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.
Cinéma
Lucio Dalla Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're my favorite movie
A thousand endings
You mean everything to me
I never know what's comin'
Forever fascinated
Hope you don't stop runnin'
To me 'cause I'll always be waitin'
You are my cinema
I could watch you forever
Action thriller
I could watch you forever
You are my cinema
A Hollywood treasure
Love you just the way you are
My cinema my cinema
A cinema a cinema a cinema a cinema
Stars spell out your name
Like in a science fiction drama
Romance growing
Like a flower in the summer
You always keep me guessin'
Forever my wonder
Hope you start undressin'
All my dreams and take me under
You are my cinema
I could watch you forever
Action thriller
I could watch you forever
You are my cinema
A Hollywood treasure
Love you just the way you are
My cinema my cinema
A cinema a cinema a cinema a cinema
Never know what movie you're playin'
Never know what movie you're playin'
Never know what movie you're playin'
Never know never know never know
You are my cinema
I could watch you forever
Action thriller
I could watch you forever
You are a cinema
A Hollywood treasure
Love you just the way you are
My cinema my cinema
A cinema a cinema a cinema a cinema
The lyrics of Lucio Dalla's song "Cinema" express the feeling of being captivated and deeply in love with someone. The song uses a cinematic metaphor to describe the intensity of the singer's emotions towards the person they love. The singer speaks of watching their loved one like a movie- they could watch them forever, no matter the genre, as they mean everything to them. The chorus of the song repeatedly proclaims "You are my cinema," emphasizing the idea that the person they love is their entire world and they find endless entertainment and value in them. This is also shown by the lyrics "Hope you start undressin' all my dreams and take me under"- this person is the subject of their fantasies and desires.
Line by Line Meaning
I could watch you for a lifetime
You are so important to me that I could spend my entire lifetime just watching and admiring you.
You're my favorite movie
You are the one thing that I treasure the most in my life, like how a favorite movie is a source of immense joy and entertainment.
A thousand endings
It doesn't matter how this story ends—be it happy or sad, I'll always cherish every moment spent with you, even if it's wishing for the impossible.
You mean everything to me
You are the one who holds the power to give meaning to my life, and without you, everything else would be meaningless.
I never know what's comin'
You constantly surprise me, make me feel alive, and keep me on my toes with every moment we spend together because you possess a unique aura that drives my existence.
Forever fascinated
Despite spending a long time together, you never cease to intrigue and captivate me with your actions, thoughts, and personality.
Hope you don't stop runnin'
Even if the path isn't always smooth, I hope you will never let go of your dreams, passions, and ambitions, and continue to chase them with the same fervor as now.
To me 'cause I'll always be waitin'
I'll always be here, hoping to see you achieve your dreams and goals, supporting you through thick and thin, and waiting with open arms whenever you may require me.
You are my cinema
You are the embodiment of an entire world, a never-ending source of inspiration, happiness, and excitement that keeps my life vibrant and colourful.
Action thriller
Your life is like a thrilling movie, filled with adventures and unexpected twists, making it the most exhilarating experience to watch forever.
A Hollywood treasure
You are a priceless gem, possessing an unrivaled charm and magnetism that attracts and holds the attention of everyone, just like the treasures of Hollywood.
Love you just the way you are
I love you for who you are, what you bring to my life, and the way that you make me feel, and I wouldn't change even a single bit of what makes you wonderful.
Stars spell out your name
The stars in the sky are so bright that they seem to spell out your name, making the entire world a poignant, cosmic setting for my love story.
Like in a science fiction drama
Your impact on my life is so profound that it feels like I'm living in a movie, maybe a sci-fi drama, with a script tailor-made for two people in love.
Romance growing
Our love is slowly and steadily blossoming into something beautiful, much like how a flower unfolds in the summer sun, taking its time, yet completely captivating.
You always keep me guessin'
You are full of surprises, hints, and secrets that keep me guessing, always fascinated and guessing what I might get to experience next in life with you.
Forever my wonder
You never cease to amaze me and keep me in a state of perpetual wonder, making each day an exciting journey that's worth taking with you.
Hope you start undressin'
I hope you will open up and share even more of yourself with me, undress your soul, and let me in, so we can be even more closer with unconditional love and understanding.
All my dreams and take me under
In a beautiful way that I could have never imagined, you have become a part of all of my dreams, taking me to a higher level of awareness and consciousness whilst always supporting me along the way.
Never know what movie you're playin'
I never know what life has in store for us, but one thing's for sure—whatever movie we are going to play moving forward, it is going to be memorable, beautiful and full of love.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing, Musicnotes, Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALAN WHITE, TONY KAYE, TREVOR RABIN, CHRIS SQUIRE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind