Nearly everyone can sing along to the chorus of the Italian song âVolare.â Itâs a happy tune whose popularity has spanned generations. Recorded by Domenico Modugno in 1958, the song became the first winner of the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Grammy Award for Song of the Year, and it is the only foreign-language recording to achieve this honor
Did you know that in Italian âVolareâ (the songâs popular name) means âto flyâ? You might also know that this well-known, well-loved Italian song often goes by the name âNel blu dipinto di bluâ (its official title).  And you might have an idea that this means âin the blue painted blueâ⌠but, you may wonder, just âche cavolo?â (literally âwhat the cabbageâ or what the heck?) does THAT mean?
Well, Volare essentially is a song that recounts a manâs dream⌠in which he is floating (or flying) high above the Earth, in the blue sky, with his hands and face painted blue (ânel blu dipinto di bluâ = in the blue, painted blue). Itâs kind of fantastical and whimsical, as many dreams are.  The song then tells of how when the moon goes down it takes dreams along with it ⌠and thatâs when the song becomes a love songâŚ
âŚthe dreamer goes on to say that even if heâs no longer âup in the blue painted blueâ, and that probably another dream such as this will never come along again (âun sogno cosi non ritorni mai piuâ), heâs just as happy here on the ground lost in the blue of his babyâs eyes. Ah âlâamore, i sogniâ! (Ah love, ah dreams!)
Domenico Modugno at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1958
LYRICS IN ITALIANO
-Verso 1-
Penso che un sogno cosĂŹ non ritorni mai piĂš,
mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu.
Poi dâimprovviso venivo dal vento rapito,
e incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito.
-Ritornello 1-
Volare, oh oh,
cantare, oh oh oh oh.
Nel blu dipinto di blu,
felice di stare lassĂš.
E volavo volavo felice
piĂš in alto del sole ed ancora piĂš su
mentre il mondo pian piano spariva
lontano laggiĂš.
Una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me.
Volare, oh oh
cantare, oh oh oh oh.
Nel blu dipinto di blu
felice di stare lassĂš.
Ma tutti i sogni nellâalba svaniscon perchè
quando tramonta la luna li porta con sè.
Ma io continuo a sognare negli occhi tuoi belli
che sono blu come un cielo trapunto di stelleâŚ
Ritornello 2
Volare, oh oh
cantare, oh oh oh oh.
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
felice di stare quaggiĂš.
E continuo a volare felice
piĂš in alto del sole ed ancora piĂš su
mentre il mondo pian piano scompare
negli occhi tuoi blu
La tua voce è una musica dolce che suona per meâŚ
Volare, oh oh
cantare, oh oh oh oh.
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
felice di stare quaggiĂš.
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
felice di stare quaggiĂš.
-Verse 1-
I think that a dream like this will never return,
I painted my hands and face blue.
Then suddenly I was swept away (abducted) by the wind,
and started to fly in the endless (infinite) sky.
Chorus 1
Volare, oh oh,
sing, oh oh oh oh.
In the blue painted blue,
happy to be up there.
And I flew, I flew happy
higher than the sun and even higher
As the world slowly, slowly disappeared
far away down there.
A sweet music played only for me.
Volare, oh oh
sing, oh oh oh oh.
In the blue painted blue
happy to be up there.
But all dreams vanish because
when the moon sets it takes them along with it.
But I keep on dreaming in your beautiful eyes
That are blue like a sky dotted (quilted) with stars âŚ
Chorus 2
Volare, oh oh
sing, oh oh oh oh.
In the blue of your blue eyes
happy to be down here there.
I continue to fly happy
higher than the sun and even higher
as the world slowly disappears
in your blue eyes
Your voice is a sweet music playing for me
Volare, oh oh
sing, oh oh oh oh.
In the blue of your blue eyes
happy to be down here.
In the blue of your blue eyes
happy to be down here.
Got any favorite Italian love songs?