This is the week of Sanremo, the Italian song festival. A historic festival that saw some of the most beloved Italian artists on its stage. From Luigi Tenco to Lucio Dalla, from Mia Martini to Sergio Endrigo, the authors who participated in the competition were able to break into people’s hearts, with songs that in many cases can be considered poems. We asked in a survey which are the songs that participated in Sanremo that we can consider poetry. Here are the most cited passages. “Song for you” by Sergio Endrigo (Sanremo 1968)
“Canzone per te” is a song written by Luis Bacalov, Sergio Bardotti and Sergio Endrigo that will take her to the Ariston stage in 1968, winning the victory. The text tells of a love so beautiful that it never ends. It is desired that the pain for the end of this love can cease and that both lovers return to love another person: “I wonder if it will end / If a new dream will take my hand / If I will tell another person / the things I said to you “. “Hello love, hello” by Luigi Tenco (Sanremo 1967)
“Ciao amore, ciao” is a song written by the Italian singer-songwriter Luigi Tenco and interpreted (in separate versions) by Tenco himself and Dalida at the 1967 Sanremo Festival. January 27, 1967, after the exclusion of the song from the final of the Festival , Tenco committed suicide. “Hello love, hello” is a love song that does not exempt itself from social criticism. The protagonist is a person who, tired of country life, leaves for the city in an attempt to make his dreams come true. “May she be blessed” by Fiorella Mannoia (Sanremo 2017)
“Che sia benedetta” is a piece of music performed by the Italian singer Fiorella Mannoia, who came in second place in the 67th edition of the Sanremo Festival. The lyrics of the song, which know how to excite and make people reflect and a real hymn to life which, although it may sometimes appear “absurd, complex or incoherent”, is nevertheless perfect. The challenge is to try to be reborn every day to start a new journey despite the daily challenges of life that can be a sense of daily frustration. “March 4, 1943” by Lucio Dalla (Sanremo 1971)
Written by Paola Pallottino and Lucio Dalla, “March 4, 1943” and a song presented in Sanremo in 1971, where it reaches the third position. The song tells the story of a single mother who has a son with an allied soldier who died shortly after conception, “So she remains alone in the room, the room on the harbor, with the only dress shorter every day …” “That that women don’t say “by Fiorella Mannoia (Sanremo 1987)
“What women don’t say” is one of Fiorella Mannoia’s most famous songs. Written by Enrico Ruggeri and Luigi Schiavone, it was sung by Mannoia at the 1987 Sanremo Festival, winning the Critics’ Prize and remaining in the Hit parade for many weeks. The protagonists of the song are all those women who live on memories and old loves. In their daily life they never lose hope in finding the right person who will be able to understand them and be by their side in the darkest moments. To emerge in the text and also “At least you in the universe” by Mia Martini (Sanremo 1989)
Written by Bruno Lauzi and Maurizio Fabrizio in 1972, it remained unpublished until Mia Martini recorded it to bring it to Sanremo in 1989, where it obtained the Critics’ Prize. “At least you in the universe” is a love letter addressed to an unspecified recipient, in which some negative aspects of society are denounced. Mainly accused are the inconsistency of the people, unable to care about the people around them, and the hypocrisy. “You know – sings Mia Martini – people are strange first they hate each other and then love each other. Suddenly he changes his mind, first the truth then lies to him without seriousness as if it were nothing … ” ” I’ll give you a rose “by Simone Cristicchi (Sanremo 2007)
With “I’ll give you a rose”, Simone Cristicchi won Sanremo in 2007. The song and a letter that Antonio (suffering from psychiatric problems) writes to his beloved Margherita from the dark asylum in which he is locked up, a place that in the past also hosted her . But even in this arid environment – as a rose can grow from dead soil – a love is born. And it is love that made Antonio feel alive. “You will be the last of my memories to fade / You were like an angel tied to a radiator / In spite of everything I still wait for you / And if I close my eyes I feel your hand brushing against me …” “Call me love again” by Roberto Vecchioni ( Sanremo 2011)
Written and performed by Roberto Vecchioni, “Call me again love” won Sanremo in 2011. In an interview with “ Il Sole 24 Ore“, Roberto Vecchio said that it is“ a type of song that I classify among those in the Italian style: great sentiment, great strength of voice that should take everyone’s emotions and under a message that is transversal, but of values. I’m not going to talk about me, or just covertly. It is a very current song that talks about things of today, of situations of today and above all of hope. This one is. Hope”. And it’s true, the song is full of hope and hope: “Always call me love that this cursed night will have to end because we will fill it from here with music and words …”
