomini neri
Repeated twice for emphasis, 'uomini neri' translates to 'men in black'. It could symbolize the anonymous, faceless nature of soldiers in war
e' GUERRA e' GUERRA e' GUERRA
Repeating the word 'guerra' provides emphasis, reinforcing the central theme of the song
' E VOLA .... IN ALTO .... FINO ........ A D I O ! ! ! ! '
In Italian, this means 'And fly... up... all the way.... to God!' The ending line could represent the ultimate, catastrophic consequences of war where people fly up to meet their fate in the afterlife
Contributed by Brody R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.