Hemingway
Paolo Conte Lyrics

The lyrics of Paolo Conte's song Hemingway evokes a sense of nostalgia and longing. The first two lines describe the pleasures of Harry's Bar and the tenderness of Zanzibar, which are romantic and enchanting. However, the third line "C'era questa strada" (There was this road) suggests that there is something beyond these pleasures that the singer is searching for.

The second stanza deepens the melancholy tone as the lyrics say "Oltre le illusioni di Timbuktu, e le gambe lunghe di Babalù, c'era questa strada" (Beyond the illusions of Timbuktu and the long legs of Babalù, there was this road). The singer is looking for something that is beyond the illusions and external beauty that one sees, similarly to the road that is taking him away from those pleasures. The third line of each stanza reflects the idea of the singer's search for something beyond materialistic pleasures, with the repetition of the evocative phrase "Questa strada zitta che vola via" (This silent road that flies away) that connects the material and spiritual world.

Towards the end of the song, the lyrics repeat the phrase "Et alors, monsieur Hemingway, ça va?" (And so, Mr. Hemingway, how are you?) over and over again. The singer is asking Hemingway, the iconic American writer who famously romanticized a sense of nostalgia and longing in his works, how he is feeling. It is possible that the singer identifies with Hemingway's writing style and is trying to channel his idea of nostalgia into his music.