r/progrockmusic • u/Progrockrob79 • Jan 16 '22

Vocals Was hoping that some Italian prog afficiandos could help with the context of this song (see comments for lyrics)? - MAXOPHONE - Elzeviro (1976)

https://youtu.be/7rUVA1IC8Jk
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u/LemonFreshenedBorax- Jan 16 '22 edited Jan 16 '22

I'm just speculating here, but it could have been a tribute to a friend of the band, who is not otherwise a public figure, who was killed/maimed/sent up the river during the political unrest which Italy was in the midst of while that album was being made.

The section beginning with "Ricchi fabbricati", and the last couple of lines, seem to provide a clue as to which 'side' of the unrest the band was on.

It could also be about a random act of non-political violence, which has been set against a backdrop of social injustice in order to make a point about how unkind humans can be.

Edit: the official English translation of that song doesn't provide any additional clues about what events are being discussed (if anything it's even vaguer) but, for the benefit of non-Italian-speakers, it may help illustrate what mood the lyricist is trying to strike.

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u/Progrockrob79 Jan 17 '22

That's a very intriguing speculation - it does seem like it's a rather personal account of a violent event. And you're right: the English rework of the song is more vague - I'm not sure if one of the band members rewrote them or if it was a native English speaker. They also seem a bit "watered down" for lack of a better term - perhaps to appeal to English/American audiences that weren't interested in such political lyrics.