Adamo is one of the most commercially successful singers in Europe. Adamo has sold over 80 million copies of his albums worldwide. He is currently living in Belgium though he has lived in France with his family. His hits include "Tombe la Neige", "Vous permettez, Monsieur?" and "Inch'Allah", all from the sixties.
Adamo's early influences were the poetry of Victor Hugo, the music of French crooners such as Jacques Prévert or Georges Brassens, and the Italian canzonette. He started singing and composing his own songs from an early age. His debut was in a Radio Luxembourg competition, where he participated as singer and composer of the song "Si j'osais" ("If I dared") winning the competition's final held in Paris, in 14 February 1960.
Adamo's first hit was "Sans toi, ma mie", in 1963, from his debut album 63/64. He followed this with a series of hits, "Tombe la neige" ("The snow falls"), "Vous permettez, Monsieur?" ("May I, Sir"), "La Nuit" ("The Night") (1964), "Dolce Paola" ("Sweet Paola"), "Les Filles du bord de mer" ("The girls at the beach"), "Mes mains sur tes hanches" ("My hands on your hips") (1965), "Ton Nom" ("Your Name"), "Une meche de cheveux" ("Lock of golden hair") (1966), "Une larme aux nuages" ("A tear to the clouds"), "Inch'Allah" (1967), "L'amour te ressemble" ("Love resembles you"), "F... comme femme" ("F... like woman") (1968), "A demain sur la lune" ("See you tomorrow on the moon"), "Petit bonheur" ("Small happiness") (1969), "Va mon bateau" ("My boat goes"), "Les belles dames" ("Beautiful ladies") (1970), "J'avais oublié que les roses sont roses" ("I had forgotten that the roses are pink") (1971), "C'est ma vie" ("It's my life") (1975). Other notable songs included "Manuel", "Si Tu Etais", "Les Collines De Rabiah", "J'Te Lache Plus", "Mourir Dans Tes Bras", and "Ce George(s)".
The self-penned "Petit bonheur" sold over one million copies by April 1970, and was awarded a gold disc.
Amália Rodrigues recorded "Inch'Allah" in French. Adamo briefly attempted movie acting when he was cast in the film Les Arnaud (1967), which starred Bourvil.
He has recorded in many languages and, besides France and Belgium, had hits in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Turkey and also in Japan, where he toured repeatedly. Adamo has had hits and toured also in Latin America. In Chile, the audience awarded him an appreciation prize known as the "Antorcha" (Gold and Silver Torch) at the "Festival de Viña del Mar" held yearly in the "Quinta Vergara", at the seaside resort of Viña del Mar, where he once had to sing in three different, sold-out venues in the same night.
In the 1980s, Adamo's career faltered, as the style of his music was no longer fashionable. Since the 1990s, however, and on the crest of a nostalgia wave, Adamo has successfully resumed composing, issuing records and touring, starting with a full season at the Casino de Paris venue in April 1990. Adamo has sold over 100 million copies of recordings worldwide.
Albums
* 1992 Rêveur de fond
* 1994 C’est ma vie (compilation Live)
* 1995 La vie comme elle passe
* 1998 Regards
* 2001 Par les temps qui courent
* 2002 Les mots de l’âme (compilation)
* 2003 Zanzibar
* 2004 Un soir au Zanzibar (CD/DVD compilation Live)
* 2007 La part de l'ange
Anima
Salvatore Adamo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Les couleurs de la terre
Les simples bonheurs de naguère
De l'autre côté des heures à l'envers
Des douceurs éphémères
Rien ne meurt, rien ne se perd
Là, dans la mémoire du coeur
Les galaxies intérieures
On porte en soi l'univers... l'univers
Anima... Anima...
Emmène-moi, dans ton ailleurs de lumière
Anima...
Enivre-moi d'infini et de mystère... de mystère
Certains disent Dieu, je dis "l'âme"
Je dis l'homme, je dis femme
C'est la clé, le sésame
Rêves et souvenirs s'entrelacent
Dans le temps, dans l'espace
Comme pour retenir ce qui passe
Un amour naît d'une étoile
Pour se graver dans la pierre
Ainsi d'escale en escale
C'est la vie qui suit sa filière... sa filière
Anima... Anima
Emmène-moi dans ton ailleurs de lumière
Anima...
Enivre-moi d'infini et de mystère... de mystère.
Les collines en fleurs, les rivières,
Les couleurs de la terre
Les simples bonheurs de naguère
Rien ne se perd
The song "Anima" by Salvatore Adamo is a beautiful tribute to the universal human experience, acknowledging the beauty and transience of the natural world, our connection to the universe and the soulful nature of our existence. The opening lines talk about the beauty of nature, the hills, the rivers and colors of the earth, and the simple pleasures we experience in life. The lyrics go on to suggest that, even if these simple pleasures seem to have passed, they are not forgotten, nor have they really disappeared. Everything that has ever existed, every life, every emotion, and every memory is still there, in the heart and in the soul.
The chorus introduces the concept of anima, which is Latin for soul or life force. The persona of the song calls out to anima, asking to be taken away to a place of light, of infinite possibilities, and of mystery. It is a call to the soul to take us on a journey beyond the physical, beyond the temporal limits of our human existence. Although some may refer to the divine as God, to the persona of the song, it is the anima that is the key to unlocking the secrets of life - the key that opens the doors of perception to the universe.
One of the strongest aspects of this song is the way it intertwines the human experience with the universe at large. The idea that we carry within us the galaxies, the stars, and the light of creation is a powerful and unifying message. The song suggests that, whether we believe in a higher power or not, we all share in the same experience of being alive, of loving and learning, and of seeking the mysteries of life beyond the material world.
Line by Line Meaning
Les collines en fleurs, les rivières, Les couleurs de la terre Les simples bonheurs de naguère De l'autre côté des heures à l'envers Des douceurs éphémères Rien ne meurt, rien ne se perd
The hills in bloom, the rivers, The colors of the earth The simple joys of the past On the other side of the upside-down hours The fleeting sweetnesses Nothing dies, nothing is lost
Là, dans la mémoire du coeur Les yeux fermés, tout s'éclaire Les galaxies intérieures On porte en soi l'univers... l'univers
There, in the memory of the heart Eyes closed, everything becomes clear The inner galaxies We carry the universe within ourselves... the universe
Anima... Anima... Emmène-moi, dans ton ailleurs de lumière Anima... Enivre-moi d'infini et de mystère... de mystère
Anima... Anima... Take me, to your elsewhere of light Anima... Intoxicate me with infinity and mystery... of mystery
Certains disent Dieu, je dis "l'âme" Je dis l'homme, je dis femme C'est la clé, le sésame
Some say God, I say "the soul" I say man, I say woman It's the key, the sesame
Rêves et souvenirs s'entrelacent Dans le temps, dans l'espace Comme pour retenir ce qui passe
Dreams and memories intertwine In time, in space As if to hold on to what's passing
Un amour naît d'une étoile Pour se graver dans la pierre Ainsi d'escale en escale C'est la vie qui suit sa filière... sa filière
A love is born from a star To be etched in stone Thus from stop to stop It's life that follows its path... its path
Anima... Anima Emmène-moi dans ton ailleurs de lumière Anima... Enivre-moi d'infini et de mystère... de mystère.
Anima... Anima Take me, to your elsewhere of light Anima... Intoxicate me with infinity and mystery... of mystery.
Les collines en fleurs, les rivières, Les couleurs de la terre Les simples bonheurs de naguère Rien ne se perd
The hills in bloom, the rivers, The colors of the earth The simple joys of the past Nothing is lost
Contributed by Micah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.