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.
Il Gigante E La Bambina
Lucio Dalla Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sotto il sole contro il vento
In un giorno senza tempo
Camminavano tra i sassi
Camminavano tra i sassi
Camminavano tra i sassi
Il gigante è un giardiniere
Che gli stringe forte il cuore
Con le tenere radici
Con le tenere radici
Con le tenere radici
E la mano del gigante
Su quel petto di creatura
Scioglie tutta la paura
E' un rifugio di speranza
E' un rifugio di speranza
E' un rifugio di speranza
Del gigante e la bambina
Si e' saputo nel villaggio
E la rabbia da' il coraggio
Di salire fino al bosco
Di salire fino al bosco
Di salire fino al bosco
Il gigante e la bambina
Li han trovati addormentati
Falco e passero abbracciati
Come figli del signore
Come figli del signore
Come figli del signore
Il gigante adesso e' in piedi
Con la sua spada d'amore
E piangendo taglia il fiore
Prima che sia calpestato
Prima che sia calpestato
Prima che sia calpestato
Camminavano tra i sassi
Sotto il sole contro il vento
In un giorno senza tempo
Il gigante e la bambina
Il gigante e la bambina
Il gigante e la bambina
Il gigante e la bambina
Il gigante e la bambina
Il gigante e la bambina
Il gigante e la bambina
Il gigante e la bambina
(Grazie a Sam per questo testo)
The song "Il Gigante E La Bambina" by Lucio Dalla is a poetic tale of an encounter between a giant and a young girl. The two wander together through the rocky landscape, strong against the sun and wind, as if stuck in a timeless day. The giant is a gardener who's deeply moved by the delicate flower that is the girl, which has taken root in his heart. His love for this younger and fragile "creature" is paramount, and it dissolves all of his fear.
Their story makes its way to the village, inciting the townspeople's rage to the point where they overcome it and venture to the woods to find them. There, they observed the giant and the girl asleep, embraced like the Lord's children, with a falcon and a sparrow nearby. But the giant rises to his feet, tears rolling down his cheeks, and cuts the flower before it would be flattened. The song concludes as it began, with no sense of time, and just the giant and the child present, walking among the rocks.
Overall, the song appears to convey a fairy tale-like atmosphere, oblique to time and place, that seems to invite different interpretations. Perhaps the giant represents the force of the earth and nature while the girl projects humanity and fragility. The song may be interpreted as a plea for the two forces to come together in harmony.
Line by Line Meaning
Il gigante e la bambina
The giant and the girl
Sotto il sole contro il vento
Under the sun against the wind
In un giorno senza tempo
In a timeless day
Camminavano tra i sassi
They walked among the stones
Il gigante è un giardiniere
The giant is a gardener
La bambina è come un fiore
The girl is like a flower
Che gli stringe forte il cuore
That tightens his heart strongly
Con le tenere radici
With the tender roots
E la mano del gigante
And the hand of the giant
Su quel petto di creatura
On that creature's chest
Scioglie tutta la paura
Dissolves all fear
E' un rifugio di speranza
It's a refuge of hope
Del gigante e la bambina
About the giant and the girl
Si e' saputo nel villaggio
It was known in the village
E la rabbia da' il coraggio
And anger gives courage
Di salire fino al bosco
To climb up to the woods
Li han trovati addormentati
They were found sleeping
Falco e passero abbracciati
Hawk and sparrow embraced
Come figli del signore
Like children of the lord
Il gigante adesso e' in piedi
The giant is now standing up
Con la sua spada d'amore
With his sword of love
E piangendo taglia il fiore
And crying he cuts the flower
Prima che sia calpestato
Before it is trampled
Camminavano tra i sassi
They walked among the stones
Sotto il sole contro il vento
Under the sun against the wind
In un giorno senza tempo
In a timeless day
Il gigante e la bambina
The giant and the girl
Il gigante e la bambina
The giant and the girl
Il gigante e la bambina
The giant and the girl
Il gigante e la bambina
The giant and the girl
Il gigante e la bambina
The giant and the girl
Il gigante e la bambina
The giant and the girl
Il gigante e la bambina
The giant and the girl
Contributed by Ruby B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Livius4
Un capolavoro già così. Il tema alluso poi, per quei tempi, novità il coraggio etc.... ne centuplica il valore
@mngftht
Guarda che i tempi sono esattamente gli stessi, anzi peggio, visto che adesso c'è molta meno libertà e più giudizio rispetto a prima.
@Livius4
@@mngftht Eh sì, doveva andare diversamente però
@Livius4
@@mngftht Hai ragione, ma doveva andare diversamente
@diegoschillaci1628
E' sempicemente Dalla non ci sono altre parole
@giobbeeeeeeeeeeeee
scusate, ma quale sarebbe questa allusione di cui parlano in molti... ho paura a chiederlo!!
@raffaelloconte
Avrai la luce del tempo che verrà,dolce piccola Sarah!
@alessandrogarbuio8693
è una canzone triste... ma bellissima
@marcella941
questa canzone meravigliosa e' un sogno per le musiche, gli arrangiamenti, gli strumenti e l'atmosfera che ti fa vivere un un mondo medioevale quasi fantastico...
@misday1677
Peccato che la canzone parla di un abuso :/