Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM) (translation: Award-winning Marconi Bakery)… Read Full Bio ↴Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM) (translation: Award-winning Marconi Bakery) is an Italian progressive rock band originating from Milan, Italy. They were the first Italian group to have success abroad, entering both the British and American charts. Between 1973 and 1977 they released five albums with English lyrics. They also had several successful European and American tours, playing at the popular Reading Festival in England and on a very popular national television programme in the U.S.A.

PFM introduced new sounds, such as the synthesizer, to the Italian musical world. They were also among the first to combine symphonic classical and traditional Italian musical influences in a rock music context. Such innovations and their longevity have made them among the most important bands in the international Progressive rock genre.

The original core members of PFM (Franco Mussida, Franz Di Cioccio, Flavio Premoli, and Giorgio Piazza) came together in the mid 1960's while playing together as backup musicians for many different Italian pop, rock and folk singers such as Lucio Battisti, Mina, Adriano Celentano and Fabrizio De André. They appeared on many recordings for other artists during this period and quickly established themselves as top players on the Italian rock and pop scene. Mussida, Premoli, Piazza and Di Cioccio then formed the group "I quelli" (English translation "Them", or "Those Guys") in 1968. I quelli released one album and some successful Italian singles.

Premiata Forneria Marconi was officially formed in Milan, Italy in 1970 when the members of I quelli met Mauro Pagani from the group Dalton. Pagani helped the group expand their sound to include violin and flute. By this time they were already highly experienced musicians and easily able to play the kind of complex progressive heavy rock played by the leading English and American groups. Their early live performances included covers by groups such as King Crimson and Jethro Tull. Other early influences included Chicago, Ekseption, and The Flock.

They had a long name, as Italian progressive bands tended to have back then, and so were usually referred to as "La Premiata", and later "PFM". After rejecting Isotta-Fraschini (an Italian car maker) the group finally settled on Pagani's suggestion, "Forneria Marconi" (meaning "Marconi Bakery"), borrowed from the sign of a shop in the small town of Chiari, near Brescia. However, record producer and friend Alessandro Colombini suggested the name was not strong enough, so the title "Premiata" (award-winning) was added. Some objected that "Premiata Forneria Marconi" was too long a name, but the group's philosophy stated that the more difficult to remember a band's name, the more difficult to forget it.

The most recent line-up of PFM follows:

- Franco Mussida: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12 string guitar, mandolin, vocals (1970–present)
- Franz Di Cioccio: drums, percussion, lead and backing vocals (1970–present)
- Patrick Djivas: bass, programming (1974–present)
- Lucio Fabbri: violin, keyboards (1979–1987, 2000–present )
- Gianluca Tagliavini: piano, Hammond, Minimoog, other keyboards (2005–present)
- Piero Monterisi: additional drums (2006–present)

Former members of PFM follows:

- Flavio Premoli: piano, keyboards, Mellotron, Moog synthesizer, lead vocals (1970–1980, 1997–2005)
- Giorgio Piazza: bass (1970–1974)
- Mauro Pagani: flute, piccolo, violin, vocals (1970–1976)
- Bernardo Lanzetti: lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1975–1977)
- Gregory Bloch: violin (1976–1977)
- Walter Calloni: additional drums (1982–1987)
- Roberto Gualdi: additional drums (1997–2005)

Ore
Premiata Forneria Marconi Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Provare a perdersi
Andare più lontano
Mutare pelle all'anima,
Passare un'altra mano
Cambiare stanze, ritmi, amici,
Un altro nome, un altro Dio
E non scappare più

Acqua tra gli argini e sulle sponde sale
Parlando non combiniamo niente e ci facciamo male

Costretti a bere ore ore ore ore di bugie
Non ti distinguo io, non mi distingui tu
Ti perdo io o mi perdi tu

Ma sappiamo noi o il freddo che c'è intorno
La nebbia, la malattia
Quell'ossessione che rende notte il giorno
Ci confonde e ci porta via

Non ti capisco io o non capisci tu
Ti perdo io, mi perdi tu

Serve una casa nuova
Riparo naturale
Da questo tempo d'inverno
Di latte andato male
Cercarsi ore ore ore ore ore ore ore ore… ancora
Provarci ore ore ore ore ore ore ore… ora

Non ti capisco io o non capisci tu
Ti perdo io, mi perdi tu
Ancora io, ancora tu

Non ti capisco non ti capisco
Non mi capisci tu non mi capisci tu

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Ore" by Premiata Forneria Marconi describe the struggles of trying to escape from the current problems and moving towards something new. The desire to get lost and go farther away is expressed in the lyrics, along with the importance of changing oneself in order to move forward. The idea of changing rooms, rhythms, friends, and even names and gods is mentioned in the song, indicating the desire for a complete transformation. Moving on from the past is emphasized when it says, "and not escape anymore."

The second verse talks about how speaking sometimes causes more harm than good, and how the two parties are forced to lie for hours and hours. The lines "I can't distinguish you, you can't distinguish me, I'm losing you or you're losing me" indicate that there is a loss of communication and understanding between the two parties. The third verse talks about how sometimes it's difficult to discern between the coldness of the surroundings and the coldness between two people, and how obsession can turn day into night, confusing and taking them away.

Overall, the song expresses the idea of wanting to escape and start anew, and the struggles that come with trying to do so while maintaining relationships and trying to communicate effectively.

Line by Line Meaning

Provare a perdersi
Trying to lose oneself

Andare più lontano
Going further away

Mutare pelle all'anima,
Changing the skin of the soul,

Passare un'altra mano
Passing to another hand

Cambiare stanze, ritmi, amici,
Changing rooms, rhythms, friends,

Un altro nome, un altro Dio
Another name, another God

E non scappare più
And not running away anymore

Acqua tra gli argini e sulle sponde sale
Water between the banks and on the shores rises

Parlando non combiniamo niente e ci facciamo male
Talking we don't achieve anything and we hurt ourselves

Costretti a bere ore ore ore ore di bugie
Forced to drink hours and hours of lies

Non ti distinguo io, non mi distingui tu
I don't distinguish you, you don't distinguish me