[edit] Biography
Vecchioni was born in Carate Brianza, province of Milan, to a family of Neapolitan origin. In 1968 he graduated in Ancient Literatures at the Università Cattolica of Milan, where he remained for two years as assistant lecturer of History of Religions. Later he become literature and history teacher in a Milanese High School, an activity he never stopped.
His work for the Italian music world began in the late 1960s as songwriter for singers like Ornella Vanoni, Gigliola Cinguetti, Mina, Iva Zanicchi and others. His first solo album is Parabola of 1971. In 1973 he took part to the Sanremo Festival with "L'uomo che si gioca il futuro a dadi", continuing to released works as singer-songwriter in the following years. His 1974 LP, Il re non si diverte, obtained the Best Year's Album Award from the Italian musical critics. In 1976 he published his first successful work, Elisir, but he became famous only in the following year, with Samarcanda. With this work Vecchioni gained a fame as one of the most skillful italian singer-songwriters: his inspiration draws mainly from autobiographical themes, intermingled with dreamy, literary and historical (often mythological) ones. His friend Angelo Branduardi played violin in the LP.
Vecchioni's skills were confirmed in the following works, Calabuig, Stranamore e altri incidenti (1978), where the literature citations are predominant, and Robinson (come salvarsi la vita) (1979), where instead the autobiographical inspiration prevails. The songs "Signor giudice" and "Lettera da Marsala" of the latter work deal with the problems Vecchioni had had in the preceding years: respectively, a charge for marijuana possession (from which he was totally unscathed) and a cause with its former production house. The following album, Montecristo, was released indeed by the old and the new labels together.
After Hollywood Hollywood of 1982, whose songs are influenced by the world of cinema, Vecchioni in 1984 released the double LP Il grande sogno ("The Big Dream"), in which he collected new songs together with new versions of his past successes. The eponymous song featured Francesco De Gregori playing blues harp. The LP was accompanied by his first literary attempt, a short book with the same name. Many of the cover of Vecchioni's LPs of this period were disegned by the famous Italian comic book artist and painter Andrea Pazienza.
While continuing a successful career as a renowned singer-songwriter in the 1980s and the 1990s, Vecchioni increased his work as a writer. His prose works include the story collection Viaggi nel tempo immobile (1996) and the novels Le parole non potrano le cicogne (2000) and Il libraio di Selinunte. He also taught History of Italian Author Music for two years, and was called to writer the Enciclopedia Treccani article about Italian singer-songwriters. His best late works include Sogna ragazzo sogna ("Dream, boy, dream") of 1999 and Il lanciatore di coltelli ("The Knife Thrower") of 2002.
Carnival
Roberto Vecchioni Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sulla propria pelle
Sulle proprie palle e su poche stelle
Si diventa grandi
E niente fa più male al cuore
E se provi a cercare
Le tue parole
Non fanno nostalgia
O non è stato
Che resta e che va via
E ci trucchiamo per Carnival
E ci vestiamo da Carnival
E ci trucchiamo da Carnival
Si diventa grandi
A guardarle il culo
Si diventa vecchi a sentirsi solo
E col passare del tempo
Non t'importa nemmeno
Chi le bacia gli occhi chi le tocca il seno
Senza di lei soltanto
Un anno prima
Credevi di morire
E all'improvviso
Non ne vale più la pena
Nemmeno di capire
E ci trucchiamo per Carnival
E ci vestiamo da Carnival
E ci trucchiamo da Carnival
Si diventa vecchi
Come un vecchio indiano
E di finge forte e si canta piano
Non c'è nessun ricordo
A cui ti puoi impiccare
Perchè nessun ricordo ormai ti fa più male
Tutte le idee tutti gli amori tuoi di prima
Finiti sulla luna
Col tempo la sua faccia
E la sua pelle scura
Te le ricordi appena
E ci trucchiamo per Carnival
E ci vestiamo da Carnival
E ci trucchiamo da Carnival
Finché val.
The song “Carnival” by Roberto Vecchioni is a poignant introspection on the passage of time and growing up. The lyrical journey begins by stating that one grows up on their own skin, their own balls and upon a few stars. The singer highlights the fact that growing up isn’t necessarily a joyous journey, but a necessary one, as it steels one’s heart from pain. However, there is a sense of melancholy when one looks back on the past, as memories hold a sense of longing for what could have been. The lyrics suggest that past experiences may not hurt anymore, but they also lack the same feeling that if they hold power over you as they once did.
As the song progresses, it ponders on the realities of life and how they change with time. The obsession with physical beauty and sexuality fades, and one is left alone to ponder on their perceived shortcomings. The lack of interest in personal, sexual and romantic relationships is juxtaposed against the longing from before when it seemed like it was the only that mattered. The singer also touches on the idea that memories can be suffocating, and that as one grows older, there may be less and less to cling onto until eventually there is almost nothing left to hold on to. However, despite this sober reflection on life's experience, the singer chooses to use the metaphor of carnival. They put on masks and costumes and dance, perhaps to forget their pain for a moment or embrace it, knowing that time will go on and their pain will be left behind.
Line by Line Meaning
Si diventa grandi
As we grow up
Sulla propria pelle
On our own skin
Sulle proprie palle e su poche stelle
On our own balls and a few stars
E niente fa più male al cuore
And nothing hurts the heart anymore
E se provi a cercare
And if you try to search
Le tue parole
Your words
Non fanno nostalgia
Don't evoke nostalgia
Come quello che è stato
Like what has gone
O non è stato
Or what has not been
Che resta e che va via
What remains and what goes away
Si diventa grandi
As we grow up
E ci trucchiamo per Carnival
And we dress up for Carnival
E ci vestiamo da Carnival
And we make-up like Carnival
Si diventa vecchi
We become old
A guardarle il culo
Looking at their behinds
Si diventa vecchi a sentirsi solo
We become old feeling lonely
E col passare del tempo
And as time goes by
Non t'importa nemmeno
You don't even care
Chi le bacia gli occhi chi le tocca il seno
Who kisses her eyes, who touches her breasts
Senza di lei soltanto
Without her, only
Un anno prima
One year ago
Credevi di morire
You thought you would die
E all'improvviso
And suddenly
Non ne vale più la pena
It's not worth it anymore
Nemmeno di capire
Not even to understand
Si diventa vecchi
We become old
Come un vecchio indiano
Like an old Indian
E di finge forte e si canta piano
And you pretend to be strong and sing softly
Non c'è nessun ricordo
There is no memory
A cui ti puoi impiccare
That you can hang yourself with
Perchè nessun ricordo ormai ti fa più male
Because no memory hurts you anymore
Tutte le idee tutti gli amori tuoi di prima
All your ideas and loves from before
Finiti sulla luna
Ended up on the moon
Col tempo la sua faccia
With time, her face
E la sua pelle scura
And her dark skin
Te le ricordi appena
You barely remember them
E ci trucchiamo per Carnival
And we dress up for Carnival
E ci vestiamo da Carnival
And we make-up like Carnival
E ci trucchiamo da Carnival
And we dress up like Carnival
Finché val
Until it's worth it
Contributed by Michael P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@federicoaldrovandi617
Enorme. Bravissimo. Che grande.
@eleonoratoniutti8114
Senza di lui soltanto un anno prima,credevi di morire e all'improvviso non ne vale più la pena nemmeno di capire!!!!!!!
@ciamponetto
Grandissimo
@virginiaantematter20
❤
@stefanot9098
immenso..