The text and the story of Bella Ciao-Corriere.it

These are the lyrics of «Bella Ciao», a symbol song of the Italian Resistance. Below, the story of the piece, taken from the blog PocheStorie, by Silvia Morosi and Paolo Rastelli.

“One morning I woke up,
oh beautiful, hello! Hello beautiful! Beautiful, bye, bye, bye!
One morning I woke up
and found the invader.

O partisan, take me away,
oh beautiful, hello! Hello beautiful! Beautiful, bye, bye, bye!
O partisan, take me away,
because I feel like dying.

And if I die as a partisan,
oh beautiful, hello! Hello beautiful! Beautiful, bye, bye, bye!
And if I die as a partisan,
you have to bury me.

And bury up there in the mountains,
oh beautiful, hello! Hello beautiful! Beautiful, bye, bye, bye!
And bury up there in the mountains
under the shade of a beautiful flower.

And the people who will pass
oh beautiful, hello! Hello beautiful! Beautiful, bye, bye, bye!
And the people who will pass
They will tell you «What a beautiful flower!»

«This is the flower of the partisan»,
oh beautiful, hello! Hello beautiful! Beautiful, bye, bye, bye!
«This is the flower of the partisan
died for freedom!”

Who hasn’t heard, at least once in their life, the verses of “Bella ciao”?
Known as anti-fascist anthem of the Italian partisans during the Second World War, it spread all over the world, even becoming part of the soundtrack of the famous fiction “Paper House”, one of Netflix’s most popular series.

However, its musical origins date back to the 19th century (like many other songs of the time, the theme of «Fior di Tomba» also returns here, also dear to Ugo Foscolo’s Sepolcri, to remind those who pass in front of a tomb with a flower that someone who died for love or «for freedom» is buried there).

The origin of «Bella ciao» is still uncertain. Some historians of Italian song have identified in the text and in the music influences of the weeders’ work songs (who hailed hard work in the fields), others date it back to the French sixteenth century, still others see even Yiddish influences in its melodies (some speak of a kletzmer piece, «Koilen», recorded by a Jew from Odessa in New York in 1919). Recovered over the years, it was used – then – as a greeting song to their loved ones by the partisans leaving for battle.

The story of the hymn is told in the documentary film “Bella Ciao”.

Sponsored by Anpi (National Association of Italian Partisans), the film is co-produced by Millstream Films and Media and Ala Bianca Group srl, directed by Andrea Vogt, and distributed by Lilium Distribution. With the help of ethnomusicologists and scholars, such as the historian Cesare Bermani, the documentary investigates the roots of singing and locates them in central Italy; with the memories of Fausto Amodei, singer-songwriter and musicologist, the first who in ’63 reworked, transcribed and registered the copyright of the partisan version of Bella Ciao; Giovanna Marini, star of the show “Bella Ciao” by the Nuovo Canzoniere Italiano directed by Roberto Leydi and Filippo Crivelli; the contribution of Stefano Arrighetti, president of the Ernesto de Martino Institute, the largest archive in Europe on popular, social and struggle songs; Laura Siglienti, cousin of Enrico Berlinguer, active participant in the first youth festivals after the Liberation; Paolo Pietrangeli, director, writer, author of «Contessa» the anthem of 1968 sung in the squares by workers and students; Álex Pina, Spanish television producer, screenwriter, television director and writer. And of the many partisans still alive, who remember where they first heard it sung, and of the many singers who have tried their hand over the years by re-proposing it in a modern key such as Cristiano Godano and Skin who also enhance its versatility.

The first to investigate the history of the origins of the song – the documentary recalls – were Roberto Leydi and Gianni Bosio. «Initially it was widespread in the area that goes from Abruzzo to Emilia, then it became the symbol song of the Resistance and of the partisan struggle. Era the battle anthem of the Maiella Brigade in Abruzzo, for example. Its diffusion was then favored by centre-left governments, who considered it an important song-symbol», recalls Bermani.

“Bella ciao” was conceived by those who participated in the struggles for the Resistance and “had enormous success all over the world: it was translated into more than forty languages, and in 1963 Yves Montand recorded it on the album “Souvenirs d’ Italy”. But its most important feature is that “Bella ciao” has become over time the anthem of demonstrations demanding freedom against oppression». An important reminder to go back to talking about the history of the French chansonnier of Tuscan origin (born Ivo Livi), unknown to most. We mention only a few sections: born in Monsummano Terme, in the province of Pistoia, Montand – as he later decided to call himself – saw his parents emigrate from Italy to Marseilles because they were socialists and anti-fascists, and after seeing the Duce’s men burnt own broom workshop. However, Montand never forgot his family’s socialist roots and was always involved in politics, also participating in the Resistance in the battle in which the Parisians drove out the Germans.

A curiosity? The video “Bella ciao” also recounts one of the episodes that helped give popularity to popular songs and fight songs in the modern era. We are in 1964, at the Festival dei due Mondi in Spoleto. The young men and women of the Nuovo Canzoniere Italiano such as Giovanna Marini, Caterina Bueno, Michele Straniero bring various fight songs to the stage and unleash controversy. Like that of the rich «lady in a fur coat» who, in response to the line «And in the stables we no longer want to die» (from the song «And the strikers shouted along the street») got up from the stalls and exclaimed in a loud voice «I own three hundred and thirty peasants and nobody sleeps in the stables!», calling Giorgio Bocca to a rapid reaction, from one of the boxes («Va’ fuori, carampana»). Michele Straniero then found himself singing the anti-militarist song “O Gorizia, you are cursed”, including a verse – “Traitors, official gentlemen / you wanted the war / slaughterers of sold meat / and the ruin of youth” – which it was scripted. Also because numerous officers were seated in the audience. Finally, the interpretation of «Bella Ciao» performed by an ex-mondina, Giovanna Daffini, is criticized by those who, having paid for the show, pretended to see famous people on stage.

A song that still divides today. But which, the interviewees and also the authors of this blog agree, must be remembered as a song of struggle against oppression and of love for freedom.