La Canzone Del Sole

Lucio Battisti's 'La Canzone Del Sole' is a poignant reflection on the passage of time and the loss of innocence. The song begins with a nostalgic recollection of a young girl, characterized by her blonde braids, blue eyes, and red socks, symbols of her youth and purity. The innocence is further emphasized by the comparison to two bright oranges on her cheeks. The setting of a dark cellar where they breathed quietly suggests a secret place of their shared past, a place of intimacy and innocence.

As the song progresses, the lyrics shift to a present where the girl has grown into a woman. The singer questions where she has been and what she has done, indicating a transformation that has taken place. The repeated line 'Una donna, donna, dimmi' (A woman, woman, tell me) reflects the singer's struggle to understand this change. The woman's past experiences, represented by the 'many arms that have held her,' have shaped her into who she is now, and the singer feels disconnected from her current identity, which is now unfamiliar and even frightening to him.

The chorus, with its references to the 'black sea,' serves as a metaphor for the change in the woman. The sea, once clear and transparent like the singer, has become dark and opaque, mirroring the loss of transparency in their relationship. The song ends with a contrast between the rising sun, which spreads light around, and the shadows of ghosts at night, which are just trees and bushes in bloom. This imagery suggests that despite the darkness and change, there is still beauty and love to be found, symbolized by the eyes of a woman still full of love.