Sognando la California

 

Cielo grigio su
foglie gialle giù
cerco un po’ di blu
dove il blu non c’è
Sento solo freddo (tanto freddo)
fuori e dentro me
ti sogno California
e un giorno io verrò

Entro in chiesa e là
io cerco di pregar
ma il mio pensiero invece va
ritorna sempre là
al sole caldo che vorrei
che qui non verrà mai
ti sogno California
e un giorno io verrò

Cielo grigio su
foglie gialle giù
cerco un po’ di blu
dove il blu non c’è
Se lei non mi aspettasse
so che partirei
ti sogno California
e un giorno io verrò
e un giorno io verrò

At the beginning of ’66, Italian lyricist Mogol proposed “California Dreamin’ “ to Dik Dik’s producer for an Italian version. The musical arrangement was kept and the lyrics, created by Mogol himself, remained faithful to the English original. He was able maintain its meaning and to lose almost nothing of what the Phillips had written: there are the cold, the gray colour of the sky, the dry leaves, the church, and above all the dream of being in California.
The only difference that can be noticed is found in the verb linked to the prayer: in the religious Italy of the sixties the idea of pretending to pray might have been censored, so the Italian singer “tries” to pray

It was recorded by Dik Dik, an Italian beat-pop-rock band, established in the 1960s They released a string of hit singles with the contribution of renowned lyric-writer Mogol and songwriter Lucio Battisti, and their popularity was helped by their ability to adapt foreign hits to the Italian market (“Sognando la California“ and “Senza luce“, respectively cover of “California Dreamin’ ” by The Mamas and Papas and “A Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum)

Their distinctive name came from an African gazelle, so named for the alarm calls of the females. In addition to the females’ alarm call, both the male and female make a shrill, whistling sound.to alert other animals to predators.