VOLARE

Domenico Modugno



Dean Martin



Gypsy Kings



Luciano Pavarotti



Volare, oh oh
Cantare, oh oh oh oh
Let's fly way up to the clouds
Away from the maddening crowds
We can sing in the glow of a star that I know of
Where lovers enjoy peace of mind
Let us leave the confusion and all disillusion behind
Just like bird of a feather, a rainbow together we'll find

Volare, oh oh
E contare, oh oh oh oh
No wonder my happy heart sings
Your love has given me wings
Penso che un sogno cosi non ritorni mai piu
Mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu
Poi d'improvviso venivo dal vento rapito
E incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito

Volare, oh oh
E contare, oh oh oh oh
Nel blu, dipinto di blu
Felice di stare lassu
E volavo, volavo felice piu in alto del sole ed ancora piu su
Mentre il mondo pian piano spariva lontano laggiu
Una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me

Volare, oh oh
E cantare, oh oh oh oh
No wonder my happy heart sings
Your love has given me wings
Nel blu, dipinto di blu
Felice di stare lassu

ITALIAN VERSION:

Penso che un sogno cosi` non ritorni mai piu`,
mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu.
Poi d'improvviso venivo dal vento rapito,
e incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito.

Volare, oh oh,
cantare, oh oh oh oh.
Nel blu dipinto di blu,
felice di stare lassu`.

E volavo volavo felice
piu` in alto del sole ed ancora piu` su
mentre il mondo pian piano spariva
lontano laggiu`.
Una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me.

Volare, oh oh
cantare, oh oh oh oh.
Nel blu dipinto di blu
felice di stare lassu`.

Ma tutti i sogni nell'alba svaniscon perche`
quando tramonta la luna li porta con se`.
Ma io continuo a sognare negli occhi tuoi belli
che sono blu come un cielo trapunto di stelle...

Volare, oh oh
cantare, oh oh oh oh.
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
felice di stare quaggiu`.

E continuo a volare felice
piu` in alto del sole ed ancora piu` su
mentre il mondo pian piano scompare
negli occhi tuoi blu
La tua voce e` una musica dolce che suona per me...
Volare, oh oh
cantare, oh oh oh oh.
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
felice di stare quaggiu`.
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
felice di stare quaggiu`.

Ritorna


"Nel blu dipinto di blu" ("In the Blue Painted Blue"), popularly known as "Volare" (Italian for the infinitive form of the verb "to fly"), is Domenico Modugno's signature song. It is the only song that originated in Italy to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[1]
Modugno's recording became the first Grammy winner for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1958. It is the only foreign-language recording to achieve this honor. It spent six weeks atop the Hot 100 in August and September 1958 and was Billboard's number-one single for the year. It is one of only three one-hit wonders to become single of the year in the history of the Hot 100 (followed by "Stranger on the Shore" by Acker Bilk in 1962 and "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter in 2006).

Written by Domenico Modugno (music and lyrics) and Franco Migliacci (lyrics), "Nel blu dipinto di blu" was presented by Domenico Modugno and Johnny Dorelli at the 1958 Sanremo Music Festival, winning the contest and achieving instant popularity. It was then chosen to represent Italy at the 1958 Eurovision Song Contest, where it came third.
The song is a ballad in a dramatic chanson style, in which Modugno describes the feeling he has, which resembles flying when with his lover. The song opens with a surreal prelude which the cover versions often left out: "Penso che un sogno così non ritorni mai più. Mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu; poi d'improvviso venivo dal vento rapito, e incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito." ("I think that a dream like that will never return; I painted my hands and my face blue, then was suddenly swept up by the wind and started to fly in the infinite sky.")
The English lyrics were written by Mitchell Parish. Alternative English lyrics were written in 1958 by Dame Gracie Fields, and they were used in most concerts she performed in from then until her death in 1979. She often changed the words to suit her performance and age.
[edit]At Eurovision

The song was performed first on the night (preceding the Netherlands' Corry Brokken with "Heel De Wereld"). At the end of the voting, it had received 13 points, placing 3rd in a field of 10.
Due to a transmission fault, the song was not heard in all countries transmitting the event, so it was performed at the end as well, before the voting took place.
It was succeeded as Italian representative at the 1959 contest by "Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)," also performed by Modugno.
[edit]Popularity

The song became widely known as "Volare", from its refrain, and reached the top of the charts all over the world through translations into various languages: "Воларе (Volare)" in Russian[2]; "Dans le bleu du ciel bleu" in French, "En el azul del cielo" in Spain, "Jouw ogen" in Belgium, "Taivaan sinessä" in Finland and "Azul pintado de azul" in Brazil and Latin America.
A year after the Eurovision, the 1st Grammy Awards ceremony was held, and Modugno received awards for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Billboard awarded Modugno a prize for best song of the year, and he received three gold records from the recording industry: best singer, best song, best-selling album.

The song's popularity endures, and it was voted as the second favourite entry in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest at the 50th anniversary concert in Copenhagen, Denmark, 2005.
The song has been covered at least 100 times over the years. Versions were quickly recorded after the initial success - partly in English, partly in Italian - by The McGuire Sisters and Dean Martin. Bobby Rydell had a hit with his version, reaching #4 on the Hot 100 in the summer of 1960 (this version was later played over the end credits of the 1986 movie Vamp). An up-tempo Spanish version (partly in Italian) was recorded by the Gipsy Kings in 1989.
The Argentinian music composer Bebu Silvetti arranged a disco version of this song.
Sergio Franchi sang the song, with modified lyrics, as the television spokesman for the Plymouth Volaré in the 1970s.
A version was used by fans of Arsenal to serenade the midfielder Patrick Vieira, and Manchester United fans have created versions for cult heroes Diego Forlan and Nemanja Vidić, as well as a parody of Arsenal's song for Vieira, mocking the midfielder's error in the 1999 FA Cup Semi-Final replay which led to Ryan Giggs' famous extra-time winner.
It is also present in the video game Counter-Strike, within the map "de_volare."
In the first season of Quantum Leap in the episode "Double Identity", the character Dr. Sam Beckett is shown singing the song.
The 6th season of the American version of Dancing with the Stars featured Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas dancing Samba to the Gipsy Kings version of the song.
The 1980 comedy classic film Hollywood Knights referred to the song in a witty version performed by Newbomb Turk (Robert Wuhl) to the delight of a High School Pep Rally audience, albeit with adverse reactions from the sponsoring adults at the scene.
Kevin Kline sings an excerpt from this song in the movie A Fish Called Wanda.