Bartali

Paolo Conte's song 'Bartali' is a nostalgic ode to the legendary Italian cyclist Gino Bartali, who became a national hero in the mid-20th century. The lyrics are rich with imagery and cultural references that evoke a sense of longing and pride. The song opens with a simple pleasure—a bouquet of roses and the sound of cellophane—but quickly shifts to a more visceral craving for a beer on a sticky, rubbery day. This sets the tone for a reflective and somewhat melancholic journey through the singer's thoughts.

The narrator finds himself sitting on a milestone, lost in his own world, as motorcycles pass by, creating a silence that he finds indescribable. This moment of introspection is interrupted by memories of Bartali, whose 'sad nose like a climb' and 'happy eyes like an Italian on a trip' symbolize the duality of struggle and joy. Bartali's achievements on the road are paralleled with the narrator's own life journey, filled with ups and downs.

The song also touches on the complex relationship between Italians and the French, hinting at historical rivalries and mutual respect. The narrator's companion suggests going to the cinema, but he prefers to stay on the dusty road, waiting for Bartali to appear around the bend. This waiting is symbolic of a deeper yearning for a simpler, more heroic time. The song concludes with a vivid scene of newspapers fluttering in the wind, a barking countryside, and a moon hanging low in the sky, encapsulating the timeless and universal themes of memory, identity, and the passage of time.