Cuccurucucù – 2008 – Remaster

Written by: Franco Battiato

First sung by: Franco Battiato

This song is one of the most characteristic of Battiato’s ‘new style’, as he moved to the electro-pop sound of the early 80s, leaving behind the experimental phase that he pursued for the better part of the 70s. The song appeared on the album La voce del padrone (‘His Master’s Voice’, 1981), the first LP to have sold over a million copies in Italy. It was number one on the charts for 18 weeks and the second-best album of the 80s, according to Rolling Stone Italia. ‘Cuccurucucu’ displays Battiato’s talent as a writer and discerning intellectual: the text honours some of the myths and rituals of pop culture, while making fun of them at the same time. The title refers to a famous Mexican song of 1954. Battiato’s vocal acrobatics do homage to hits by the Beatles (‘Lady Madonna’, ‘With A Little Help from My Friends’), Bob Dylan (‘Just Like a Woman’, ‘Like a Rolling Stone’) and the Stones (‘Ruby Tuesday’) – all cited in English. Also mentioned are the twist, songs from Sanremo and covers of the 60s (‘Il mare nel cassetto’, ‘Le mille bolle blu’ and ‘Il mondo è grigio il mondo è blu’). Memories of his school days, including desecrations of Homer and Ariosto, are followed by images that sanction new lifestyles and recall current events, all presented in an evocative stream of consciousness reminiscent of certain avant-gardes. The song fully applauds the tendencies of postmodernism (e.g., the words of the Beatles sung by the Madrigal Chorus of Milan), adopting an irresistible ska beat that brings the spirit of New Wave music to Italy.