'O surdato 'nnammurato
Neapolitan song
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"'O surdato 'nnammurato" (pronounced [o surËdÉËtÉ nËamËuËrÉËtÉ]; transl.â"The Soldier in Love") is a famous song written in the Neapolitan language. The song is used as the anthem of S.S.C. Napoli.[1]
The words were written by Aniello Califano and the music composed by Enrico Cannio in 1915. The song describes the sadness of a soldier who is fighting at the front during World War I, and who pines for his beloved. Originally Cannio's sheet music was published with piano accompaniment, but in recordings, on 78 rpm, then LP, Neapolitan standards such as "'O surdato 'nnammurato" have usually been orchestrated to suit each tenor.
Lyrics
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Original lyrics
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English translation:
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The Corrs when performing with Luciano Pavarotti used the following English lyrics for the second verse:[2]
- So many nights without you
- without you in my arms
- I can kiss you, I can draw you close to me
- but wake up from your slumber
- you make me cry for you!
Notable performances and recordings
- Mario Lanza on Mario! (1958)[3]
- Sergio Franchi on Romantic Italian Song (1962; #17 on the Billboard Top 200)[4]
- Franco Corelli on Passione (1963)[5]
- Jimmy Roselli recorded the song in 1968, it reached #122 on Cashbox.
- Giuseppe di Stefano on Neapolitan Songs III (1965)[6]
- Massimo Ranieri, based on Anna Magnani's performance in the film La sciantosa (1971)[7]
- Luciano Pavarotti on Favourite Neapolitan Songs (1981)[8]
- Luciano Pavarotti in duet with the Corrs (middle verse sung in English)[2]
- Andrea Bocelli on Incanto (2008)
- Vittorio Grigolo on Arrivederci (2011)
In other media
- Ninì Grassia directed a film named after the song in 1983.