One of the most popular entertainers in Italy today, he came to the knowledge of the public by winning two editions of the Canzonissima song festival in 1970 and 1972 with "L'Amore È Un Attimo" and "Chi Sarà", and by representing Italy in the Eurovision song contest in 1971 in which he ended up 5th with "L'Amore È Un Attimo", as well as in 1973 when he ended 13th with Chi sara con te. In 1988 he won the San Remo Festival with song "Perdere l'amore", which became one of his greatest hits. He is a constant presence on Italian TV as singer and master of ceremonies. He co-starred in the movie "La Sciantosa" with Anna Magnani. Recently, his CD, "Oggi o dimane" —renditions of his native Neapolitan songs set to North African instrumentation—has had a great success.
Probably his most popular disc was "Rose rosse" which featured his hits "Rose "rosse and "Quando l'amore diventa poesia".
'A Casciaforte
Massimo Ranieri Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
E andivinate pe' ne fá che?
Non tengo titoli,
Non vivo 'e rendita,
Non ci ho un vestito pe' cuollo a me!...
Ma 'a cascia mi necessita...
Pe' forza ll'aggia tené!
Ce aggia mettere tutte llettere
Che mi ha scritto Rosina mia...
Nu ritratto (formato visita)
Da bonanema 'e zi' Sufia...
Nu cierro 'e capille,
Nu cuorno 'e curallo...
Ed il becco del pappagallo
Che noi perdemmo nel ventitré...
Pe-re-pe-re-pe-re-ppe-ré...
Sono ricordi che in cassaforte,
Sulo llá dinto te ppuó' astipá...
Quando mi privano
Del companatico,
Io 'ngótto e zitto senza sferrá...
Lo so! La vita è tragica,
Ma 'a cascia...mme ll'hanna dá!
Ce aggia mettere tutte llettere
Che mi ha scritto Rosina mia...
Il mozzone di una steárica
(conficcato nella bugia),
Na bambola 'e Miccio,
Na lente in astuccio...
E una coda di cavalluccio
Che mi ricorda la meglio etá!
Pa-ra-pa-ra-pa-ra-ppa-rá...
Vaco truvanno na casciaforte!
Ma a qua' casciere ce 'o vvaco a dí?...
Certe reliquie,
Cierti cimeli,
Si 'e ttiene 'a fore, pònno sparí!...
San Casimiro martire...
'sta cascia, famma vení!
Ce aggia mettere tutte llettere
Che mm'ha scritto Rosina mia,
Na cartella (di lire dodici)
Rilasciata dall'agenzía...
Na máneca 'e sicchio,
Na crástula 'e specchio,
Na corteccia di cacio vecchio
E un fracchesciasso color cakí!
Pi-ri-pi-ri-pi-ri-ppi-rí...
In Massimo Ranieri's song 'A Casciaforte', the singer sings about his need to find a safe (casciaforte) to keep all of his precious belongings. He explains that he doesn't have any titles, doesn't live off of an income, and doesn't even have a nice suit to wear. However, he feels that the safe is necessary for him to keep all of his memories, which he lists off throughout the song - letters from his beloved Rosina, a portrait from Bonanema Zi' Sufia, a lock of hair from a horse, and even the beak of a parrot they lost in 'ventitre' (1923). He mentions that these memories are tragic, but that the safe will provide him with comfort when he is without food to eat. The song ends with him calling upon Saint Casimiro to help him find the safe and imploring the listener to understand the importance of keeping memories safe.
The song's theme revolves around the concept of nostalgia and the human need to hold on to memories that remind us of our past. It highlights how even the simplest memories can hold so much emotional significance and that they should be cherished and protected. Ranieri uses a mix of Italian dialects throughout the song, which adds to the rustic tone of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Vaco truvanno na casciaforte!
I am looking for a safe!
E andivinate pe' ne fá che?
And you can guess why?
Non tengo titoli,
I have no qualifications,
Non vivo 'e rendita,
I do not live off a pension,
Non ci ho un vestito pe' cuollo a me!...
I don't even have clothes on my back!...
Ma 'a cascia mi necessita...
But I need the safe...
Pe' forza ll'aggia tené!
I must have it!
Ce aggia mettere tutt
I have to put all the letters
Che mi ha scritto Rosina mia...
That my Rosina wrote to me...
Nu ritratto (formato visita)
A picture (in a passport-sized format)
D bonanema 'e zi' Sufia...
From Zi' Sufia's good luck...
Nu cierro 'e capille,
A lock of hair,
Nu cuorno 'e curallo...
A rooster's horn...
Ed il becco del pappagallo
And the parrot's beak
Che noi perdemmo nel ventitré...
That we lost in '23...
Sono ricordi che in cassaforte,
These are memories that in a safe,
Sulo llá dinto t
Only there can be locked away...
Quando mi privano
When I am deprived
Del companatico,
Of food,
Io 'ngótto e zitto senza sferrá...
I swallow and stay silent without protesting...
Lo so! La vita è tragica,
I know! Life is tragic,
Ma 'a cascia...mme ll'hanna dá!
But the safe...they'll have to give it to me!
Il mozzone di una steárica
An incense burner
(conficcato nella bugia),
(stuck in the deception),
Na bambola 'e Miccio,
A Miccio doll,
Na lente in astuccio...
A lens in a case...
E una coda di cavalluccio
And a lock of a little horse's hair
Che mi ricorda la meglio etá!
That reminds me of the best time of my life!
Vaco truvanno na casciaforte!
I am looking for a safe!
Ma a qua' casciere ce 'o vvaco a dí?...
But to which safe maker should I say it?...
Certe reliquie,
Certain relics,
Cierti cimeli,
Certain keepsakes,
Si 'e ttiene 'a fore, pònno sparí!...
If not kept in a safe, they can disappear!...
San Casimiro martire...
Saint Casimir martyr...
'sta cascia, famma vení!
This safe, make it come to me!
Ce aggia mettere tutt
I have to put all the letters
Che mm'ha scritto Rosina mia,
That my Rosina wrote to me,
Na cartella (di lire dodici)
A document (worth twelve liras)
Rilasciata dall'agenzía...
Issued by the agency...
Na máneca 'e sicchio,
A silk sleeve,
Na crástula 'e specchio,
A mirror case,
Na corteccia di cacio vecchio
A piece of an old cheese rind
E un fracchesciasso color cakí!
And a loud-colored Khaki suit!
Contributed by Camilla K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
LEILA AMADOR
Massimo Ranieri é simplesmente Apaixonante ❤️👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🇧🇷💐🌻😘😘😘😘😘
rosina
¡ Hace reír y emocionar, porque es un artista completo, es un grande Máximo !!!
Martine Cervi
Grande Massimo, tanto lavoro!
LEILA AMADOR
Amo 💖 É maravilhoso sem dúvida ❤️❤️❤️
yota
Che talento !
Samuele
Fantastico❤️❤️❤️
MARIA TERESA Spak
Eres un grande de verdad!
TheRomanistaforever
grandissimo massimo ranieri!
erminia albonico
Mi piace da morire quando interpreta queste canzoni.Grande Massimiliano
erminia albonico
Massimo