He is probably best known internationally for the song Senza Una Donna, which is a duet with Paul Young and hit number 4 in the latter's native United Kingdom, where Zucchero has generally made little commercial impact, in 1991. He commenced his musical career in 1970 with his first single in 1976, and his first album in 1983. His music, in Italian, Spanish and in English, is largely inspired by gospel, blues and rock music, and alternates between syrupy ballads and more rhythmic boogie-like pieces. He sang several duets, in public or on disc, with Joe Cocker, Miles Davis, Paul Young, Andrea Bocelli, Sting, Luciano Pavarotti, Tom Jones, and Johnny Hallyday.
European hit singles include Il Volo (English version: My love), Cosi Celeste, Baila (sexy thing), Diamante (featuring soul singer Randy Crawford), and Wonderful World (with Eric Clapton). Zucchero's 2004 album ZU & Co features duets with Miles Davis, Paul Young, Sheryl Crow, The Cranberries's Dolores O'Riordan, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Maná, Brian May, and Sting. It has sold millions of copies throughout Europe and the world and entered the Billboard 200 charts after its release in the U.S. in the summer of 2005.
In July 2005, Zucchero took part in the Live 8 concerts in both Rome and Paris. In July 2006 Zucchero's new single 'Bacco Perbacco' was released. A new studio album, produced by Don Was will be released in September.
The Promise
Zucchero Lyrics
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Lead me down to quiet streets
Early traffic with it's radio songs
Someplace two rivers meet
Will you be in my life?
Kiss me in the shadows
Time, time, time's gonna keep the promise
Mercy falls on my sacred ground
Pretty woman cries but makes no sound
I am lost, it don't matter
If the paper house comes tumbling down
Gonna be in your life, standing in the shadows
Time, time, time's gonna make the days flow
It's alright, the promise
It's alright, the loveless
Hold me a moment in time
The prayers of all the people will fly
Over the city tonight
I'll wait for the sound of your voices
To sing
Love comes and it's alright, that's all
Hold me a moment in time
The prayers of all the people will fly
Blessing the city tonight
I'll wait for the sound of our voices
To sing
Love comes and it's alright, that's all
Believe me and it's alright, that's all
The lyrics of the song "The Promise" by Zucchero evoke a sense of wandering and searching for something intangible. The opening lines describe the early morning hours, with streetlights illuminating quiet streets and the sound of early traffic playing on the radio. The singer seems to be searching for something or someone, hinted at by the line "someplace two rivers meet." The lyrics suggest that the meeting of these two rivers represents a point of convergence, or a moment of significance, and the search for this place is a metaphor for the search for something deeper in life.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "time's gonna keep the promise," suggesting that the passing of time will inevitably bring about the resolution of this search. The singer pleads with his love interest to "be in [his] life" and "kiss [him] in the shadows," but also acknowledges that "it's alright" and that time will take care of things. The verse about "mercy falling on [his] sacred ground" and a "pretty woman" crying but making no sound suggests that the search for meaning is not always easy or straightforward, and that there may be pain and confusion along the way.
Overall, "The Promise" is a song about the search for love, meaning, and fulfillment in life, and the struggles and uncertainty that often accompany that search.
Line by Line Meaning
Main streets lights, morning hours,
The street lamps light up my path as the morning begins.
Lead me down to quiet streets
The road takes me to a peaceful place.
Early traffic with it's radio songs
The radio songs play in the traffic heading to work in the morning.
Someplace two rivers meet
There's a spot where two rivers in town converge.
Will you be in my life
Do you want to be a part of my life?
Kiss me in the shadows
Hold me close in the darkness.
Time time time's gonna keep the promise
Time, the only constant, will keep its word.
It's alright, it's alright
Everything is going to be okay in the end.
Mercy falls on my sacred ground
My holy land is blessed with mercy.
Pretts woman cries but makes no sound
Despite crying, there's no tears coming out of the beautiful woman.
I am lost, it don't matter
Being lost doesn't bother me anymore.
If the paper house comes tumbling down
Even if my fragile world falls apart.
Gonna be in your life, standing in the shadows
I'll be a part of your life, even though it may not be apparent.
Time time time's gonna make the days flow
Time will go on, no matter what we do.
It's alright, the promise
The promise will be kept, and everything will be okay.
It's alright, the loveless
Even if one is loveless, everything will be okay in the end.
Hold me a moment in time
Just give me a short moment of your time.
The prayers of all the people will fly
Everyone's prayers will take flight.
Over the city tonight
The prayers will be heard across the entire city.
I'll wait for the sound of your voices
I'll wait for you to speak to me.
To sing...
To utter sweet words to me.
Love comes and it's alright, that's all
Love has arrived, and everything will be okay.
Believe me an it's alright, that´s all
Trust me, and everything will be okay in the end.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Adelmo Fornaciari, Paul Gerard Buchanan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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