At 11 years old he ran away to Milan, as he was humiliated by his family due to his stuttering. Because of his difficult childhood he used to sign autographs, later on, by the name 'Pasquale'. He took lessons in music theory, played the saxophone and sang in a few amateur bands, with american-style singers.
He came to public attention, as he participated in 1946 on Radio Bari, at the "Amateur Paradise" competition, organized by composer Vito Vittorio Crocitto and maestro Carlo Vitale.
"I started young. I studied a bit 'of harmony, I was, actually I am, a Bach convinced, I like everything about Sebastian" - Nicola
In 1952, he participated at the Newport Jazz Festival, thanks to music critic Marshall Brown, who noticed him earlier. Back in Italy, he participated as an actor in numerous television programs, and started his professional career as an entertainer.
His life is divided between music and television. His first disc dates from 1956 and was a 78 rpm record; it consisted of a few napolitan songs and was released by RCA Italia. The following year, he moved to Fonit and released other recordings with Alberto Pizzigoni and Riccardo Rauchi.
With the transition to 45 rpm records, and to the Columbia label, the first success came with the recording of the song "Simpatica" by Garinei, Giovannini and Kramer, taken from the musical comedy Buonanotte Bettina.
In 1958 he participated in Canzonissima and later was noticed in a television program entitled Sentimentale, led by Lelio Luttazzi, where he attended as a regular guest, along with Mina. The homonymous theme became a hit, recorded by both the singers in two different versions.
In the meantime, Nicola went on to improve his great passion, jazz, by participating at festivals and dedicated performances (for example, the 1959 Festival Del Jazz, together with Franco Cerri), highlighting himself thanks to his crooner style.
His greatest hits: "Un giorno ti dirò", "Amorevole", "I sing amore", "My wonderful bambina", "I love you forestiera", are from this period. The titles in two different languages were a habit of songwriters at the end of the 50's, who saw "postcard-songs" as a way to promote Italy's touristic beauties (the most famous example will have been "Arrivederci Roma" by Renato Rascel).
In 1963 he was the protagonist of another Saturday night show, "Il cantatutto", together with Milva and Claudio Villa, wherein he enjoyed swapping his repertoire with the two other colleagues and performing gags and comic sketches.
In 1964 he participated in the Sanremo Festival with "Venti chilometri al giorno" and at the 12th edition of Napolitan Songs Festival with the theme of Nisa and Salerno "Si' turnata", performed together with Sergio Bruni. Afterwards he began a long and very successfull career as an advertising testimonial, first for the "Amaro Cora" liquor - for which he played his song "Amorevole" with the title changed to "Amarevole" - and later appeared in a play to advertise for Antonetto(digestive pill) - he played a braggart who boasted amazing business with friends and regularly lost every bet with them and ended up paying expensive dinners. This activity assured his income even when his musical commitments will have become less frequent, thanks to generation replacement and arrival of beat wave.
Arigliano surprisingly came back to television in 1977 in several episodes of "Non stop", a show by Enzo Trapani dedicated to cabaret.
In 1985 he made a live record "Mario Schiano presenta Nicola Arigliano al night club Il Sorpasso - Con l'orchestra I Primi" where, in spite of the title, Mario Schiano was not there: he was, in fact, the promoter of some music performances near Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome to celebrate the PCI's overtaking of DC during European election of 1984 (this thing explains the night club's name "Il Sorpasso"); on the record played some of the most famous Italian jazz musicians, like Marc 4 keyboard player, Antonello Vannucchi, Gegè Munari on drums and Giorgio Rosciglione on double bass.
More recently (1996) he won the Tenco award for his album "I sing ancora"; in 2001 he published "Go man!", album recorded live in Milan that houses some of the most famous Italian jazz musicians: Franco Cerri, Enrico Rava, Gianni Basso, Bruno De Filippi, Renato Sellani and Massimo Moriconi.
