Lucio Dalla, one of the most popular and loved Italian singer-songwriters, died on March 1st on Montreaux, Switzerland, during a European concert tour, for a sudden heart attack. Three days later he would have turned 69.
It has been a great loss for Italian music. Dalla was widely regarded by music critics and fans alike as an eclectic top musician and a poet of great sensibility. Gifted with a versatile and tireless creativity, he enhanced the Italian melodic tradition with jazz echoes and classical inspirations. Through many of his songs’ original and thoughtful lyrics, we can find not only stories of ordinary people, but his life interests and passions as well, such as his love for the sea, cars and opera.
His funeral was held in Bologna, his home town, with a huge crowd attending the ceremony. As a painful coincidence, the day was March 4th, right the title of the song which gained him great popularity. In fact, he peformed at the Sanremo Music Festival in 1971 his 4 marzo 1943, a ballad whose lyrics were written by poetess Paola Pallottino. It earned him a 3rd final place at Sanremo competition, and his first n.1 hit in the Italian Singles chart.
Actually, the original title of the song was supposed to be “Gesu’ bambino” (“Baby Jesus”), however, due to a stiff censorship, the title was changed to Dalla’s birth date, though the song was not autobiographic but it tells the story of a young and unexperienced woman who gives birth to a baby during the Second World War.



Lyrics

Dice che era un bell’uomo
e veniva, veniva dal mare
parlava un’altra lingua pero’ sapeva amare
e quel giorno lui prese a mia madre sopra un bel prato
l’ora piu’ dolce prima d’essere ammazzato.

Così lei resto’ sola nella stanza,
la stanza sul porto
con l’unico vestito, ogni giorno piu’ corto
e benche’ non sapesse il nome
e neppure il paese
m’aspetto’ come un dono d’amore
fino dal primo mese.

Compiva sedici anni
quel giorno la mia mamma
le strofe di taverna
le canto’ la ninna nanna
e stringendomi al petto che sapeva,
sapeva di mare, giocava a far la donna
con il bimbo da fasciare.

E forse fu per gioco o forse per amore
che mi volle chiamare come Nostro Signore
della sua breve vita il ricordo,
il ricordo piu’ grosso, e’ tutto in questo nome
che io mi porto addosso.

E ancora adesso che gioco a carte e bevo vino,
per la gente del porto mi chiamo Gesu’ Bambino

E ancora adesso che gioco a carte e bevo vino,
per la gente del porto mi chiamo Gesu’ Bambino

E ancora adesso che gioco a carte e bevo vino,
per la gente del porto mi chiamo Gesu’ Bambino.