He was the composer of Caruso (1986), which has been covered by numerous international artists. A version of Caruso sung by Luciano Pavarotti sold over 9 million copies and the song was a track on Andrea Bocelli's first international album Romanza which has sold over 16 million albums world wide thus far; the song is a tribute to the emblematic opera tenor Enrico Caruso.
He began to play the clarinet at an early age, in a jazz band in Rome. The singer-songwriter Gino Paoli noticed Dalla's vocal qualities and suggested he attempt a solo career as an Italian soul singer. In 1964, at age 21, Dalla recorded his first 45 rpm containing "Lei (non è per me)" and "Ma questa sera". However, Dalla's debut at the Cantagiro festival in 1965 was unsuccessful probably due to his appearance and to his music, which was considered too experimental for the time. His first album, 1999, was released the following year. His next album, Terra di Gaibola (from the name of a suburb of Bologna), was released in 1970 and contained some early Dalla classics.
His first hit was "4 Marzo 1943", which garnered some success at the Sanremo Festival. Regardless of its title, the song became popularly known as "Gesu bambino". Also successful was "Piazza grande", which Dalla would sing again at Sanremo.
At this point, Dalla made a decisive move in his career, starting a collaboration with the Bolognese poet Roberto Roversi. Roversi wrote the lyrics to Dalla's next three albums Il giorno aveva cinque teste (The Day Had Five Heads) (1973), Anidride solforosa (1975) and Automobili (Automobiles) (1976) Although these albums did not sell in large numbers, they were noted by critics for the unusual mix of Roversi's weird lyrics with Dalla's improvisatory, and sometimes experimental, compositional abilities.
The duo had already broken up by the time the concept album Automobili was released. Roversi, who had been against the album's release, chose the pseudonym "Norisso" when it was time to register the songs. The album, however, included one of Dalla's most popular songs, "Nuvolari", named after the famous 1930s Italian racer.
Affected by the end of the collaboration, Dalla decided to write the lyrics of his next albums himself. This decision proved to be surprisingly good, and he soon emerged as one of the most intelligent and musically cultured of the Italian singer-songwriters. The first album of this new phase was Com'è profondo il mare (1977), in which Dalla was accompanied by some members of the future pop band Stadio. The title track or "Quale allegria" are today ranked among the best Italian songs.
Dalla's poetic inspiration was confirmed by the following albums, all entitled Lucio Dalla or Dalla and all best-sellers. They contain classics like "Anna e Marco", "L'anno che verrà", "Futura", and "Cara".
In 1979, his popularity was confirmed by the success of the Banana Republic tour and album of 1979 together with singer-songwriter Francesco De Gregori, his band, and his friend Ron.
The hit single Attenti al Lupo (1990) gave him wider success in Europe.
He was invited for duetting on Pavarotti and friends, singing his own hit "Caruso" with Luciano Pavarotti.
He died from a heart attack in 1 March 2012 while on tour at Switzerland.
Apriti Cuore
Lucio Dalla Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
non stare li in silenzio senza dir niente
non ti sento, non ti sento, da troppo tempo non ti sento
e ti ho tenuto lontano dalla gente
quanti giorni passati senza un gesto d'amore
con i falsi sorrisi e le vuote parole.
Ho perfino pensato in questa notte di Ottobre
di buttarti via......di buttarti via
freddo e matematico
lui non sa dov'e' che va
sbaglia si ferma, e riprende
e il suo battito non e' logico
e' come un bimbo libero
appena dici che non si fa
lui si volta e si offende
non lasciarlo mai solo come ho fatto io
lascia stare il potere, il denaro non e' il tuo Dio
o anche tu rimarrai senza neanche un amico
Cambierò, Cambierò
apriti cuore ti prego fatti sentire
Cambierò, tornerò come un tempo padrone di niente, di niente...di niente
anche davanti a questo cielo nero di stelle,
e ce ne sono stanotte di stelle, forse miliardi, cuore non parli?