In 2005, at 81 years old, he was the oldest singer to take part to Festival di Sanremo: on the occasion he introduced the song "Colpevole" winning the Critics Prize. On the evening of Friday, that of alternate versions, after playing a song in the competition, which was accompanied by Antonello Vannucchi of Marc4 and Franco Cerri, conductor Paul Bonolis asked Nicola for a jam session with his fellow musicians from On the Sunny Side of the Street. The song was however deleted by the jury and did not make the final evening.
On the summer of 2005 his band revolutionized opting for a formation without piano, replaced by accordion and guitar. With this versatile band he started a particularly fervent and industrious moment of his career earning unanimous approval everywhere.
His last performance (with the inseparable Frank Antonucci on guitar, Reverendo Otis on double bass, Al Ventura - accordion and Santi Isgrò - drums) dates back to September 8th, 2007 on the occasion of the Career Award that his hometown Squinzano wanted to bestow upon him.
All The Way
Nicola Arigliano Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's no good unless he loves you all the way
Happy to be near you
When you need someone to cheer you all the way
Taller than the tallest tree is
That's how it's got to feel
Deeper than the deep blue sea is
When somebody needs you
It's no good unless he needs you all the way
Through the good or lean years
And for all the in-between years come what may
Who knows where the road will lead us
Only a fool would say
But if you'll let me love you
It's for sure I'm gonna love you all the way all the way
So, if you'll let me love you
It's for sure I'm gonna love you all the way all the way
The lyrics of Nicola Arigliano's "All the Way" describe the depth of love and the importance of loving someone wholly and completely. The first verse talks about how simply loving somebody is not enough, unless it's "all the way." In other words, love must be unconditional and complete to be worthwhile. The second verse emphasizes the intensity of this love, likening it to being "taller than the tallest tree" and "deeper than the deep blue sea," and noting that only then is it real.
The chorus suggests that love is not just important, but a necessity for a fulfilling life. The lyrics assert that being merely "near" or "good enough" is insufficient; love must be all-consuming to be worthwhile. The third verse offers a promise to love the listener "all the way" through good and bad times, regardless of what the future holds or where their journey may lead. Finally, the song ends with a reaffirmation of the singer's love, pledging to love the listener "all the way" if they are given the chance.
Line by Line Meaning
When somebody loves you
A person loving you is only good if their love is complete and unwavering in every aspect.
It's no good unless he loves you all the way
Love should be wholehearted and not half-hearted to be meaningful.
Happy to be near you
Being close to the person you love brings you joy and happiness.
When you need someone to cheer you all the way
When you’re feeling down, it’s important to have someone who will support and uplift you unconditionally.
Taller than the tallest tree is
The depth of love should be as high as the tallest tree to make someone feel special.
That's how it's got to feel
Love should make the person feel significant, important, and elevated.
Deeper than the deep blue sea is
The level of love should be as profound as the ocean to be enduring and powerful.
That's how deep it goes if it's real
The depths of love are infinite and limitless if it is true and genuine.
When somebody needs you
A person needing you is only significant if their need is wholehearted and unwavering in every aspect.
It's no good unless he needs you all the way
A need that is conditional is not genuine or valuable; it should be persistent and consistent.
Through the good or lean years
Love should persist through all circumstances, be it good or bad.
And for all the in-between years come what may
Love should be consistent over time, even during the intermediate periods between happy and difficult times.
Who knows where the road will lead us
The future is unpredictable, and it’s impossible to know what will happen next.
Only a fool would say
It's unwise to predict or guarantee the future, as anything can happen.
But if you'll let me love you
If you allow me to love you wholeheartedly,
It's for sure I'm gonna love you all the way all the way
I'll love you with all my heart, unconditionally and endlessly.
So, if you'll let me love you
Thus, if you permit me to express my love for you in entirety,
It's for sure I'm gonna love you all the way all the way
I promise to love you with all my heart and soul without any conditions or reservations.
Writer(s): Markus Kaarlonen, Marko Saaresto, Olli Tukiainen
Contributed by Thomas K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.