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.
Come il Vento
Lucio Dalla Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
L'IMMAGINE DI TE
TU, PICCOLA SCINTILLA AL VENTO
CHE NON SI SPEGNE MAI
QUANTI ANNI DA QUEL
GIURAMENTO
CHE MI HA LEGATO A TE
SE SI CAPISSE COSA SENTO DENTRO
COME IL VENTO
MI DAI INFERNO E PARADISO DENTRO
BENE E MALE UNITI IN UN MOMENTO
SANGUE E AMORE UNITI INSIEME
STELLA SOLA
IN MEZZO A UN CIELO NERO SENZA TEMPO
CON LE ALI, AL BUIO E NEL SILENZIO
DA TE IO VOLEREI
IO TI RAGGIUNGEREI
GUGLIE ALTE E CAMPANILI
CHE GIOCANO COL CIELO
NUBI BASSE NEI CORTILI E ATTORNO A ME, DENTRO ME
COME PICCOLE CANDELE
ACCESE
ACCESE CONTRO IL VENTO
SE LA PORTA DELLA CHIESA RIMANE APERTA
MI SPAVENTO MA NON TI SPENGO
COME IL VENTO
MI DAI INFERNO E PARADISO DENTRO
BENE E MALE UNITI IN UN MOMENTO
SANGUE E AMORE UNITI INSIEME
STELLA SOLA
IN MEZZO A UN CIELO
NERO SENZA TEMPO
CON LE ALI, AL BUIO E NEL SILENZIO
DA TE IO VOLEREI
IO TI RAGGIUNGEREI.
In Lucio Dalla's song "Come Il Vento," the singer describes the image of the subject of the song -- a person who they refer to as a "little spark in the wind" that they've been bound to for many years. The singer says that if anyone could understand what they feel inside, even God would flee from them. The subject of the singer's affection is presented as a dichotomy -- giving the singer both heaven and hell within themselves, both good and bad united in a single moment, and both blood and love intertwined. The subject of the song also seems to have the ability to transport the singer to a different world -- a black and timeless sky -- with their wings and in silence.
The lyrics of this song offer a beautiful meditation on the complexities of love and the depth of its power over an individual. Throughout the song, the singer presents their lover as a force that creates both beautiful and turbulent emotions within them. The line "if anyone could understand what I feel inside, even God would flee from me" is particularly striking, and speaks to the overwhelming and all-encompassing nature of their emotions. Additionally, the singer's desire to be transported away by their lover -- to a timeless and black sky -- adds a layer of mysticism and otherworldliness to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
SCIVOLA NEL MIO PENSIERO
Your thoughts slip into my mind
L'IMMAGINE DI TE
The image of you
TU, PICCOLA SCINTILLA AL VENTO
You, a small spark in the wind
CHE NON SI SPEGNE MAI
That never goes out
QUANTI ANNI DA QUEL GIURAMENTO
How many years since that oath
CHE MI HA LEGATO A TE
That bound me to you
SE SI CAPISSE COSA SENTO DENTRO
If one could understand what I feel inside
ANCHE DIO ANDREBBE VIA DA ME, FUGGIREBBE VIA DA ME
Even God would go, would run away from me
COME IL VENTO
Like the wind
MI DAI INFERNO E PARADISO DENTRO
You give me heaven and hell inside
BENE E MALE UNITI IN UN MOMENTO
Good and evil united in a moment
SANGUE E AMORE UNITI INSIEME
Blood and love united together
STELLA SOLA
Lonely star
IN MEZZO A UN CIELO NERO SENZA TEMPO
In the middle of a timeless black sky
CON LE ALI, AL BUIO E NEL SILENZIO
With wings, in the darkness and in silence
DA TE IO VOLEREI
To you, I would fly
IO TI RAGGIUNGEREI
I would reach you
GUGLIE ALTE E CAMPANILI
Tall spires and bell towers
CHE GIOCANO COL CIELO
That play with the sky
NUBI BASSE NEI CORTILI E ATTORNO A ME, DENTRO ME
Low clouds in the courtyards and around me, inside me
COME PICCOLE CANDELE ACCESE
Like small lit candles
ACCESE CONTRO IL VENTO
Lit against the wind
SE LA PORTA DELLA CHIESA RIMANE APERTA
If the door of the church remains open
MI SPAVENTO MA NON TI SPENGO
It scares me, but I won't put you out
COME IL VENTO
Like the wind
MI DAI INFERNO E PARADISO DENTRO
You give me heaven and hell inside
BENE E MALE UNITI IN UN MOMENTO
Good and evil united in a moment
SANGUE E AMORE UNITI INSIEME
Blood and love united together
STELLA SOLA
Lonely star
IN MEZZO A UN CIELO NERO SENZA TEMPO
In the middle of a timeless black sky
CON LE ALI, AL BUIO E NEL SILENZIO
With wings, in the darkness and in silence
DA TE IO VOLEREI
To you, I would fly
IO TI RAGGIUNGEREI
I would reach you
Contributed by Alexis H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
guiaguza
Se nos fue otro genio.Siempre en el corazón.
Luigi Di Palma
Grazie Lucio!!!!!
Robertospizzico
Splendida canzone. In risposta a chi da per finito un grande artista come Lucio Dalla.
alexpax72
bellissima
wanda lava
Bellissima 💕💖...Ti piacerà 😘
Simonetta Diana
@wanda lava Grazie! Wanda😊🌞🌅⛵🐚serena giornata🍀😘
wanda lava
@Simonetta Diana Ciao Simonetta 😊😘. .Perché dici questo....Non sei mai invadente. .Hai solo condiviso il mio pensiero. ..e questo mi fa piacere 🌹🍀🍃🌞Buona giornata Simonetta 🌅
Simonetta Diana
🌟Buongiorno Wanda🌟✨💫si è davvero bella. Scusa se sono un pochino invadente😎😘💛
Robertospizzico
Ciao Lucio, amore mio!
mario francesco
Ciao Lucio 😢Mario @62. Novembre 2019