Today, after thirty or thirty-five years, I listened to this album again. A blast from the past, in the best way. I think an older cousin on my mom’s side copied the cassette for her. She was my mom’s cousin more than mine, I think; I have never been good at who is who in our not-so-small extended family. What I do remember is listening to that tape in the car with my parents. I wonder what happened to it. To any of the cassettes, really.

I am not ten anymore, so the album hits differently. The title roughly means “You will fall in love,” but this is not a record about love love love. It is a record about emotions. I will probably put it on repeat again.

Cover of T'innamorerai by Marco Masini
Marco Masini, close-up, 1993. The face producers once called a loser face.

Favorite opener. Vaffanculo. Literally “Fuck you.” Masini spends the first song telling a lot of people from his past to get lost, especially the producers who did not believe in him because he had a “loser face.” “Hai la faccia da perdente, mi dispiace non funzioni Masini.” I still remember watching him sing it on TV, some show with Pippo Baudo presenting, likely Domenica in. Rage as track one. What a way to start.

Favorite closer. Un piccolo Chopin. “A little Chopin.” He remembers being different: watching his peers play football from the window while he learned piano, because he wanted to be a musician. That dream obviously came true. I relate a lot to this last part, not necessarily for loving music, but because I was different in many ways growing up. Gay and nerd were not things people really understood or appreciated in the nineties.

Favorite lyrics. Dio non c’è. He proclaims that there is no God, and that faith is a gift from God, which is also the thing he says does not exist. I will probably write a different post about atheism, and why I am an atheist myself. For now: it is good to hear a song from the nineties this clear about it. No God. Just lonely human beings on this earth.

Special mention. Cantano i ragazzi. The kids sing. Dreams of growing up. Such a masterpiece.

And yes, there is still love. The title track is bittersweet. Masini wishes the person he loves will fall in love. In one stretch he even wishes she will fall for a bastard and a liar. He still hopes love for her, even if that love will not be him.

Spotify YouTube Music Apple Music

— Made withCursor