☝️ Key Points
- The protagonist has lost his shadow because a water beetle stole it
- The protagonist becomes sick due to the loss of his shadow
- The protagonist has crushed an autumn fly and a green snake and is not forgiven for it
- The constant refrain shows the inevitable consequences of his actions
- The song ends with the hope that through sincere remorse and action, forgiveness and reparation can be achieved
- The song is an allegory for the consequences of human actions
Interpretation
"La pulce d'acqua" is an Italian song by
Angelo Branduardi. The title can be translated literally as "The water flea". In the song, the story is told of a man who has lost his own shadow because a "water flea" has stolen it. This makes him sick, as expressed in the song lyrics with "E tu ora sei malato".
Furthermore, a second theme is introduced in which the protagonist has crushed an autumn fly and a green snake, for which he will not be forgiven, as can be read in the lines "E la mosca d'autunno Che hai schiacciato Non ti perdonerà" and "E la serpe verde Che hai schiacciato Non ti perdonerà".
The repetition of the chorus "È la pulce d'acqua Che l'ombra ti rubò" shows the constant reminder of what happened and the consequences the protagonist has to bear.
The song ends with a hope that the protagonist can obtain forgiveness by singing for a long time and the water flea will give him back his shadow.
Overall, the song can be interpreted as an allegory of human action and its consequences. It shows that every action, no matter how small, has consequences and that forgiveness and restitution can be achieved through sincere remorse and action.