Natalino Otto was born at Cogoleto, province of Genoa, in northern Italy.
His career as a singer and musician started in the clubs of his native region, Liguria. During 1930s he worked as an entertainer on board transatlantic liners on the routes between Europe and North America, which gave him the opportunity to get to know American music genres, especially jazz and swing.
In 1935 he was hired by an Italian-American radio station in New York. Back in Italy in 1937, Otto presented an innovative repertoire, strongly influenced by American music of that era. But he had to face Italian Fascist regime censorship, that banned anything foreign. He was forced to translate song titles and lyrics into Italian. The Italian state radio company EIAR did not broadcast his songs, and labelled them as "barbaric negro antimusic".
Banned from the radio, Natalino Otto worked for recording companies instead, together with two great Italian bandleaders such as Gorni Kramer and Pippo Barzizza. In a short while he won the audience with his records - one of the few Italian singers of those times, if not the only one, to achieve success without his songs playing on the radio. Italian people danced to his swing tunes, which earned him the nickname "King of Rhythm".
Cinema and Sanremo Festival
Thanks to his popularity, also the movie industry wanted him. He was offered singer roles in a few films. He was the leading character in Tutta la città canta directed by Riccardo Freda in 1945. He also starred in La casa senza tempo and Carosello del varietà.
During 1950s Natalino Otto took part for five times to the Sanremo Music Festival. His best result was a third place in 1955 with a song titled "Canto nella Valle". In that year he married Flo Sandon's, also an Italian singer.
Early in 1960s Otto retired from the public scene, but he continued to be involved in show organization, recordings and musical research.
He died at Milan in 1969.
Overview
Natalino Otto was a very prolific singer. He recorded over two thousand songs during his career. His greatest hits were "Ho un sassolino nella scarpa", "Mamma voglio anch'io la fidanzata", "Mister Paganini", "Polvere di stelle", "Op op trotta cavallino", "Natalino studia canto", "Il valzer del boogie-woogie", "La classe degli asini".
Natalino Otto and his wife Flo Sandon's are credited with the discovery of one of Italy's greatest singers of all times - Mina. On the night of 24 September 1958 a band of teen-age students was playing in a dancing hall in Cremona. Otto and his wife were present, and were greatly impressed by the singer of that group. They went to meet her at the end of the concert and proposed her a trial recording session. One month later, Mina's first single was out.
Arrivederci Roma
Natalino Otto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
T'imbevi de fori e de scavi
Poi tutto d′un colpo te trovi
Fontana de Trevi ch'e tutta per te
Ce sta 'na leggenda romana
Legata a ′sta vecchia fontana
Per cui se ce butti un soldino
E mentre er soldo bacia er fontanone
La tua canzone in fondo è questa qua:
Arrivederci, Roma
Good bye, au revoir...
Si ritrova a pranzo a Squarciarelli
Fettuccine e vino dei Castelli
Come ai tempi belli che Pinelli immortalò
Arrivederci, Roma
Good bye, au revoir...
Si rivede a spasso in carozzella
E ripensa a quella ciumachella
Ch′era tanto bella e che gli ha detto sempre no
Stasera la vecchia fontana
Racconta alla luna
La storia vicina e lontana
Di quella inglesina col naso all'insù
Io qui, proprio qui l′ho incontrata
E qui l'ho baciata
Lei qui, con la voce smarrita
M′ha detto: "è finita, ritorno lassù"
Ma prima di partire l'inglesina
Buttò la monetina e mi sussurrò:
Arrivederci, Roma
Non so scordarti più...
Porto in Inghilterra i tuoi tramonti
Porto a Londra Trinità dei monti
Porto nel mio cuore i giuramenti e sognerò
Arrivederci ancor...
In "Arrivederci Roma," the singer expresses envy towards tourists who come to Rome and quickly find themselves surrounded by the beauty of the city. He specifically references the Fontana di Trevi, which is said to have a legend attached to it. The legend states that by throwing a coin into the fountain, one ensures their return to Rome. As the coin touches the water, the singer reminds us that one's song becomes this: Arrivederci, Roma. The phrase can be translated into English as "Goodbye, Rome."
As the song continues, the lyrics reminisce about the beauty of Rome, mentioning a restaurant called Squarciarelli, popular for its fettuccine and wine. The singer is also pictured strolling through the city's streets on a carriage ride, thinking about a girl who denied his love. The verse ends with a description of a woman from England who the singer met by the fountain before she had to leave. She also threw a coin into the water and whispered goodbye to the city.
Line by Line Meaning
T′invidio turista che arrivi
I envy the tourist arriving
T'imbevi de fori e de scavi
Drinking in the ruins and excavations
Poi tutto d′un colpo te trovi
Suddenly you find yourself
Fontana de Trevi ch'e tutta per te
The Trevi Fountain all to yourself
Ce sta 'na leggenda romana
There is a Roman legend
Legata a ′sta vecchia fontana
Linked to this old fountain
Per cui se ce butti un soldino
So if you throw a coin in it
Costringi er destino a fatte tornà
You force destiny to bring you back
E mentre er soldo bacia er fontanone
And as the coin kisses the big fountain
La tua canzone in fondo è questa qua:
Your song, in essence, is this:
Arrivederci, Roma
Goodbye, Rome
Good bye, au revoir...
Goodbye, so long...
Si ritrova a pranzo a Squarciarelli
You find yourself lunching at Squarciarelli's
Fettuccine e vino dei Castelli
Fettuccine and Castelli wine
Come ai tempi belli che Pinelli immortalò
Like those beautiful times which Pinelli immortalized
Si rivede a spasso in carozzella
You see yourself strolling in a carriage again
E ripensa a quella ciumachella
And remember that little flirt
Ch′era tanto bella e che gli ha detto sempre no
Who was so beautiful and always said no
Stasera la vecchia fontana
Tonight the old fountain
Racconta alla luna
Tells the story to the moon
La storia vicina e lontana
The story near and far
Di quella inglesina col naso all'insù
Of that English girl with her nose up
Io qui, proprio qui l′ho incontrata
I met her right here
E qui l'ho baciata
And here I kissed her
Lei qui, con la voce smarrita
She, here, with her lost voice
M′ha detto: "è finita, ritorno lassù"
Said to me: "It's over, I'm going back up there"
Ma prima di partire l'inglesina
But before the English girl left
Buttò la monetina e mi sussurrò:
She threw in the coin and whispered to me:
Arrivederci, Roma
Goodbye, Rome
Non so scordarti più...
I won't forget you...
Porto in Inghilterra i tuoi tramonti
I carry your sunsets to England
Porto a Londra Trinità dei monti
I take Trinità dei Monti to London
Porto nel mio cuore i giuramenti e sognerò
I carry my oaths in my heart and will dream
Arrivederci ancor...
Goodbye again...
Writer(s): Pietro Garinei, Sandro Giovannini, Rascel
Contributed by Aiden D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.