Prisencolinensinainciusol
Encyclopedia
"Prisencolinensinainciusol" prizɛnkɔlinɛnsinainˈtʃuzɔl is a song composed by Adriano Celentano
, and performed by Celentano and his wife, singer/actress-turned-record producer
Claudia Mori
. A very popular performance of the song, broadcasted by RAI
, shows Celentano with showgirl
Raffaella Carrà
, who is dancing and lip-synching to Mori's vocals. It was first released as a single on November 3, 1972, and later on his album Nostalrock. The American-English sounding lyrics are actually pure gibberish
.
Celentano's rationale for the song was that, after releasing albums about ecology and social issues, "having just recorded an album of songs that meant something, I wanted to do something that meant nothing".
The song was recorded at least twice for television broadcast. The song has been included on the 2008 dance compilation album Poplife Presents: Poplife Sucks.
In 1992, remixes of the song by Molella and Fargetta
were released on CD Single, along with the original version, to promote the compilation Superbest.
The song has recently enjoyed a revival as a nascent Internet meme
, having been posted on Boing Boing
in December 2009 and subsequently picked up by the Italian press.
parody.
French actor José Garcia
interpreted a portion of the song in the movie Quelqu'un de bien (2002). The full version was released as a single in France as Prisencoli.
Adriano Celentano
Adriano Celentano is an Italian singer, songwriter, comedian, actor, film director and TV host.-Biography:Celentano was born in Milan at 14 Via Gluck, about which he later wrote the famous song "Il ragazzo della via Gluck"...
, and performed by Celentano and his wife, singer/actress-turned-record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Claudia Mori
Claudia Mori
Claudia Mori , is an Italian actress, singer, television producer, and wife of the singer Adriano Celentano.-1960s:...
. A very popular performance of the song, broadcasted by RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
, shows Celentano with showgirl
Showgirl
A showgirl is a dancer or performer in a stage entertainment show. Showgirl is also often used as a term for a promotional model in trade fairs and car shows, etc...
Raffaella Carrà
Raffaella Carrà
Raffaella Carrà , in Italy often simply known as la Carrà and in some Latin American countries sometimes simply as Raffaella, is an Italian singer, dancer, television presenter, and actress...
, who is dancing and lip-synching to Mori's vocals. It was first released as a single on November 3, 1972, and later on his album Nostalrock. The American-English sounding lyrics are actually pure gibberish
Gibberish
Gibberish is a generic term in English for talking that sounds like speech, but carries no actual meaning. This meaning has also been extended to meaningless text or gobbledygook. The common theme in gibberish statements is a lack of literal sense, which can be described as a presence of nonsense...
.
Analysis
In an interview, Celentano explains that the song is about incommunicability in modern times. He added that the only word we need is prisencolinensinainciusol, which is supposed to stand for "universal love".Celentano's rationale for the song was that, after releasing albums about ecology and social issues, "having just recorded an album of songs that meant something, I wanted to do something that meant nothing".
The song was recorded at least twice for television broadcast. The song has been included on the 2008 dance compilation album Poplife Presents: Poplife Sucks.
In 1992, remixes of the song by Molella and Fargetta
Fargetta
Mario Fargetta is an Italian dance/house/electronica/techno DJ, producer, recording artist, composer, and remixer...
were released on CD Single, along with the original version, to promote the compilation Superbest.
The song has recently enjoyed a revival as a nascent Internet meme
Internet meme
The term Internet meme is used to describe a concept that spreads via the Internet. The term is a reference to the concept of memes, although the latter concept refers to a much broader category of cultural information.-Description:...
, having been posted on Boing Boing
Boing Boing
Boing Boing is a publishing entity, first established as a magazine, later becoming a group blog.-History:...
in December 2009 and subsequently picked up by the Italian press.
Remake
Celentano made a remake with real, Italian lyrics on his disc Quel Punto. The song's name is Il Seme del Rap and it can be seen as a hip hopHip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
parody.
French actor José Garcia
José Garcia (actor)
José Garcia , sometimes credited as José Luis Garcia, is a French film and television actor.- Early life and education :He was born in Paris, France.- Career :...
interpreted a portion of the song in the movie Quelqu'un de bien (2002). The full version was released as a single in France as Prisencoli.
External links
- Sasha Frere-Jones blog at newyorker.com (April 28, 2008)
- Language Log post (October 25, 2009) with videos