A VALENTINE TO ITALY

photo by Vivienne Dick

​Countries need love too. When I sing Nel Corso I think of Italy; how countries are also performers on a stage of their own design, always keeping up an appearance, needing the world's approval. Dancing for a smile and a buck or two in the public square. Nel Corso is a song written by Ennio Morricone and singer Gino Paoli in 1963. It was recorded by Luigi Tenco. Tenco has an extremely fascinating story. My friend, musician and fellow crooner Malcolm Hamilton played the song for me and I fell in love with its haunting melody and lyrics.  I couldn't wait for a proper music track, so I created a  montage of sorts with effects from a sound library. Malcolm sent me a few accordion tracks for the anti-fascist Italian song of WWII, "Bella Ciao"… the squeezebox take he called 'unlistenable noodling' was exactly right for the picture I envisioned sonically, and so you have it; A Valentine to Italy.  

The lyrics to Nel Corso appear below, with my own rough translation. 

nel corso
sempre avanti e indietro
stiamo a passeggiar
un giorno uguale a un altro giorno
il tempo se ne va

sulla piazza del paese sono solo, sai chi c'è?
Michelino, che per cento lire
canta e balla il twist.

E sento ogni tanto di qualcuno che se ne va
se ne va lontano alla grande città.

I razzi vanno sulla luna
noi restiamo qua
nel corso sempre avanti e indietro
stiamo a passeggiar

viene il sole il sole muore
viene la luna e se ne va
ma 'sta vita questa vita nostra
quando cambierà?

in the course 
forever back and forth 
we are in passage 
one day, like another day 
the time goes on

alone on the village square, do you know who's here? 
Michael. who, for pennies
sings and dances the twist. 

and every now and then I feel
someone who goes...
goes away to the big city. 
 
the rockets fly to the moon 
we stay here
in the course, always back and forth 
we are in passage

the sun comes,  the sun dies 
the moon comes and goes 
but 'this life,  this is our life.
when will it change?