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 Parco Della Luna
Lucio Dalla Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Arriva Sonni Boi con i cavalli di legno e la sua donna Fortuna
I denti di ferro e gli occhi neri puntati nel cielo per capirne i misteri.
È nato a Ferrara anzi l'hanno trovato su un muro
È pieno di segni e i muscoli corrono sulla sua pelle.
Sonni Boi ha disegnato sulle braccia la mappa delle stelle.
Di notte va a caccia e con il cavallo raccoglie chi si è perduto.
Anch'io quante volte da bambino ho chiesto aiuto
Quante volte ho pianto e sono caduto
Guardando le stelle ho chiesto di capire
Come entrare nel mondo dei grandi senza paura paura di morire.
Come uno zingaro seduto su un muro gli occhi nel cielo puntati sul futuro
Dei suoi mille figli non ricorda un viso ne ha avuto uno per coltello
Ha fatto un figlio per ogni nemico ucciso.
Sonni Boi non è cattivo ha perfino sorriso guardando
Fortuna accarezzandole il viso.
Li ho visti abbracciarsi come bimbi nel parco della luna
Tutti e due con una valigia nella mano
Con l'aria di chi deve partire
E andare lontano oppure morire,
In silenzio, sparire piano piano
Sopra il loro cavallo di legno con la loro pelle scura nella mano.
Adesso Sonni Boi e la sua donna Fortuna
Saranno a metà strada tra Ferrara e la luna.
The lyrics of Lucio Dalla's song "Il Parco Della Luna" tell the story of Sonni Boi, a mysterious character who travels to the park of the moon with his wooden horses and his woman Fortuna. Sonni Boi was born in Ferrara and is covered in marks and full of muscles that run over his skin. He is a restless soul who draws the map of stars on his arms and with his horse, he hunts down those who are lost in the night. The singer of the song reflects on the times when he himself has been lost and afraid and looked to the stars for answers. Sonni Boi is a man with a violent past, having had a child for every enemy he has killed, yet he is not an entirely bad person and he even smiles at Fortuna.
The song speaks of the human condition, of the fears and struggles that we all face in life, and the desire to understand and overcome them. Sonni Boi and Fortuna represent two people who are brave enough to face their fears and embark on a journey, whether it be towards the unknown or towards death. The park of the moon is a metaphor for dreaming, for reaching out towards something that may be impossible to attain or understand, but still capturing the beauty of hope and wonder.
Line by Line Meaning
Sono più di cent'anni che al parco della luna
For over a hundred years, people have been coming to the moon park.
Arriva Sonni Boi con i cavalli di legno e la sua donna Fortuna
Sonni Boi arrives with his wooden horses and his woman, Fortuna.
I denti di ferro e gli occhi neri puntati nel cielo per capirne i misteri.
He has iron teeth and dark eyes pointed to the sky in order to understand its mysteries.
È nato a Ferrara anzi l'hanno trovato su un muro
He was born in Ferrara, or rather, found on a wall.
È pieno di segni e i muscoli corrono sulla sua pelle.
He is full of marks and his muscles run across his skin.
Sonni Boi ha disegnato sulle braccia la mappa delle stelle.
Sonni Boi drew the map of the stars on his arms.
Di notte va a caccia e con il cavallo raccoglie chi si è perduto.
At night, he hunts and with his horse, he gathers those who are lost.
Anch'io quante volte da bambino ho chiesto aiuto
Like me, how many times as a child have I asked for help?
Quante volte da solo mi sono perduto
How many times have I been lost on my own?
Quante volte ho pianto e sono caduto
How many times have I cried and fallen?
Guardando le stelle ho chiesto di capire
Looking at the stars, I asked to understand.
Come entrare nel mondo dei grandi senza paura paura di morire.
How to enter the world of the grown-ups without fear of dying.
Come uno zingaro seduto su un muro gli occhi nel cielo puntati sul futuro
Like a gypsy sitting on a wall, eyes pointed to the future in the sky.
Dei suoi mille figli non ricorda un viso ne ha avuto uno per coltello
Of his thousand children, he doesn't remember a face, or he had one for a knife.
Ha fatto un figlio per ogni nemico ucciso.
He made a child for every enemy killed.
Sonni Boi non è cattivo ha perfino sorriso guardando
Sonni Boi isn't evil; he even smiled while watching.
Fortuna accarezzandole il viso.
Fortuna, caressing her face.
Li ho visti abbracciarsi come bimbi nel parco della luna
I saw them hugging like children in the moon park.
Tutti e due con una valigia nella mano
Both with a suitcase in hand.
Con l'aria di chi deve partire
With an air of those who have to leave.
E andare lontano oppure morire,
And go far away, or die.
In silenzio, sparire piano piano
Disappearing slowly and silently.
Sopra il loro cavallo di legno con la loro pelle scura nella mano.
On their wooden horse with their dark skin in hand.
Adesso Sonni Boi e la sua donna Fortuna
Now Sonni Boi and his woman, Fortuna,
Saranno a metà strada tra Ferrara e la luna.
will be halfway between Ferrara and the moon.
Contributed by Emma P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.