o sono io che non sento e per paura di ogni sentimento
cinico e indifferente faccio finta di niente
ma non ho più parole in questa notte di ottobre
sento solo lontano un misterioso rumore
e' la notte che piano si muove, e tra poco esce il sole
Cambierò, Cambierò
apriti cuore ti prego fatti sentire
cambierò, tornerò come un tempo padrone di niente, di niente, di niente
Cambierò, Cambierò
apriti cuore ti prego fatti sentire
cambierò, tornerò come un tempo padrone di niente, di niente, di niente
Cambierò, Cambierò
apriti cuore ti prego fatti sentire
cambierò, tornerò come un tempo padrone di niente, di niente, di niente
The song "Apriti Cuore" by Lucio Dalla is an emotional journey of the singer's heart, as he implores himself to open up and express his feelings. In this warm October night, he urges his heart to open up and not remain silent. He reflects on the time that has passed where he had kept his heart away from people and had been living a life without any expressions of love. Lucio admits that he had even contemplated throwing away his heart. He acknowledges that the heart cannot be calculated in a cold, logical, or mathematical way, and its beats are not logically consistent. The heart is free and like a child, it gets offended and stops and starts again. He advises himself and others not to leave the heart alone, as he did.
The singer advises himself and others to leave the worldly possessions, such as power and money, and embrace love as it is the only way to not end up alone. He pledges that he will change and return to being the master of nothing like he was before, but this time, he will not keep his heart away from people. He implores his heart to speak up, and he repeats the phrase "Cambierò" multiple times, which means he will change.
The song conveys the message that one should not live life in isolation, but instead should open up to others and embrace love. It is okay to show feelings and that the heart should always be taken care of.
Line by Line Meaning
In questa notte calda di ottobre, apriti cuore
On this warm October night, open up your heart
non stare li in silenzio senza dir niente
Don't just stay there in silence without saying anything
non ti sento, non ti sento, da troppo tempo non ti sento
I can't hear you, I haven't heard you in too long
e ti ho tenuto lontano dalla gente
And I've kept you away from people
quanti giorni passati senza un gesto d'amore
So many days have passed without a loving gesture
con i falsi sorrisi e le vuote parole.
With fake smiles and empty words.
Ho perfino pensato in questa notte di Ottobre
I even thought tonight in October
di buttarti via......di buttarti via
To throw you away...to throw you away
ah lo so il cuore non e' un calcolo
Ah I know, the heart isn't a calculation
freddo e matematico
Cold and mathematical
lui non sa dov'e' che va
It doesn't know where it's going
sbaglia si ferma, e riprende
It makes mistakes, it stops, and it starts again
e il suo battito non e' logico
And its beats aren't logical
e' come un bimbo libero
It's like a free child
appena dici che non si fa
As soon as you tell it not to do something
lui si volta e si offende
It turns around and get offended
non lasciarlo mai solo come ho fatto io
Never leave it alone like I did
lascia stare il potere, il denaro non e' il tuo Dio
Leave behind power, money isn't your God
o anche tu rimarrai senza neanche un amico
Or you'll be left without even a friend
Cambierò, Cambierò
I will change, I will change
apriti cuore ti prego fatti sentire
Open up your heart, please let yourself be heard
tornerò come un tempo padrone di niente, di niente...di niente
I'll come back like a time when I owned nothing, nothing...nothing
anche davanti a questo cielo nero di stelle,
Even in front of this black sky of stars
e ce ne sono stanotte di stelle, forse miliardi, cuore non parli?
And there are so many stars tonight, maybe billions, heart aren't you speaking?
o sono io che non sento e per paura di ogni sentimento
Or is it me who isn't feeling, and out of fear of every feeling
cinico e indifferente faccio finta di niente
I act cynical and indifferent, pretending like nothing
ma non ho più parole in questa notte di ottobre
But I don't have any more words on this October night
sento solo lontano un misterioso rumore
I only hear a mysterious noise in the distance
e' la notte che piano si muove, e tra poco esce il sole
It's the night that moves slowly, and soon the sun will rise
Contributed by Aubrey K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.