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.
Felicità
Lucio Dalla Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A un certo momento
Venissero giu'
Tutta una serie di astri
Di polvere bianca scaricata dal cielo
Ma il cielo senza i suoi occhi
Non brillerebbe piu'
Se tutta la gente del mondo
Alzasse la testa
E volasse su
Senza il loro casino
Quel doloroso rumore
La terra povero cuore
Non batterebbe piu'
Mi manca sempre l'elastico
Per tener su le mutande
Cosi' che le mutande
Al momento piu' bello mi vanno giu'
Come un sogno finito
Magari un sogno importante
Un amico tradito
Anch'io sono stato tradito
Ma non m'importa piu'
Tra il buio del cielo
Le teste pelate bianche
Le nostre parole si muovono stanche
Non ci capiamo piu'
Ma io ho voglia di parlare
Di stare ad ascoltare
Continuare a far l'asino
Di comportarmi male
Per poi non farlo piu'
Ah......
Felicita'...
Su quale treno della notte viaggerai
Lo so.....
Che passerai......
Ma come sempre in fretta
Non ti fermi mai
Si tratterebbe di nuotare
Prendendola con calma
Farsi trasportare
Dentro a due occhi grandi
Magari blu
E per dovermi liberare
Attraversare un mare medioevale
Guardare contro un drago strabico
Ma di draghi baby....
Non ce ne sono piu'
Forse per questo i sogni
Sono cosi pallidi e bianchi
E rimbalzano stanchi
Tra le antenne lesse
Delle varie t.v.
E ci ritornano in casa
Portati da signori eleganti
Si si che parlano
E tutti quanti che applaudono
Non ne vogliamo piu'
Ma se questo mondo
E' un mondo di cartone
Allora per essere felici
Basta un niente magari una canzone
O chi lo sa..............
Se no sarebbe il caso
Di provare a chiudere gli occhi
E poi anche quando hai chiuso gli occhi
Chissa' cosa sara'
Ah....
Felicita'......
Su quale treno della notte viaggerai
Lo so.......
Che passerai......
Ma come sempre in fretta
Non ti fermi mai
Ah........
Felicita'.....
Su quale treno della notte viaggerai
Lo so......
Che passerai.......
Ma come sempre in fretta
Non ti fermi mai
Ah......
Felicita'.......
Su quale treno della notte viaggerai
Lo so........
Che passerai.......
Ma come sempre in fretta
Non ti fermi mai
The lyrics to Lucio Dalla's song "Felicità" comprise a series of musings and observations on the subject of happiness. The song suggests that true happiness is an elusive and fleeting thing, a train that passes us by in the night without stopping. The first verse speaks of the stars falling from the sky, and how without them, the sky would no longer shine. The second verse considers the noise and chaos of the world, and how without it, the heart of the Earth would no longer beat. The chorus is a simple plea for happiness, asking where it can be found and suggesting that it is always just out of reach.
The rest of the song consists of a series of stream-of-consciousness observations and musings on the subject of happiness. The singer talks about his own personal struggles with keeping his underwear up, and muses on the nature of dreams, dragons, and television. He suggests that happiness can be found in the simplest of things, like a song or a moment of peace, and ends with a call to close one's eyes and see where the path of happiness might lead.
Overall, "Felicità" presents a somewhat whimsical and philosophical take on the subject of happiness. The song is full of playful imagery and poetic language, but also contains a weight of sadness and melancholy, expressing the impossibility of capturing happiness in any lasting way.
