The songs on To All We Stretch The Open Arm were chosen, arranged and perfo… Read Full Bio ↴The songs on To All We Stretch The Open Arm were chosen, arranged and performed by Mirah and the members of The Black Cat Orchestra. These songs come from places and decades that have seen dissent, passion and revolution. They are personal and international; modern and historic. They are songs by Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Stephen Foster, Kurt Weill, Bertold Brecht, Anon, Fausto Amodei, Horacio Guarany and Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn. Simply put, they are what would have once been called protest songs.
Mirah and the The Black Cat Orchestra sing and play the good song the way others fight the good fight. Luckily, we'll all get in on this rally. To All We Stretch The Open Arm was made to activate the activist in us all.

(from Cdbaby.com)

Bella ciao
Mirah with the Black Cat Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Questa mattina, mi son svegliata.
Oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao.
Questa mattina, mi son svegliata
E ho trovato l'invasor.
Oh partigiano, portami via.
Oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao.
Oh partigiano, portami via,
Che mi sento di morir.

E se muoio da partigiano
Oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao.
E se muoio da partigiano
Tu mi devi seppellir.
E seppellire lassù in montagna
Oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao.
Seppellire lassù in montagna
Sotto l'ombra di un bel fior.
E le genti che passeranno
Oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao.
E le genti che passeranno
E diranno che bel fior.
E' questo il fiore del partigiano
Oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao.

E' questo il fiore del partigiano
Morto per la libertà.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Bella Ciao" are incredibly powerful and tell the story of a partigiano, an Italian resistance fighter, who wakes up one morning to find the invader has arrived. The partigiano requests to be taken away, knowing that death is near, and asks to be buried on the mountain under the shadow of a beautiful flower. The people who pass by will recognize the flower and know that it represents the sacrifice of a partigiano who died for freedom.

The song is full of symbolism and depicts the struggles that the Italian people faced during the Second World War under the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini. The flower in the song represents the hope of freedom and the sacrifice of those who fought for it. The idea of being buried on the mountain also symbolizes the strength and resilience of the Italian people, who fought back against the fascist regime.

The chorus of "Oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao" is a repeated refrain, almost like a chant or mantra, that is sung with passion and determination. The song has become a symbol of resistance and has been performed by many artists around the world. The lyrics and melody of "Bella Ciao" remind us of the importance of fighting for our freedom and never giving up hope.

Line by Line Meaning

Questa mattina, mi son svegliata.
This morning, I woke up.