He has published one book (Non si muore tutte le mattine) and seven records, the last one being Da solo, released Friday October 17th, 2008.
His musical style is heavily influenced by Tom Waits and Paolo Conte.
Pongo sbronzo
Vinicio Capossela Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Si' una birra
Una birra
Si' una birra
E una spilla
Da infilarci dentro il cuore
Mi son scordato che son vivo
Che son vivo e fuori piove
Una cerveza a malincuor
E una sigaretta
Che si spenga con l'accetta
Da infilarci dentro il petto
Pazzo vuoto e maledetto
Una birra
Si' una birra
Oh Jolanda
Un po' d'Olanda
E anche America Latina
Nord Europa ed Argentina
E s'e' finita la lattina
S'e' finita la lattina
Una birra por favor
Una cerveza a malincuor
E' la moquette tutta bucata
Rossa verde elegante ma bruciata
Dalle mie cicche disperate
Fino in fondo le ho tirate
E una sigaretta
Che si spenga con l'accetta
Da infilarci dentro il petto
Pazzo vuoto e maledetto
Si' una birra
Ah si' una birra
E il pongo se n'e' andato
E la cicciona l'ha scopato
E pure il letto m'han sfasciato
Pongo Pongo sei ubriaco, sei ubriaco
E un altro giorno l'ho ammazzato
E un altro giorno l'ho ammazzato
E l'altro giorno s'e' ammazzato
Era sbronzo ed ha sbandato
Si' una birra
Ah si' una birra
E' la moquette tutta bucata
Rossa verde elegante ma bruciata
Dalle mie cicche disperate
Fino in fondo le ho tirate
Una birra
Si' una birra
Una birra
Si' una birra
The lyrics of Vinicio Capossela's song "Pongo sbronzo" revolve around the idea of drinking beer and smoking cigarettes as a means of forgetting about reality and escaping the problems of everyday life. The repeated cry of "una birra" (one beer) and "una sigaretta" (one cigarette) represents a plea to numb one's pain and to avoid dealing with the harsh realities of life outside. The use of the image of a pin to be inserted into one's heart signifies a desire to hold onto this temporary relief from pain, but ultimately serves as another way of delaying the inevitability of dealing with the problems head-on.
The song also touches upon themes of geography, as the singer mentions various countries, such as Holland, Latin America, Northern Europe, and Argentina. The mention of these places may indicate a desire to escape the confines of one's own country and seek refuge elsewhere, or it may be a reference to the fact that alcohol and cigarettes are often seen as products of foreign lands. The repeated line of "s'e' finita la lattina" (the can is finished) implies a sense of frustration or disappointment and a need for more, similar to addiction. The imagery of the burnt and tattered carpet suggests the degradation that the singer's surroundings have suffered as a result of his addiction.
Overall, "Pongo sbronzo" is a song that speaks to the theme of addiction and its effects on both the individual and the world around them. The repetition of the same phrases and the use of bleak imagery creates a sense of hopelessness, while the underlying desire for relief through alcohol and cigarettes suggests a deep sense of pain or personal struggle.
Line by Line Meaning
Una birra
The singer is requesting a beer.
Si' una birra
The singer is enthusiastically reiterating the request for a beer.
Una birra
The singer is requesting a beer once again.
Si' una birra
The artist is emphasizing the desire for a beer.
E una spilla
The artist refers to a pin, which represents his feelings.
Da infilarci dentro il cuore
The singer is suggesting that the pin represents his emotional state and is getting stuck in his heart.
Mi son scordato che son vivo
The singer has forgotten that he is alive and is reflecting on his current state.
Che son vivo e fuori piove
The artist is saying that he is alive, but the emotional pain makes it feel like everything around him is chaotic.
Una birra por favor
The artist is requesting a beer in a polite manner, using the phrase in Spanish.
Una cerveza a malincuor
The artist requests the beer reluctantly, as if he doesn't want to, in Italian.
E una sigaretta
The singer is requesting a cigarette in addition to the beer.
Che si spenga con l'accetta
The artist is saying that he wants to put the cigarette out with an ax, implying he wants to quit smoking.
Da infilarci dentro il petto
The singer implies that he wants to insert the cigarette into his chest, that he needs to feel something deep inside.
Pazzo vuoto e maledetto
The singer is reflecting on his current state of mind, which is crazy, empty, and cursed.
Oh Jolanda
The singer is addressing Jolanda and starts to ramble on different countries.
Un po' d'Olanda
The artist starts mentioning a little bit of Holland, a beautiful country.
E anche America Latina
The artist mentions Latin America, another region that he admires.
Nord Europa ed Argentina
The singer moves on to other regions that he is familiar with, such as Northern Europe and Argentina.
E s'e' finita la lattina
The singer realizes that he has drunk all his beer (or possibly soda) and is stating it matter of factly.
S'e' finita la lattina
The artist repeats that he has run out of beer (or possibly soda).
E' la moquette tutta bucata
The artist is upset with his carpet, which is full of holes.
Rossa verde elegante ma bruciata
The artist describes his carpet to be elegant but ruined, in a poetic way.
Dalle mie cicche disperate
The singer is mad at himself for smoking, as he has burned his carpet with his cigarette.
Fino in fondo le ho tirate
The artist has thrown his cigarettes all the way down to the floor, feeling a sense of anger at himself.
Si' una birra
The singer reiterates his request for a beer.
Ah si' una birra
The singer emphasizes his desire for a beer, expressing relief at the thought of obtaining it.
E il pongo se n'e' andato
Pongo, a character mentioned earlier in the song, has left.
E la cicciona l'ha scopato
Pongo has been replaced by someone else, as Cicciona (another character mentioned earlier) has started having sex with another person.
E pure il letto m'han sfasciato
The artist's bed has been damaged, possibly due to Pongo or Cicciona.
Pongo Pongo sei ubriaco, sei ubriaco
The singer is addressing Pongo and claiming that he is drunk, possibly to blame him for the bed damage.
E un altro giorno l'ho ammazzato
The singer is reflecting on the previous day and acknowledges that he has 'killed' it, meaning that he has wasted another day of his life.
E un altro giorno l'ho ammazzato
The artist repeats that he has lost another day of his life.
E l'altro giorno s'e' ammazzato
The artist is reflecting on the previous day once again, stating that he has wasted it, just like the others.
Era sbronzo ed ha sbandato
The artist was drunk the day before, which caused him to lose control of what he was doing.
Contributed by Nathaniel E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Manila Candiracci
...splendida.
monazlisa
fantastica
themurdock94
Sembra un misto tra Bukowsky e Waits questa canzone. L'adoro.
islampunk1
concordo...
Palmiro Aureli
Ole
Luca De Prato
un altra birra por favor....
Cinzia Vidali
Giacché siamo a cercare gli influssi di altri artisti, io suggerirei Fred Buscaglione