''O surdato 'nnammurato'' (; in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

: "The Soldier in Love") is a famous song written in the

Neapolitan language , altname = , states = Italy , region = Abruzzo, Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Lazio, Marche, Molise , ethnicity = ''Mezzogiorno'' Ethnic Italians , speakers = 5.7 million , date ...

. The song is used as the

anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short ...

S.S.C. Napoli Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli (), is an Italian professional football club based in the city of Naples ( it, Napoli, nap, Napule), Campania that plays in Serie A, the top flight of Italian football. Napoli ha ...

. The words were written by

Aniello Califano Aniello Califano (19 January 1870 in Sorrento – 20 February 1919 in Sant'Egidio del Monte Albino) was an Italian poet and writer. He was the author of numerous Neapolitan songs, the music to which was composed by various Neapolitan composer ...

and the music composed by

Enrico Cannio Enrico Cannio (1874 in Naples – 1949 in Naples) was an Italian musician and composer. He initially received a diploma in piano to become an orchestra conductor; he spent his whole life in Naples, and during his career he worked at three singing ...

in 1915. The song describes the sadness of a soldier who is fighting at the front during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, and who pines for his beloved. Originally Cannio's sheet music was published with piano

accompaniment Accompaniment is the musical part which provides the rhythmic and/or harmonic support for the melody or main themes of a song or instrumental piece. There are many different styles and types of accompaniment in different genres and styles ...

, but in recordings, on 78rpm, then LP, Neapolitan standards such as ''O surdato'' have usually been orchestrated to suit each tenor.

Lyrics

Original lyrics : Staje luntana da stu core : e a te volo cu 'o penziero: : niente voglio e niente spero : ca tenerte sempe a ffianco a me! : Si' sicura 'e chist'ammore : comm'i' so' sicuro 'e te... :: Oje vita, oje vita mia... :: oje core 'e chistu core... :: si' stata 'o primmo ammore... :: e 'o primmo e ll'ùrdemo sarraje pe' me! : Quanta notte nun te veco, : nun te sento 'int'a sti bbracce, : nun te vaso chesta faccia, : nun t'astregno forte 'mbraccio a me? : Ma, scetánnome 'a sti suonne, : mme faje chiagnere pe' te... :: Oje vita, oje vita mia .. : Scrive sempe e sta' cuntenta: : io nun penzo che a te sola... : Nu penziero mme cunzola, : ca tu pienze sulamente a me... : 'A cchiù bella 'e tutt'e bbelle, : nun è maje cchiù bella 'e te! :: Oje vita, oje vita mia .. English translation: : You are far away from this heart, : I fly to you in thought: : I hope and want nothing more : than always keeping you by my side! : Be sure about this love : As I am sure of you... :: Oh life, oh my life... :: Oh heart of this heart... :: You were the first love... :: and the first and last you will be for me! : How many nights have I not seen you, : not felt you in my arms, : not kissed your face, : not held you tight in my arms?! : But, waking from these dreams, : you make me cry for you... :: Oh life, oh my life .. : Always write and be happy: : I can only think of you... : One thought comforts me, : that you only think of me... : The most beautiful woman of all, : is never more beautiful than you! :: Oh life, oh my life ..

The Corrs The Corrs are an Irish family band that combine pop rock with traditional Irish themes within their music. The group consists of the Corr siblings, Andrea (lead vocals, tin whistle, mandolin, ukulele), Sharon (violin, keyboards, vocals), Car ...

when performing with

Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti (, , ; 12 October 19356 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerou ...

used the following English lyrics for the second verse: : 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 Mario Lanza (, ; born Alfredo Arnold Cocozza ; January 31, 1921 – October 7, 1959) was an American tenor and actor. He was a Hollywood film star popular in the late 1940s and the 1950s. Lanza began studying to be a professional singer at ...

''Mario!'' 1958 *

Sergio Franchi Sergio Franchi (born Sergio Franci Galli; April 6, 1926 – May 1, 1990) was an Italian-American tenor and actor who enjoyed success in the United States and internationally after gaining notice in Britain in the early 1960s. In 1962, RCA Vict ...

on ''Romantic Italian Songs.'' 1962 RCA Victor Red Seal album.

Billboard Top 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artis ...

(number seventeen) *

Franco Corelli Franco Corelli (8 April 1921 – 29 October 2003) was an Italian tenor who had a major international opera career between 1951 and 1976. Associated in particular with the spinto and dramatic tenor roles of the Italian repertory, he was cel ...

on ''Passione.'' 1963 *

Giuseppe di Stefano Giuseppe Di Stefano (24 July 19213 March 2008) was an Italian operatic tenor who sang professionally from the mid-1940s until the early 1990s. Called Pippo by both fans and friends, he was known as the "Golden voice" or "The most beautiful voic ...

on ''Neapolitan Songs III'' 1965 *

Anna Magnani Anna Maria Magnani (; 7 March 1908 – 26 September 1973) was an Italian actress.Obituary ''Variety'', 3 October 1973, pg. 47 She was known for her explosive acting and earthy, realistic portrayals of characters. Born in Rome, she worked her ...

's performance of the song, in the film ''

La sciantosa ''La Sciantosa'' is an Italian TV movie produced by RAI television in 1970. Even though it was filmed in color, back then RAI's shows were still being shown in black and white, since they didn't convert to color TV until 1977. Plot Flora is a fad ...

'' (1971), is well known, as is the version of

Massimo Ranieri Massimo Ranieri (born Giovanni Calone on 3 May 1951) is an Italian singer, actor, television presenter and director. Biography Early life Ranieri was born in Naples ( at Santa Lucia), the fifth of eight children in the family. When he was 10, yo ...

. *

on ''Favourite Neapolitan songs'' 1981Records in review - Volume 26 - Page 371 1981 "LUCIANO PAVAROTTI: "O sole mio: Favorite Neapolitan Songs." DI CAPUA: O sole mio; Maria, Mart. TOSTI: 'A vucchella; Marechiare. CANNIO: 'O surdato 'nnammurato. GAMBARDELLA: 'O marenariello. DE CURTIS: Torna a ..." *

duet with

the Corrs The Corrs are an Irish family band that combine pop rock with traditional Irish themes within their music. The group consists of the Corr siblings, Andrea (lead vocals, tin whistle, mandolin, ukulele), Sharon (violin, keyboards, vocals), Car ...

. The middle verse is sung in English *

Andrea Bocelli Andrea Bocelli (; born 22 September 1958) is an Italian tenor and multi-instrumentalist. He was born visually impaired, with congenital glaucoma, and at the age of 12, Bocelli became completely blind, following a brain hemorrhage resulting fro ...

on "Incanto" (2008) *

Vittorio Grigolo Vittorio Grigolo (correctly Vittorio Grigòlo, born 19 February 1977) is an Italian operatic tenor. Early life Grigolo was born in Arezzo and raised in Rome. He began singing by the age of four. When he was nine years old he accompanied his mot ...

on "Arrivederci" (2011)

References

External links

* , 1983
E-chords

{{DEFAULTSORT:Surdato 'Nnamurato 1915 songs Neapolitan songs Songs about soldiers Songs about the military Songs of World War I

Lyrics

Notable performances and recordings

See also

References

External links