1958 Italy: Domenico Modugno - Nel blu dipinto di blu (“Volare“) 3rd place - Second performance

Performed by: Domenico Modugno Music by: Domenico Modugno Lyrics by: Domenico Modugno, Franco Migliacci Conductor: Alberto Semprini Language: Italian Placing: 3rd (13 points) “Nel blu, dipinto di blu“ (Italian pronunciation: [nel ˈblu diˈpinto di ˈblu]; “In the blue [sky] [as I was] painted blue“ or “In the blue-painted blue [sky]“), popularly known as “Volare“ (pronounced [voˈlaːre]; “To fly“), is a song recorded by Italian singer-songwriter Domenico Modugno. Written by Franco Migliacci and Domenico Modugno, it was released as a single on 1 February 1958. Winning the eighth Sanremo Music Festival, the song was chosen as the Italian entry to the Eurovision Song Contest in 1958, where it won third place out of ten songs in total. The combined sales of all the versions of the song exceed 22 million copies worldwide, making it one of the most popular Eurovision songs of all time and the most successful Sanremo Music Festival song ever. It spent five non-consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in August and September 1958 and was Billboard’s number-one single for the year. Modugno’s recording subsequently became the first Grammy winner for Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 1st Annual Grammy Awards in 1958. The song was later translated in several languages and it was recorded by a wide range of performers. At the end of the voting, it had received 13 points, placing 3rd in a field of 10. Despite this, it became one of the most successful songs ever performed in Eurovision Song Contest history. It was succeeded as Italian entry at the 1959 contest by “Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)“, also performed by Modugno. The song’s popularity endures, and in 2004, according to the Italian Society of Authors and Publishers, it was the most played Italian song, in Italy as well as in the whole world and it is the only song competing in the Eurovision Song Contest to receive a Grammy Award. In 2001, seven years after his death, Modugno was awarded with the Sanremo Music Festival Special Award, “given to the one who, [...] in 1958, with “Nel blu dipinto di blu“, turned the Sanremo Music Festival in a stage of worldwide relevance“. Lyrics: Nel blu dipinto di blu (Volare) 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, ohohoho... Nel blu dipinto di blu Felice di stare lassù E volavo, volavo felice Più in alto del sole ed ancora più su Mentre il mondo pian piano spariva, lontano laggiù Una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me Volare, oh oh... Cantare, ohohoho... Nel blu dipinto di blu Felice di stare lassù Ma tutti i sogni nell’alba svaniscono perché Quando tramonta, la luna li porta con sé Ma io continuo a sognare negli occhi tuoi belli Che sono blu come un cielo trapunto di stelle Volare, oh oh... Cantare, ohohoho... Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu Felice di stare quaggiù E continuo a volare felice Più in alto del sole ed ancora più su Mentre il mondo pian piano scompare negli occhi tuoi blu La tua voce è una musica dolce che suona per me Volare, oh oh... Cantare, ohohoho... Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu Felice di stare quaggiù Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu Felice di stare quaggiù con te English: Blue painted in the blue (Flying) I think such a dream will never come back I painted my hands and my face blue Then suddenly I was ravished by the wind And I started flying in the infinite sky Flying, oh oh... Singing, ohohoho... Blue painted in the blue Happy to be up there And I was flying, flying happily Higher than the sun and even higher While the world was slowly disappearing, far beneath A soft music was playing just for me Flying, oh oh.. Singing, ohohoho... Blue painted in the blue Happy to be up there But all the dreams fade away at dawn, because While setting, the moon takes them away But I keep dreaming in your beautiful eyes Which are as blue as a sky quilted with stars Flying, oh oh... Singing, ohohoho... In the blue of your blue eyes Happy to be down here And I keep flying happily Higher than the sun and even higher While the world is slowly disappearing in your blue eyes Your voice is a soft music playing for me Flying, oh oh... Singing, ohohoho... In the blue of your blue eyes Happy to be down here In the blue of your blue eyes Happy to be down here with you