☝️ Key Points
- The song lyrics are about a fictional story of the last moments of the famous Italian tenor Enrico Caruso in Sorrento overlooking the Gulf of Naples.
- The text tells how Caruso comforts a woman who is crying and sings her a love song that symbolizes his deep affection and unbreakable love.
- Caruso remembers his successful days in America while feeling the pain in the music. He sees the lights in the middle of the sea that remind him of the nights in America, but he realizes they are just the lights of the fishing boats.
- He is so fascinated by the girl's green eyes, which are like the sea, that he feels confused and overwhelmed, and feels like he is drowning in a tear.
- Despite his impending mortality at the end of the song, Caruso feels satisfied and starts singing again, reflecting the power of music, love, and memories, and how these elements can help us find joy and peace in difficult times.
Interpretation
The song 'Caruso' by
Lucio Dalla is an emotional tribute to the famous Italian tenor Enrico Caruso. The lyrics tell a fictional story of Caruso's final moments in Sorrento, Italy, overlooking the Gulf of Naples.
In the song, Caruso embraces a young woman after she has cried. 'Un uomo abbraccia una ragazza dopo che aveva pianto'. He sings her a song to express his deep affection: 'Te voglio bene assaie, Ma tanto tanto bene sai'. This expression of love is described as an unbreakable chain that melts the blood in the veins.
Caruso remembers America - 'pensò alle notti là in America' - where he celebrated his greatest successes, and at the same time he feels the pain in the music he plays. He sees the lights in the middle of the sea - 'Vide le luci in mezzo al mare' - and thinks of the nights in America, but those are just the lights of fishing boats and the white trail of a propeller.
He looks into the eyes of the girl, which are green like the sea, and a tear rolls down and he feels like he's drowning. 'Poi all'improvviso uscì una lacrima e lui credette di affogare'.
The song lyrics also speak about the power of opera, where every drama is fiction, and with a little makeup and gestures one can become someone else. But two eyes that look at you so closely and real make you forget the words and confuse the thoughts.
At the end of the song, Caruso accepts his approaching mortality and still feels content. He looks back on his life, which lies behind him like the trail of a propeller, and begins to sing again. 'Ma sì è la vita che finisce ma lui non ci pensò poi tanto, Anzi si sentiva già felice e ricominciò il suo canto'.
Overall, 'Caruso' is a song that celebrates the power of music, love, and memories, and how these elements can help us find joy and peace even in the most difficult times.