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".
Guapparia
Massimo Ranieri Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ca è 'ntussecosa assaje 'sta serenata:
Io sóngo 'o 'nnammurato 'e Margarita
Ch'è 'a femmena cchiù bella da 'Nfrascata!
Ll'aggio purtato 'o capo cuncertino,
Po sfizio 'e mme fá sèntere 'e cantá...
Mm'aggio bevuto nu bicchiere 'e vino
Scetáteve guagliune 'e malavita!...
E' accumparuta 'a luna a ll'intrasatto,
Pe' lle dá 'o sfizio 'e mme vedé distrutto...
Pe' chello che 'sta fémmena mm'ha fatto,
Vurría cha luna se vestesse 'e lutto!...
Quanno se ne venette â parta mia,
Ero 'o cchiù guappo 'e vascio â Sanitá...
Mo, ch'aggio perzo tutta guapparía,
Cacciatemmenne 'a dinta suggitá!...
Scetáteve guagliune 'e malavita!...
Sunate, giuvinò', vuttàte 'e mmane,
Nun v'abbelite, ca stó' buono 'e voce!
I' mme fido 'e cantá fino a dimane...
E metto 'ncroce a chi...mm'ha miso 'ncroce...
Pecché nun va cchiù a tiempo 'o mandulino?
Pecché 'a chitarra nun se fa sentí?
Ma comme? chiagne tutto cuncertino,
Addó' ch'avessa chiagnere sul'i'...
Chiágnono sti guagliune 'e malavita!...
The song Guapparia by Massimo Ranieri is about a man singing a serenade to his lover, Margarita. The singer describes Margarita as the most beautiful woman in the town of Nfrascata, and he is so in love with her that he wears a hat tilted to the side and drinks wine to feel like singing. He asks the young men of Malavita to wake up and listen to his song.
The singer then sings about the moon appearing in the sky and how he wants to see it when it's dark. He wishes that the moon wears black mourning clothes because of what Margarita has done to him. He then sings about how he used to be the most confident man in town, but now he has lost all his bravery because of Margarita. He asks the young men of Malavita to take him away and forget about him.
In the final stanza, the singer sings about playing music and how the young men of Malavita cry with him. He wonders why the mandolin is no longer playing and why the guitar is not being heard. He concludes the song by saying that the young men of Malavita cry because they understand the pain of love.
Overall, the song is about a man who has lost his confidence because of love and sings a serenade to the woman who has caused him pain. The song is emotional and evokes a sense of nostalgia and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
Scetáteve, guagliune 'e malavita...
Wake up, young men of crime because this serenade is something special, and I am in love with Margherita, who is the most beautiful woman in Naples.
Ca è 'ntussecosa assaje 'sta serenata:
This serenade is really something special.
Io sóngo 'o 'nnammurato 'e Margarita
I am in love with Margherita.
Ch'è 'a femmena cchiù bella d'i'a 'Nfrascata!
She is the most beautiful woman in Naples.
Ll'aggio purtato 'o capo cuncertino,
I brought a beret on my head.
Po' sfizio 'e mme fá sèntere 'e cantá...
Just to look fancy while singing this serenade.
Mm'aggio bevuto nu bicchiere 'e vino
I drank a glass of wine.
Pecché, stanotte, 'a voglio 'ntussecá...
Because, tonight, I want to get inebriated.
E' accumparuta 'a luna a ll'intrasatto,
The moon appeared up above.
Pe' lle dá 'o sfizio 'e mme vedé distrutto...
So that I could enjoy watching myself being dejected.
Pe' chello che 'sta fémmena mm'ha fatto,
Because of what this woman did to me.
Vurría ch'i'a luna se vestesse 'e lutto!...
I wish the moon would dress in mourning for me.
Quanno se ne venette â parta mia,
When she came to my party.
Ero 'o cchiù guappo 'e vascio â Sanitá...
I was the bravest guy in Sanita neighborhood.
Mo, ch'aggio perzo tutt'a guapparía,
But now that I have lost all my courage.
Cacciatemmenne 'a dint'a suggitá!...
Get me out of here in a hurry.
Sunate, giuvinò', vuttàte 'e mmane,
Play, young musicians, and clap your hands.
Nun v'abbelite, ca stó' buono 'e voce!
Don't worry; I have a good voice.
I' mme fido 'e cantá fino a dimane...
I trust myself to sing until dawn.
E metto 'ncroce a chi...mm'ha miso 'ncroce...
And curse whoever has wronged me.
Pecché nun va cchiù a tiempo 'o mandulino?
Why is the mandolin not playing on time?
Pecché 'a chitarra nun se fa sentí?
Why can't I hear the guitar?
Ma comme? chiagne tutt'o cuncertino,
What's going on? All the musicians are crying.
Addó' ch'avess'a chiagnere sul'i'...
Where should I have someone cry for me?
Chiágnono sti guagliune 'e malavita!...
These young men of crime are crying!
Contributed by Vivian V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jakov722
Son tutti canzoni di mia gioventu GRAZIE TANTO DAL CUORE
@elviaromani3207
Se Dopo 60 anni è ancora qui con la sua voce meravigliosa una ragione c'è bravissimo
@agostinoapicella1467
Il regno di spagna a napoli lascia il segno anche nelle canzoni.
@nicosnicoski9243
Bella interpretazione del "guappo" Massimo Ranieri ... patrimonio nazionale !
@ritabagnati9875
La forza vocale di Massimo Ranieri,rende questa canzone ancora più "Guappa".
@canaldedenuncias1364
Belllas fotos. Encantador Massimo, Un Baggio dal Perú.
@emmaconcio8861
Vorrei ascoltare la più bella canzone di Natale cantata da Massimo Ranieri grazie.
@mariamarano3916
Grande interpretazione. Grandi autori che non nascono più. Massimo sei troppo forte!!!
@Carlosevillano3
¡Que maravilla! Una cancion clasica napolitana con aires flamencos. Desde Andalucia enhorabuena al gran Massimo Ranieri. Napoles sigue siendo muy amada por los españoles.
@carmelacarmela947
Un vero purosangue