Line by Line Meaning
Se tutte le stelle del mondo
If all the stars in the world
A un certo momento
at a certain moment
Venissero giu'
came down
Tutta una serie di astri
a whole series of stars
Di polvere bianca scaricata dal cielo
of white powder dumped from the sky
Ma il cielo senza i suoi occhi
But the sky without its eyes
Non brillerebbe piu'
wouldn't shine anymore
Se tutta la gente del mondo
If all the people in the world
Senza nessuna ragione
without any reason
Alzasse la testa
lifted their heads
E volasse su
and flew up
Senza il loro casino
Without their noise
Quel doloroso rumore
That painful noise
La terra povero cuore
The poor heart of the earth
Non batterebbe piu'
wouldn't beat anymore
Mi manca sempre l'elastico
I always miss the elastic
Per tener su le mutande
to keep my underwear up
Cosi' che le mutande
So that the underwear
Al momento piu' bello mi vanno giu'
at the most beautiful moment, they fall down
Come un sogno finito
Like a finished dream
Magari un sogno importante
Maybe an important dream
Un amico tradito
A betrayed friend
Anch'io sono stato tradito
I've been betrayed too
Ma non m'importa piu'
But I don't care anymore
Tra il buio del cielo
In the darkness of the sky
Le teste pelate bianche
The white bald heads
Le nostre parole si muovono stanche
Our words move tiredly
Non ci capiamo piu'
We don't understand each other anymore
Ma io ho voglia di parlare
But I feel like talking
Di stare ad ascoltare
To listen
Continuare a far l'asino
To continue acting like a donkey
Di comportarmi male
To behave badly
Per poi non farlo piu'
And then not do it anymore
Ah......
Ah...
Felicita'...
Happiness...
Su quale treno della notte viaggerai
On which night train will you travel
Lo so.....
I know...
Che passerai......
That you'll pass by
Ma come sempre in fretta
But as always, in a hurry
Non ti fermi mai
You never stop
Si tratterebbe di nuotare
It would be a matter of swimming
Prendendola con calma
Taking it calmly
Farsi trasportare
To let yourself be carried away
Dentro a due occhi grandi
Inside two big eyes
Magari blu
Maybe blue
E per dovermi liberare
And to free myself
Attraversare un mare medioevale
To cross a medieval sea
Guardare contro un drago strabico
To look at a cross-eyed dragon
Ma di draghi baby....
But baby, there are no more dragons
Non ce ne sono piu'
There are no more
Forse per questo i sogni
Maybe that's why dreams
Sono cosi pallidi e bianchi
Are so pale and white
E rimbalzano stanchi
And bounce tiredly
Tra le antenne lesse
Between the worn antennas
Delle varie t.v.
From various TVs
E ci ritornano in casa
And they come back home with us
Portati da signori eleganti
Carried by elegant gentlemen
Si si che parlano
Yes, they talk
E tutti quanti che applaudono
And everyone applauds
Non ne vogliamo piu'
We don't want it anymore
Ma se questo mondo
But, if this world
E' un mondo di cartone
Is a world of cardboard
Allora per essere felici
Then, to be happy
Basta un niente magari una canzone
It's enough, maybe a song
O chi lo sa..............
Or who knows......
Se no sarebbe il caso
If not, it would be necessary
Di provare a chiudere gli occhi
To try closing your eyes
E poi anche quando hai chiuso gli occhi
And then even when you've closed your eyes
Chissa' cosa sara'
Who knows what it will be
Ah....
Ah...
Felicita'......
Happiness...
Su quale treno della notte viaggerai
On which night train will you travel
Lo so.......
I know...
Che passerai......
That you'll pass by
Ma come sempre in fretta
But as always, in a hurry
Non ti fermi mai
You never stop
Ah........
Ah...
Felicita'.....
Happiness...
Su quale treno della notte viaggerai
On which night train will you travel
Lo so......
I know...
Che passerai.......
That you'll pass by
Ma come sempre in fretta
But as always, in a hurry
Non ti fermi mai
You never stop
Ah......
Ah...
Felicita'.......
Happiness...
Su quale treno della notte viaggerai
On which night train will you travel
Lo so........
I know...
Che passerai.......
That you'll pass by
Ma come sempre in fretta
But as always, in a hurry
Non ti fermi mai
You never stop
Contributed by William L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.