Via del Campo contained on the 1967 album Volume I is one of Fabrizio De André’s most famous songs.
The song was also released in 1967 on the A-side of a 45 rpm; the B-side featured the song Bocca di Rosa.
The title of the song comes from a street in the historic center of Genoa, namely Via del Campo.
When the song was written, this street in Genoa was one of the poorest and most degraded streets in the city where the lower classes and prostitutes lived.
Fabrizio De André almost goes so far as to beatify the prostitute. In many of his songs the Genoese singer-songwriter often referred to the so-called last ones as the men closest to purity. Purity that stems from their living outside hypocrisy and the rules of decency.
Lyrics Via del Campo
Via del Campo there is a pretty
The big leaf-colored eyes
All night she stands on the threshold
Sells everyone the same rose.
Via del Campo there is a little girl
With lips the color of dew
Gray eyes like the street
nascon flowers where she walks.
Via del Campo there is a whore
The big leaf-colored eyes
If you feel like loving her
Just take her by the hand
And you feel like you’re going far away
She looks at you with a smile
you didn’t believe that heaven
Was only there on the second floor.
Via del Campo there goes a deluded man
To beg her to marry
To see her climb the stairs
Until the balcony closed.
Love and laugh if amor answers
Cry loudly if she does not hear you
From diamonds nothing is born
From dung flowers are born
from diamonds nothing is born
out of dung are born flowers.
(Text taken from deandrefabrizio.altervista.org)
