Funiculì, Funiculà is an Italian song from 1880 with lyrics in the Neapolitan dialect. It was written to celebrate the opening of the first funicular railway on Mount Vesuvius in Naples. Though it was created for fun, the song became famous in Italy and other countries.
A few composers came up with modified versions of the song and faced the consequences of their actions (more on this later!). That said, Funiculì, Funiculà continues to be a favorite in Italy and around the world.
The song has two versions of English lyrics- a direct translation and another written in English based on the original. Read on to get the three sets of lyrics.
Written Lyrics
Italian Lyrics:
Aissera, oje Nanniné, me ne sagliette,
tu saje addó, tu saje addó
Addó ‘stu core ‘ngrato cchiù dispietto
farme nun pò! Farme nun pò!
Addó lu fuoco coce, ma se fuje
te lassa sta! Te lassa sta!
E nun te corre appriesso, nun te struje
sulo a guardà, sulo a guardà.
(Coro)
Jamme, jamme ‘ncoppa, jamme jà,
Jamme, jamme ‘ncoppa, jamme jà,
funiculì, funiculà, funiculì, funiculà,
‘ncoppa, jamme jà, funiculì, funiculà!
Né, jamme da la terra a la montagna!
Nu passo nc’è! Nu passo nc’è!
Se vede Francia, Proceta e la Spagna…
Io veco a tte! Io veco a tte!
Tirato co la fune, ditto ‘nfatto,
‘ncielo se va, ‘ncielo se va.
Se va comm’ ‘a lu viento a l’intrasatto,
guè, saglie, sà! Guè, saglie, sà!
(Coro)
Jamme, jamme ‘ncoppa, jamme jà,
Jamme, jamme ‘ncoppa, jamme jà,
funiculì, funiculà, funiculì, funiculà,
‘ncoppa, jamme jà, funiculì, funiculà!
Se n’è sagliuta, oje né, se n’è sagliuta,
la capa già! La capa già!
È gghiuta, po’ è turnata, po’ è venuta,
sta sempe ccà! Sta sempe ccà!
La capa vota, vota, attuorno, attuorno,
attuorno a tte! Attuorno a tte!
Stu core canta sempe nu taluorno:
Sposamme, oje né! Sposamme, oje né!
(Coro)
Jamme, jamme ‘ncoppa, jamme jà,
Jamme, jamme ‘ncoppa, jamme jà,
funiculì, funiculà, funiculì, funiculà,
‘ncoppa, jamme jà, funiculì, funiculà!
English Translation:
I climbed up high this evening, oh, Nanetta,
Do you know where? Do you know where?
Where this ungrateful heart
No longer pains me! No longer pains me!
Where fire burns, but if you run away,
It lets you be, it lets you be!
It doesn’t follow after or torment you
Just with a look, just with a look.
(Chorus)
Let’s go, let’s go! To the top we’ll go!
Let’s go, let’s go! To the top we’ll go!
Funiculi, funicula, funiculi, funicula!
To the top we’ll go, funiculi, funicula!
Let’s go from here below up to the mountain,
A step away! A step away!
You can see France, Procida, and Spain,
And I see you! And I see you!
You rise, pulled by a cable, quick as a wink,
Into the sky! Into the sky!
We’ll rise up like a whirlwind all of a sudden
Knows how to do! Knows how to do!
(Chorus)
Let’s go, let’s go! To the top we’ll go!
Let’s go, let’s go! To the top we’ll go!
Funiculi, funicula, funiculi, funicula!
To the top we’ll go, funiculi, funicula!
The car has climbed up high, see, climbed up high now,
Right to the top! Right to the top!
It went, and turned around, and came back down,
And now it’s stopped! And now it’s stopped!
The top is turning round, and round, and round,
Around yourself! Around yourself!
My heart is singing the same refrain:
We should be wed! We should be wed!
(Chorus)
Let’s go, let’s go! To the top we’ll go!
Let’s go, let’s go! To the top we’ll go!
Funiculi, funicula, funiculi, funicula!
To the top we’ll go, funiculi, funicula!
English Version- A Merry Life:
Some think the world is made for fun and frolic,
And so do I! And so do I!
Some think it well to be all melancholic,
To pine and sigh; to pine and sigh;
But I, I love to spend my time in singing,
Some joyous song, some joyous song,
To set the air with music bravely ringing
Is far from wrong! Is far from wrong!
Harken, harken, music sounds a-far!
Harken, harken, with a happy heart!
Funiculì, funiculà, funiculì, funiculà!
Joy is everywhere, funiculì, funiculà!
Ah me! ’tis strange that some should take to sighing,
And like it well! And like it well!
For me, I have not thought it worth the trying,
So cannot tell! So cannot tell!
With laugh, with dance and song the day soon passes
Full soon is gone, full soon is gone,
For mirth was made for joyous lads and lasses
To call their own! To call their own!
Harken, harken, hark the soft guitar!
Harken, harken, hark the soft guitar!
Funiculì, funiculà, funiculì, funiculà!
Hark the soft guitar, funiculì, funiculà!
Printable Lyrics
Download the printable PDF from this link to get a copy of the song’s lyrics here.
Photo Lyrics
Save the below image for the lyrics of the song.
Video Links
Here’s the Italian version of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH0TMmgPtjg
Watch the English version here (with lyrics): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeE76Fa6SMQ
Origins and History
Funiculì, Funiculà was written by Peppino Turco, an Italian songwriter, and journalist. Luigi Denza composed the melody for the song. The duo presented the song at the Piedigrotta festival in Naples the same year the song was released. Funiculì, Funiculà has been widely adapted and recreated in different languages. It became so famous that the sheet music published by Casa Ricordi sold more than a million copies in less than a year.
Turco and Denza composed the song in Denza’s hometown, Castellammare di Stabia in Naples. The duo composed the song more as a joke- a fun way to commemorate the opening of the funicular railway in the region. Who knew it would be so famous that the lyrics would be translated into German, Japanese, and other languages?
Well, this success came with its own set of issues. Many singers and composers didn’t realize that Funiculì, Funiculà was a relatively new song and not a traditional folk song from Naples.
For example, Richard Strauss, a German composer, included the song in his Aus Italien tone poem when he heard it during one of his tours. Denza naturally filed a lawsuit for plagiarism. Strauss had to pay Denza the royalty fee for using his composition.
A similar incident happened with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, a Russian composer. He used it in his Neapolitanskaya pesenka album in 1907.
More adaptations followed in the 1900s and early 2000s. Even Walt Disney used the song in the chorus for the film Fun and Fancy-Free. The video game version of Spider-Man 2 movie by Activision had a shortened accordion and flute version of the song. This was in 2004. The song changes tempo as the game progresses. It is a popular meme too.
FAQs
The original song is romantic in nature, where the singer, a young man, invites his lover to join him on a trip to the mount.
In a way, yes. The English version is titled A Merry Life about being happy and enjoying the moment.
Leave a Reply