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.
Se Potesse Bastare
Pierangelo Bertoli Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nei quartieri privati dove tutto è colore
Vedo case serene
Tra le foglie dei rami e ruscelli puliti vedo tende di indiani
Le città dei miei avi trasformate in giardino
E palazzi splendenti , sguardi senza confini
Sento il canto del vento diventato poeta
Tra piramidi chiare e astronavi alla meta
Vieni amore che aspettano te
E tu hai riposto sì…
Se potesse bastare partorire parole,
dedicare preghiere, seminare le viole
Dondolare sul filo per sfidare il destino
Intrecciare ghirlande per deviare il cammino
Ma nei giorni dal vero dove tutto è diverso
Perché il sogno si infrange quando l'uomo ha già perso
Il mio canto di vita sembra un pianto leggero
Ed un fiore che nasce resta solo un pensiero
Tra le statue di sale e i deserti di lava cerco segni di vita
Dove il mondo pulsava cerco fiochi respiri e brandelli d'amore
Cerco semi sepolti che germoglino al sole.
The song "Se Potesse Bastare" by Pierangelo Bertoli talks about the longing for a utopian world that is free of the struggles of reality. The singer imagines a beautiful world where everything is colorful and peaceful, where he sees serene houses and clean streams. He sees a transformation of the cities of his ancestors to gardens and shiny buildings, where there are no boundaries among people. The wind becomes a poet and takes him on a journey where he sees clear pyramids and spaceships.
Despite the beauty of this imaginary world, the singer acknowledges that it doesn't exist in reality. He talks about how in real life, dreams are often shattered and broken, and how his own song feels like a light cry in the face of the harsh realities of life. The singer longs to find signs of life in the deserts and the world where love is fading away. He searches for buried seeds that can germinate in the sun, hoping that they will provide some solace and hope in the midst of a difficult existence.
The song is a tribute to the dreamers who long for the utopian world that seems impossible to reach. It encourages them to keep dreaming while acknowledging the harsh realities of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Sulla strada incantata dove nasce il mio sole
On the enchanted road where my sun rises
Nei quartieri privati dove tutto è colore
In the private neighborhoods where everything is color
Vedo case serene
I see serene houses
Tra le foglie dei rami e ruscelli puliti vedo tende di indiani
Between the leaves of branches and clean streams I see Indian tents
Le città dei miei avi trasformate in giardino
The cities of my ancestors transformed into gardens
E palazzi splendenti, sguardi senza confini
And splendid palaces, boundless gazes
Sento il canto del vento diventato poeta
I hear the wind's song turned poet
Tra piramidi chiare e astronavi alla meta
Between clear pyramids and spaceships reaching the goal
Dimmi, cara, verresti da me: c'è tanto posto
Tell me, dear, would you come to me: there is so much room
Vieni amore che aspettano te
Come, my love, they're waiting for you
E tu hai riposto sì…
And you answered yes...
Se potesse bastare partorire parole, dedicare preghiere, seminare le viole
If it could be enough to give birth to words, dedicate prayers, sow violets
Dondolare sul filo per sfidare il destino
Swaying on the wire to challenge destiny
Intrecciare ghirlande per deviare il cammino
Weaving garlands to divert the way
Ma nei giorni dal vero dove tutto è diverso
But in the real days where everything is different
Perché il sogno si infrange quando l'uomo ha già perso
Because the dream is shattered when the man has already lost
Il mio canto di vita sembra un pianto leggero
My song of life seems like a light cry
Ed un fiore che nasce resta solo un pensiero
And a flower that is born remains just a thought
Tra le statue di sale e i deserti di lava cerco segni di vita
Amidst salt statues and lava deserts I search for signs of life
Dove il mondo pulsava cerco fiochi respiri e brandelli d'amore
Where the world was pulsing I search for faint breaths and shreds of love
Cerco semi sepolti che germoglino al sole.
I search for buried seeds that sprout in the sun.
Contributed by Adeline P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.