Volare

"Nel blu dipinto di blu" ("In the blue, painted blue"), popularly known as "Volare" ("To fly"), is Domenico Modugno's signature song. Music by Domenico Modugno and lyrics by Franco Migliacci.

Domenico Modugno (9 January 1928 – 6 August 1994) was an Italian singer, songwriter, actor, and later in life, a member of the Italian Parliament.

Volare

Modugno was born in Polignano a Mare, province of Bari (Puglia). In 1935 his father moved to San Pietro Vernotico, in the Province of Brindisi (where his parents are buried). Here Domenico attended primary school and learned San Piertro Vernotico's dialect, which belongs to the linguistic area of Lecce's dialect, which is similar to Sicilian. He attended secondary school in Lecce.

Domenico Modugno

In 1957 his song "Lazzarella," sung by Aurelio Fierro, came second in the Festival della Canzone Napoletana, bringing him his first taste of popularity. In 1958 Modugno took part in Antonio Aniante's comedy La Rosa di Zolfo at the Festival della Prosa in Venice.

The turning point of his career came in that year, when he participated in the Sanremo Music Festival, presenting, together with Johnny Dorelli, the song "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu."

Domenico Modugno

At Eurovision the song was performed first on the night (preceding the Netherlands' Corry Brokken with "Heel De Wereld"). At the end of the voting, it had received 13 points, placing 3rd in a field of 10. Due to a transmission fault, the song was not heard in all countries transmitting the event, so it was performed at the end as well, before the voting took place.

Franco Migliacci

In 1959, Modugno won the Sanremo Music Festival for the second time in a row, with "Piove" (also known as "Ciao, ciao bambina"), and received second place in 1960 with "Libero."This was a successful period of time for Modugno who again represented Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest of 1959. Later his hit song "Io" was sung by Elvis Presley in English with the title "Ask Me."

In 1962, Modugno won the Sanremo Music Festival a third time with "Addio..., addio...." Four years later, he again represented Italy at Eurovision with "Dio, come ti amo." Jack Jones recorded it in English for his 1967 album, Our Song, under the title, "Oh How Much I Love You".

Domenico Modugno

The 1970s kept Modugno's voice and mind busy in more classic music genres and profiles, as a singer and as a musician, adapting poetry, acting on television and in lead singing roles of modern operas.

In 1986, Modugno entered the political arena as a member of the Italian Radical Party and was elected congressman for Turin in June 1987. In this last stage of his life, he was active in social issues, fighting against inhuman conditions of patients in the Agrigento psychiatric hospital.

Domenico Modugno died from a heart attack in Lampedusa, Italy, in August 1994 in his home by the sea.

Domenico Modugno

Volare is a ballad in a dramatic chanson style, in which Modugno describes the feeling he has, which resembles flying when with his lover. The song opens with a surreal prelude which the cover versions often left out: "Penso che un sogno così non ritorni mai più. Mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu; poi d'improvviso venivo dal vento rapito, e incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito." ("I think that a dream like that will never return; I painted my hands and my face blue, then was suddenly swept up by the wind and started to fly in the infinite sky.")

San Remo Festival

Later English lyrics were written by Mitchell Parish. Other versions were quickly recorded, partly in English, partly in Italian, by The McGuire Sisters and Dean Martin. French lyrics were also written by J. Larue in 1958, with the title "Dans le bleu du ciel bleu." Spanish version (partly in Italian) is sung by The Gipsy Kings.

Volare

Modugno's recording became the first Grammy winner for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1958. It is the only foreign-language recording to achieve this honor. It spent five non-consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100 in August and September 1958 and was Billboard's number-one single for the year.

The song has been covered at least 100 times over the years.

Volare

Volare (Italian Lyrics)

Penso che un sogno così non ritorni mai più.
Mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu.
Poi d’improvviso venivo dal vento rapito
E incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito. 

Volare, Oh!, Oh!, 
Cantare, Oh!, Oh!, Oh!, Oh!
Nel blu, dipinto di blu,
Felice de stare lassù. 

E volavo, volavo, felice
Più in alto del sole ed ancora più in su.
Mentre il mondo pian’ piano 
Spariva lontano laggiù,
Una musica dolce suonava
Soltanto per me. 

Volare, Oh!, Oh!, 
Cantare, Oh!, Oh!, Oh!, Oh!
Nel blu, dipinto di blu,
Felice de stare lassù. 

Ma tutti sogni nell’alba svaniscon perché
Quando la luna tramonta li porta con sé,
Ma io continuo a sognare 
Negli occhi tuoi belli, che sono blu 
Como un cielo trapunto di stelle. 

Volare, Oh!, Oh!, 
Cantare, Oh!, Oh!, Oh!, Oh!
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu,
Felice de stare quaggiù. 

E continuo a volare, felice
Più in alto del sole ed ancora più in su.
Mentre il mondo pian’ piano
Scompare negli occhi tuoi blu,
La tua voce e una musica dolce 
Che suona per me. 

Volare, Oh!, Oh!, 
Cantare, Oh!, Oh!, Oh!, Oh!
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu,
Felice de stare quaggiù.


Volare (English Version)

Sometimes the world is a valley of heartaches and tears,
And in the hustle and bustle, no sunshine appears,
But you and I have our love always there to remind us
There is a way we can leave all the shadows behind us.
Volare, oh, oh! Cantare, oh, oh, oh, oh!

Let's fly way up in the clouds,away from the maddening crowds
We can sing in the glow of a star that I know of
Where lovers enjoy peace of mind
Let us leave the confusion and all disillusion behind
Just like birds of a feather, a rainbow together we'll find

Volare, oh, oh! Cantare, oh, oh, oh, oh!
No wonder my happy heart sings, your love has given me wings
Your love has given me wings, your love has given me wings


Dans Le Bleu Du Ciel Bleu (French Version, J. Laroue) 

Quel rêve étrange je fais chaque nuit mon chéri
Par la fenêtre le ciel vient flâner sur mon lit
Puis il m'habille de bleu des pieds jusqu'à la tête
Et je me mets à voler tout comme une alouette

Je vole, oh oh
Je chante oh oh oh oh
Pareil au bleu du ciel bleu
Je trouve cela merveilleux
Et je vole, je vole, je vole
Plus loin que la mer à deux pas du soleil
Je découvre là-haut dans les airs un bonheur sans pareil
Et du ciel une douce musique me chante à l'oreille
Je vole, oh oh
Je chante, oh oh oh oh
Pareil au bleu du ciel bleu
Je rêve mon coeur est heureux

Mais quand la lune se perd au bleu de l'horizon
Les plus jolis de nos rêves avec elle s'en vont
Pourtant le mien continue quand le jour se dévoile
Et dans le bleu de tes yeux qui scintillent d'étoiles

Je vole, oh oh
Je chante, oh oh oh oh
Pareille au bleu de tes yeux
Je rêve mon coeur est heureux
Et rien n'est plus merveilleux
Que d'être noyé dans tes yeux
Si bleu

Volare