… 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.
Lucia
Ornella Vanoni Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sei tu Lucia già andata via
Volata senza fretta via
Laggiù nel mare
C'è un grande sole sta per annegare
E tu Lucia lo vuoi salvare
Lucia nei sassi
Hai chiesto tempo al tempo ma non ne ha
Quanti giorni inutili se poi...
Lucia del bar
Caffè sorrisi molto vino e poi
C'è sempre chi vuole far l'amore
E quella sera
Respirava il cielo e risuonava il mare
Grande conchiglia della notte
Lucia che corri
Sei già lontana e il mare è troppo vicino
I sassi il sale
Non hai potuto far l'amore
Lucia Lucia
Il bianco e nero il tuo sorriso
Sul mio giornale
Lucia Lucia
Diciotto righe in cronaca
Edizione serale
Lucia nel vento
Hai chiesto tempo al tempo ma non ne ha
Lucia vent'anni
Tanti, pochi, inutili se poi...
Lucia Lucia
Com'è diverso il tuo sorriso
Sul mio giornale
Lucia Lucia
Com'è diverso il tuo sorriso
Nella mia memoria
Lucia Lucia
A chi potrebbe interessare
La tua poca storia.
The song "Lucia" by Ornella Vanoni speaks about a woman named Lucia who has left without much notice. The first few verses talk about how she has flown away without any rush, deep into the sea where the sun is about to drown. She wants to save it, but she herself is lost. The lyrics describe the places where Lucia has been, the stones where she asked for more time but did not receive any, the bar where she spent time with coffee, wine and sometimes lovers. The night she ran, the sky breathed while the sea resonated, and she left.
As the song continues, Lucia's story is described in short forty-eight lines, most of which focus on her smiling face. The song ends with a poignant question, "Who could be interested in your little story?" The song can be interpreted as a contemplation on the fleeting nature of life and how one person's life story, full of laughter and heartbreaks, can be lost to obscurity in no time. Through the song, the singer pays homage to Lucia's life, her existence, and her memories.
Line by Line Meaning
Lucia sei tu
You are Lucia
Sei tu Lucia già andata via
You are Lucia who's already gone
Volata senza fretta via
You flew away without worrying
Laggiù nel mare
Down in the sea
C'è un grande sole sta per annegare
There's a big sun that's about to drown
E tu Lucia lo vuoi salvare
And you, Lucia, want to save it
Lucia nei sassi
Lucia among the rocks
Hai chiesto tempo al tempo ma non ne ha
You asked time for time, but it didn't have any
Lucia vent'anni
Lucia, twenty years old
Quanti giorni inutili se poi...
How many useless days if then...
Lucia del bar
Lucia from the bar
Caffè sorrisi molto vino e poi
Coffee, laughs, and a lot of wine
C'è sempre chi vuole far l'amore
There's always someone who wants to make love
E quella sera
And that night
Respirava il cielo e risuonava il mare
The sky was breathing, and the sea was echoing
Grande conchiglia della notte
Big shell of the night
Lucia che corri
Lucia, who runs
Sei già lontana e il mare è troppo vicino
You are already far, and the sea is too close
I sassi il sale
The rocks, the salt
Non hai potuto far l'amore
You couldn't make love
Lucia Lucia
Lucia, Lucia
Il bianco e nero il tuo sorriso
Your smile in black and white
Sul mio giornale
In my newspaper
Diciotto righe in cronaca
Eighteen lines in the news
Edizione serale
Evening edition
Lucia nel vento
Lucia in the wind
Hai chiesto tempo al tempo ma non ne ha
You asked time for time, but it didn't have any
Lucia vent'anni
Lucia, twenty years old
Tanti, pochi, inutili se poi...
Many, few, useless if then...
Lucia Lucia
Lucia, Lucia
Com'è diverso il tuo sorriso
How different your smile is
Sul mio giornale
In my newspaper
Com'è diverso il tuo sorriso
How different your smile is
Nella mia memoria
In my memory
Lucia Lucia
Lucia, Lucia
A chi potrebbe interessare
To whom could it matter
La tua poca storia.
Your little story.
Contributed by Jack J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Lou Gei
La musica è stata composta da Lucio Fois e Beppe Quirici: Il grandissimo e purtroppo compianto musicista e produttore di artisti come Ivano Fossati, Fabrizio de André, Giorgio Gaber e tanti altri. Fois è anche l’autore del testo. Anni fa l’ho intervistato e mi ha detto quanto segue: “Lucia, in realtà, è la parte femminile di ogni uomo: quella più sensibile che vede oltre l’orizzonte, ma che viene stupidamente soffocata in nome di un’arida fallocrazia”.