Born in Sassuolo, in the Province of Modena and belonging to a working class family, when he was 4 he suffered of poliomyelitis and he lost the use of his legs. He started his singing career at the end of 1973, with the album Rosso colore dell'amore and one year later with the self-produced album Roca Blues. One of his most famous albums was the 1979 "A muso duro".
Married to Bruna, he had 3 sons, Emiliano, Petra and Alberto, also a singer.
In 1990 he worked with Elio e le Storie Tese, and in 1991 with Tazenda. In 1992 he took part in the Sanremo Music Festival.
Bertoli died in Modena on October 7, 2002.
Quel giorno
Pierangelo Bertoli Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
della canna di un fucile
perdesti il sangue il respiro
e i piani sull’avvenire
lasciasti solo una donna
dietro a un velo di omertà
le chiederanno dolore e dignità.
Prenderà un altro sole
Aprirà il tuo sorriso
Come quando c’eri tu.
E se rimane un ricordo
è qualcosa che vuole per sé
non avrà niente da dire su di te
adesso vengono in tanti
fanno a gara di parole
e hanno facce di fumo
e sguardi da ambasciatore
le porteranno medaglie
ma se ne fregano di te
e lei rimane da sola sui perché.
Prenderà un altro sole
Per non rivederli più
Aprirà il tuo sorriso
Come quando c’eri tu.
E se per caso la sera
farà i conti di quello che ha
avrà con sé la sua rabbia li odierà
ti hanno insegnato il dovere
ti hanno detto cosa fare
ti hanno insegnato a ubbidire
sempre e a non pensare
e col cervello annebbiato
dal concetto degli eroi
ti hanno impedito di avere sogni tuoi.
Prenderà un altro sole
Per non rivederli più
Aprirà il tuo sorriso
Come quando c’eri tu.
E se su qualche giornale
la cercheranno per darle pietà
avrà una sola risposta li odierà.
Prenderà un altro sole
Per non rivederli più
Aprirà il tuo sorriso
Come quando c’eri tu.
The lyrics of Pierangelo Bertoli's song Quel giorno tell a story of a tragic event, where someone loses their life as a result of violence. The lines describe the final gunshot, which took away the person's breath and plans for the future, leaving behind a grieving woman who will be asked to endure both pain and honor. The first verse indicates that the person was shot while singing or possibly even as part of a singing performance, as the gunshot broke the song's final note. The second and third verses illustrate how the woman left behind will have to face the consequences of the person's death alone and how others will speak of the deceased with great admiration, but they forget to honor and remember the person for who they were outside of their heroic act.
As the song progresses, the woman is portrayed as someone who will try to move on from this event, but it will take time. It will take another sunrise for her to feel like the darkness of the day has lifted. But even in her pain, she remembers the beaming smile of the person who was taken from her, and she will attempt to smile like they did.
The final verse reveals that the person who was shot was possibly forced into the situation and never had the freedom to dream or make their own choices. They were taught to obey without being allowed to think, never daring to have aspirations of their own. The song's ultimate message is how, in death, the person will be praised and adorned for their heroism, but those who are left behind will be left wondering about their stories that never got told.
Line by Line Meaning
Esploso il canto finale
The final song exploded
della canna di un fucile
From the barrel of a rifle
perdesti il sangue il respiro
You lost your blood and breath
e i piani sull’avvenire
And your plans for the future
lasciasti solo una donna
You left behind only a woman
dietro a un velo di omertà
Behind a veil of silence
le chiederanno dolore e dignità.
They will ask her for pain and dignity.
Prenderà un altro sole
She will take another sun
Per non rivederli più
To never see them again
Aprirà il tuo sorriso
She will open your smile
Come quando c’eri tu.
Like when you were here.
E se rimane un ricordo
And if it remains a memory
è qualcosa che vuole per sé
It's something she wants for herself
non avrà niente da dire su di te
She will have nothing to say about you
adesso vengono in tanti
Now they come in many
fanno a gara di parole
They compete with words
e hanno facce di fumo
And they have faces of smoke
e sguardi da ambasciatore
And looks of an ambassador
le porteranno medaglie
They will bring medals
ma se ne fregano di te
But they don't care about you
e lei rimane da sola sui perché.
And she remains alone with the 'whys'.
E se per caso la sera
And if by chance in the evening
farà i conti di quello che ha
She will count what she has
avrà con sé la sua rabbia li odierà
She will have her anger with her, she will hate them
ti hanno insegnato il dovere
They taught you duty
ti hanno detto cosa fare
They told you what to do
ti hanno insegnato a ubbidire
They taught you to obey
sempre e a non pensare
Always and not to think
e col cervello annebbiato
And with a cloudy brain
dal concetto degli eroi
From the concept of heroes
ti hanno impedito di avere sogni tuoi.
They prevented you from having your own dreams.
E se su qualche giornale
And if in some newspaper
la cercheranno per darle pietà
They will look for her to give her pity
avrà una sola risposta li odierà.
She will have only one answer, she will hate them.
Prenderà un altro sole
She will take another sun
Per non rivederli più
To never see them again
Aprirà il tuo sorriso
She will open your smile
Come quando c’eri tu.
Like when you were here.
Contributed by Taylor F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.