Funiculì, Funiculà

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 68.118.32.115 (talk) at 15:15, 22 January 2008 (→‎References in popular culture). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

"Funiculì, Funiculà" is a famous song written by Italian journalist Peppino Turco and set to music by Italian composer Luigi Denza in 1880. It was composed to commemorate the opening of the first funicular on Mount Vesuvius. It was sung for the first time in the Quisisana Hotel in Castellammare di Stabia and met with huge success. It was presented by Turco and Denza at the Piedigrotta festival during the same year. Edward Oxenford, an English songwriter and translator of libretti, published a version which became somewhat traditional in English-speaking countries.

Unintentional Plagiarism

Six years after Funiculì, Funiculà was composed, German composer Richard Strauss heard the song while on a tour of Italy. Thinking that it was a traditional Italian folk song, he later incorporated it into his Aus Italien symphony. To his great embarrassment, Strauss realised his mistake when an angry Denza filed a lawsuit against him. Denza won the lawsuit, and Strauss was forced to pay him a royalty fee every time the Aus Italien was performed in public.

Original Neapolitan lyrics

Aieressera, oì nè, me ne sagliette,
tu saie addò?
Addò 'stu core 'ngrato cchiù dispietto farme nun pò!
Addò lo fuoco coce, ma si fuie
te lassa sta!
E nun te corre appriesso, nun te struie, 'ncielo a guardà!...
Jammo 'ncoppa, jammo jà,
funiculì, funiculà!

Nè... jammo da la terra a la montagna! no passo nc'è!
Se vede Francia, Proceta e la Spagna...
Io veco a tte!
Tirato co la fune, ditto 'nfatto,
'ncielo se va..
Se va comm' 'à lu viento a l'intrasatto, guè, saglie sà!
Jammo 'ncoppa, jammo jà,
funiculì, funiculà!

Se n' 'è sagliuta, oì nè, se n' 'è sagliuta la capa già!
È gghiuta, pò è turnata, pò è venuta...
sta sempe ccà!
La capa vota, vota, attuorno, attuorno,
attuorno a tte!
Sto core canta sempe
nu taluorno
Sposammo, oì nè!
Jammo 'ncoppa, jammo jà,
funiculì, funiculà!

English translation

Do you know where I got on, yesterday evening, baby?
Where this ungrateful heart can't be spiteful to me more!
Where the fire burns, but if you
run away it let you go!
And it doesn't run after you,
doesn't tire you, looking at sky!...
Let go on, let go, let go,
funiculì, funiculà!

We go from the ground to the
mountain, baby! Without walking!
You can see France, Procida and
Spain...
I see you!
Pulled by a rope, no sooner said
than done, we go to the skies..
We go like the wind all of a sudden, go up, go up!
Let go on, let go, let go,
funiculì, funiculà!

The head has already got on,
baby, got on!
It has gone, then returned, then
come...
It is still here!
The head turns, turns, around,
around,
around you!
This heart always sings one of these days Get married to me, baby!
Let go on, let go, let go,
funiculì, funiculà!

Traditional English lyrics

The English version of the song is subtitled "A Merry Life".

Some think the world is made for fun and frolic,
And so do I! And so do I!
Some think it well to be all melancholic,
To pine and sigh; to pine and sigh;
But I, I love to spend my time in singing,
Some joyous song, some joyous song,
To set the air with music bravely ringing
Is far from wrong! Is far from wrong!
Listen, listen, echoes sound afar!
Listen, listen, echoes sound afar!
Funiculì, funiculà, funiculì, funiculà!
Echoes sound afar, funiculì, funiculà!

Ah me! 'tis strange that some should take to sighing,
And like it well! And like it well!
For me, I have not thought it worth the trying,
So cannot tell! So cannot tell!
With laugh, with dance and song the day soon passes
Full soon is gone, full soon is gone,
For mirth was made for joyous lads and lasses
To call their own! To call their own!
Listen, listen, hark the soft guitar!
Listen, listen, hark the soft guitar!
Funiculì, funiculà, funiculì, funiculà!
Hark the soft guitar, funiculì, funiculà!

References in popular culture

  • "Funiculì, Funiculà" was a popular hit song performed by Mario Lanza in the 1950s. The melody is the same as the 1800s version, but the lyrics are in English and also changed to have a different theme, i.e. "Love is everywhere, funiculì, funiculà".
  • In the 1983 film Easy Money, Rodney Dangerfield sings "Funiculì, Funiculà" (the English version) at his daughter's backyard wedding reception.
  • In the 1994 film Heavenly Creatures, directed by Peter Jackson, the characters Pauline and Juliet are fans of Mario Lanza. In one scene, Pauline is making love to John the lodger and has a bizarre daydream to escape the moment. "Funiculì, Funiculà" is playing in the background.
  • "Funiculì, Funiculà" can be heard in the "Puppy Love" levels of Earthworm Jim 2, a successful video game first released in 1995.
  • In a two-part "Disneyland" TV movie called Escapade in Florence, Annette Funicello sang a song called "Dream Boy" set to the the "Funiculì, Funiculà" tune.
  • Noel Coward's song "In a Bar on the Piccola Marina" includes the lines, "Funiculi, just fancy me, Funicula!" and "Funicula, Funiculi, funic yourself."
  • A version called "City Till I Die (Funiculi Funicula)" by Jon Christos is on an album of Manchester City Football Club songs (2005 Sanctuary Records).
  • Elaine and "The Maestro" sing "Funiculì, Funiculà" while driving in the Maestro's convertible in the 1995 episode of Seinfeld titled "The Maestro".
  • Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead often played the easily recognizable notes to "Funiculì, Funiculà" during equipment problems at their shows beginning sometime in the mid-Seventies.

Media

References

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Funiculì,_Funiculà&oldid=186122313"