Canzone del Maggio – Liberamente tratta da un canto del maggio francese 1968

Written by: Fabrizio De Andrè - Giuseppe Bentivoglio (lyrics) - Fabrizio De Andrè and Nicola Piovani (music)

Originally performed by: Fabrizio De Andrè

Loosely based on the French song about May 1968 – Chacun de vous est concerné, by singer-songwriter Dominique Grange – the song is part of Storia di un impiegato (1973), a concept album in which Fabrizio De André traces a man’s personal journey from indifference to social awareness through to the extreme of violence followed by imprisonment. A protest song brings back memories of the student revolt to the protagonist /narrator, reawakening his libertarian ideals that are destined to be derided. The harmonica and guitar arrangement characterised by the arpeggio makes this song a classic of the protest song genre.