… Read Full Bio ↴Ornella Vanoni (born September 22, 1934 in Milan) is an Italian singer.
She started her artistic career in 1960 as a theatrical actress of Bertolt Brecht works under the direction of Giorgio Strehler. At the same time, she started singing, recording for a high-class public. The folklore and popular songs she reinvented in her recordings of this period, especially ones connected with organized crime, gave her the nickname of cantante della mala (literally translated as "singer of the bad life")
Soon after her popularity rose, thanks to the songs "Senza fine" and "Che cosa c'è" (1963) written for her by Gino Paoli. In 1964 she won the Napoli Festival with "Tu si na cosa grande".
She subsequently took part in a series of Sanremo festivals, which resulted in great successes with the songs; "Abbracciami forte" (1965), "Io ti darò di più" (1966), "La musica è finita" (1967), "Casa bianca" (1968), and "Eternità" (1970). "Casa Bianca", which came second, was the subject of the dispute between its author Don Backy and the Clan of Adriano Celentano because of copyright problems.
During the same period she released the songs "Una ragione di più", "Un'ora sola ti vorrei" and "L'appuntamento".
In 1976 she met Vinicius de Moraes and Toquinho, and she released the songs "La voglia, la pazzia, l'incoscienza e l'allegria". During the 1980s she also released "Ricetta di donna" (1980), "Uomini" (1983) and "Ti lascio una canzone" (1985, a duet sung with Gino Paoli). In 1989 she returned to Sanremo with the song "Io come farò".
In 1999 she recorded "Alberi", a duet sung with Enzo Gragnaniello. She was mostly active in live concerts and as a guest singer in recordings. In 2004 she released a duo album with Gino Paoli as a way of celebrating her 70th birthday.
In addition to her singing career, Ornella Vanoni was active in many other performing arts. Apart from the aforementioned theatre career, she also took part in movies, posed nude for the Italian version of Playboy Italy and also participated in television programmes such as a parody of a velina of Striscia la notizia.
The inclusion of her song "L'Appuntamento" on the Ocean's Twelve soundtrack sparked a renewal of interest in Vanoni in the US.
Carmen
Ornella Vanoni Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Una lama dentro il cuore
Non sugge così facilmente
Allo sguardo di un normale osservatore
Anche un mediocre investigatore
E un cacciatore di affanni
Non si inganna così
Cosa ci può suggerire
Un discreto sorridere agli altri
E l'applauso ha un effetto banale
Se non l'idea di un'uscita di scena
Prima del gran finale
Ah… cosa ci è capitato
E come avranno riso in platea
Del nostro amore orgoglioso
Del nostro amore indiscreto, arrabbiato,
Impietoso, sfacciato
Del nostro amore troppo affamato
Che s'inchinò a baciarci sul cuore
E noi questo bastò
Ah… saranno stata duemila ore si e no
Una storia d'amore normale
Un disegno fatale
Qui c'è da ripensare fino a morire
Al nostro amore orgoglioso, spezzato,
Ferito, umiliato, insicuro
E senza più fiato
Che non si può raccontare
Che ci rende insicure
Io non so camminare… e quell'amore
Che si chinò a baciarci sul cuore
La sua lama affilata
Era ferma e sicura
E a noi questo bastò
The lyrics of Ornella Vanoni's Carmen explores the complexities of love and the painful aftermath of a relationship that has failed. The first paragraph describes the emotional pain that one experiences after a breakup or a heartbreak. The metaphor of a blade inside the heart perfectly portrays the intense pain that lingers long after the relationship ends. The next line highlights that this pain isn't noticeable to ordinary people, and even the best investigator or hunter cannot discern it. This line conveys that the aftermath of a failed relationship is a personal experience and is not easy to detect.
The second paragraph evaluates the relationship and questions its validity. The line "What can a decent smile suggest to us, and applause has a banal effect if not the idea of an exit before the grand finale" implies that the relationship was always doomed to fail. The line "What happened to us?" signifies the confusion and shock that one feels after a break up, followed by ridicule and judgement. The line "our love too hungry that bowed down to kiss us on the heart, and that was enough for us" implies the desperate nature of their relationship, where they settled for less and hoped that love would be enough to sustain them.
Overall, Ornella Vanoni's Carmen shines a light on the complexity of love and the painful aftermath of a failed relationship. The lyrics convey a sense of hurt, deception, and confusion that individuals often face in this situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Vedi com'è
Look how it is
Una lama dentro il cuore
A blade inside the heart
Non sugge così facilmente
Does not show so easily
Allo sguardo di un normale osservatore
To the eye of a normal observer
Anche un mediocre investigatore
Even a mediocre investigator
E un cacciatore di affanni
And a hunter of troubles
Non si inganna così
Is not fooled like that
Vedi che storia
See what a story
Cosa ci può suggerire
What can it suggest to us
Un discreto sorridere agli altri
A discreet smile to others
E l'applauso ha un effetto banale
And applause has a banal effect
Se non l'idea di un'uscita di scena
If not the idea of an exit from the scene
Prima del gran finale
Before the big finale
Ah... cosa ci è capitato
Ah... what happened to us
E come avranno riso in platea
And how they must have laughed in the audience
Del nostro amore orgoglioso
About our proud love
Del nostro amore indiscreto, arrabbiato, impietoso, sfacciato
About our indiscreet, angry, merciless, shameless love
Del nostro amore troppo affamato
About our love that was too hungry
Che s'inchinò a baciarci sul cuore
That bowed to kiss us on the heart
E noi questo bastò
And that was enough for us
Ah... saranno stata duemila ore si e no
Ah... it must have been two thousand hours or so
Una storia d'amore normale
A normal love story
Un disegno fatale
A fatal plan
Qui c'è da ripensare fino a morire
We need to rethink this until we die
Al nostro amore orgoglioso, spezzato, ferito, umiliato, insicuro, e senza più fiato
About our proud love, broken, hurt, humiliated, insecure, and without breath
Che non si può raccontare
That cannot be told
Che ci rende insicure
That makes us insecure
Io non so camminare... e quell'amore
I don't know how to walk... and that love
Che si chinò a baciarci sul cuore
That bowed to kiss us on the heart
La sua lama affilata
Its sharp blade
Era ferma e sicura
Was still and sure
E a noi questo bastò
And that was enough for us
Contributed by Jordan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.