Fabrizio De André: Verdi pascoli - Green Pastures

Gli aranci sono grossi i limoni sono rossi lassù, lassù nei verdi pascoli ogni angelo è un bambino sporco e birichino lassù, lassù nei verdi pascoli.      E ora non piangere perché      presto la notte finirà      con le sue perle stelle e strisce      in fondo al cielo      e ora sorridimi perché      presto la notte se ne andrà      con le sue stelle arrugginite      in fondo al mare. La radio suona sempre canzoni da ballare lassù, lassù nei verdi pascoli niente da scommettere tutto da giocare lassù, lassù nei verdi pascoli.      E ora non piangere perché      presto la notte se ne andrà      con le sue perle stelle e strisce      in fondo al cielo      e ora sorridimi perché      presto la notte finirà      con le sue stelle arrugginite      in fondo al mare. Non c'è d'andare a scuola ti basta una parola lassù, lassù nei verdi pascoli c'è carne da mangiare erba da sognare lassù, lassù nei verdi pascoli.      E ora non piangere perché      presto la notte finirà      con le sue perle stelle e strisce      in fondo al cielo      e ora sorridimi perché      presto la notte finirà      con le sue stelle arrugginite      in fondo al mare. Gli aranci sono grossi i limoni sono rossi lassù, lassù nei verdi pascoli papà non c'ha da fare papà ti fa giocare lassù, lassù nei verdi pascoli.      E ora non piangere perché      presto il concerto finirà      con le sue perle stelle e strisce      in fondo al cielo      e ora sorridimi perché      presto il concerto se ne andrà      con le sue stelle arrugginite      in fondo al mare. Verdi pascoli © 1981 Fabrizio De André/Massimo Bubola "Verdi pascoli" ends the album on a lighter note, although neither De Andrè nor Bubola were entirely pleased with the song. The song was inspired by Native American ritual dances that envisioned a time in the future when they would be liberated from their sequestration on reservations.

The oranges are huge, the lemons are red up there, up there in the green pastures. Every angel is a child, dirty and mischievous, up there, up there in the green pastures.      And now don’t cry, because      soon the night will end,      with its pearls, stars and streaks      at the bottom of the sky.      And now smile at me, because      soon the night will go away,      with its rusted stars      at the bottom of the sea. The radio always plays dance songs up there, up there in the green pastures. Nothing to gamble, everything to play up there, up there in the green pastures.      And now don’t cry, because      soon the night will go away,      with its pearls, stars and streaks      at the bottom of the sky.      And now smile at me, because      soon the night will end,      with its rusty stars      at the bottom of the sea. There's no going to school, one word is enough for you up there, up there in the green pastures. There’s meat to eat, grass to dream on, up there, up there in the green pastures.      And now don’t cry, because      soon the night will end,      with its pearls, stars and streaks      at the bottom of the sky.      And now smile at me, because      soon the night will end,      with its rusty stars      at the bottom of the sea. The oranges are huge, the lemons are red up there, up there in the green pastures. Papa has nothing to do, Papa plays with you up there, up there in the green pastures.      And now don’t cry, because      soon the concert will end,      with its pearls, stars and streaks      at the bottom of the sky.      And now smile at me, because      soon the concert will go away,      with its rusty stars      at the bottom of the sea. English translation © 2014 Dennis Criteser The album Fabrizio De André is better known as L'indiano based on the cover (a Frederic Remington painting "The Outlier") as well as on the contents of the album. Released in 1981, the album grew out of deep reflections on the similarity between Sardinian culture and 19th century Native American culture. De André and his partner Dori Ghezzi had been kidnapped and held for almost four months in 1979 on the island of Sardinia, where De André lived much of the year. In his words, "an experience of this kind helps one rediscover fundamental values of life. You realize what it means to have warm feet, and what a great conquest it is to not have water dripping on your head while you sleep." De André and co-writer Massimo Bubola were familiar with the Native American story through books like Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and movies like Little Big Man. De André's reflections on Sardinian and Cheyenne ways began as he sensed a similarity between the values of his captors (whom he refused to denounce at trial, stating they were the prisoners, not he) and those of Cheyenne warriors who risked death to steal horses from enemy tribes. He cited other similarities between the two peoples: economies based on subsistence not productivity, love and respect for nature, lack of interest in money beyond bare necessity, a great love for children, and both cultures being menaced by external forces invading traditional ways of life.

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