"E penso a te" (English: And I think of you) is a song composed in 1970 by Lucio Battisti based on the lyrics by Mogol. Initially sung by Bruno Lauzi, it was subsequently re-recorded by numerous other artists. The most popular version remains the one which its author gave in 1972.
The lyrics recount the nostalgic thoughts of a man who is in love with a somewhat distant woman. The song does not say who she is: she may be a former lover or wife, with whom the protagonist broke up, or maybe just a casually encountered woman he immediately fell in love with.
The protagonist, in any case, can't help but think of her constantly: the first and third stanza describe the actions of his daily life, each one followed by "... e penso a te" ("... and I think of you"), a line which highlights his obsession and his inability to fully enjoy what he is doing. During the day, the protagonist is at work, then comes home, and has a date with his current girlfriend, but keeps on thinking to his real love and fails to appear funny and involved; he finally goes to bed but can't sleep for the same reason. In the second stanza, he asks himself what she might be doing in this moment and bets she is searching for him too; but he has no true hope, because "the city is too big for two who, like us, are looking for each other".
The three stanzas are followed by an instrumental coda which represents the explosion of nostalgia. In Battisti's rendering, the coda has a final diminuendo in which all of the instruments dissolve into silence, leaving only the singer's voice, as to represent his loneliness in the world.
Mogol, who wrote the song's lyrics, told that the protagonist «still hopes in a casual encounter; the desire to see each other is such that there is the will for a miracle, for something impossible, opposed to the reality which seems impregnable. [...] It's a constant search. As if they were dogs: there's something that goes beyond reasoning, a kind of animal instinct».[1]
Composition
The lyrics of the song were written in just 19 minutes[2] during a drive on the Milano-Como Highway in which Mogol composed the lyrics almost entirely improvising while Lucio Battisti sung the melody line. The drive took place on a full-loaded tiny car;[3] on board there were four people including Mario Lavezzi.[1] According to some versions, Battisti was driving,[4] according to others he was sitting in the passenger seat[3] and Mogol himself drove the car.[1]
When Battisti composed the song, he didn't believe it could become successful: he famously said that «this one won't make it, doesn't have enough rhythm, it's weak».[2] For this reason, he didn't record the song himself but gave it to Bruno Lauzi, and even Lauzi's rendering wasn't given much emphasis (it was released in 1970 as B-side of another song written by Battisti and Mogol, named Mary oh Mary).[2] The single wasn't a success and sold just over 30,000 copies.[2] The song became a hit and a classic of Italian pop music only two years later, when Battisti sung the song himself and included it in the album Umanamente uomo: il sogno.[2]
In 1971, Mina sang it and include as an opening track on the album Mina. Subsequently, it was recorded in a live version on the album Dalla Bussola (1972).
This English version of the Italian "E penso a te" ("And I Think of You") was initially an unreleased track on the compilation "The Best of Tanita Tikaram". Promotional singles of the song were sent to several radio stations. In 1998, the track appeared as a bonus track on the Japanese version of Tikaram's sixth studio album "The Cappuccino Songs". It was also released as a bonus track on the Italian edition of "The Cappuccino Songs", and released as a promotional single there in 1998. Joe McElderry covered the song for his fourth studio album, Here's What I Believe.[7][8][9][10]
Track listing
1996 European Promo CD
"And I Think of You – E Penso A Te" (Radio Edit) (3:22)
"And I Think of You – E Penso A Te" (Album Version) (4:18)
1998 Italian Promo CD
"And I Think of You – E Penso A Te" (Album Version) (4:18)
Other
There have been other recordings made by other artists; after the recording by Bruno Lauzi it was recorded by Raffaella Carrà who included the song in the eponymous LP and by Johnny Dorelli who included it as a B-side on the 45 recordLove Story.
In 2012 Letizia Gambi recorded an English/ Italian version "And I think of You/ E penso a te" on her album Introducing Letizia Gambi[11] with Patrice Rushen on piano and Lenny White on drums.
1 2 3 4 5 Salvatore, Gianfranco (2000). Giunti editore (ed.). L'arcobaleno. Storia vera di Lucio Battisti vissuta da Mogol e dagli altri che c'erano. p.138.
1 2 Sabelli Fioretti, Claudio; Giorgio Lauro (2008). Aliberti editore (ed.). Il mio amico Lucio Battisti. p.12.
↑ Salvatore, Gianfranco (1997). Castelvecchi editore (ed.). Mogol-Battisti: l'alchimia del verso cantato. p.271.
Mina Anna Maria Mazzini or Mina Anna Quaini, known mononymously as Mina, is an Italian singer and actress. She was a staple of television variety shows and a dominant figure in Italian pop music from the 1960s to the mid-1970s, known for her three-octave vocal range, the agility of her soprano voice, and her image as an emancipated woman.
Lucio Battisti was an Italian singer-songwriter and composer. He is widely recognized for songs that defined the late 1960s and 1970s era of Italian songwriting.
Giulio Rapetti, best known as Mogol, is an Italian music lyricist. He is best known for his collaborations with Lucio Battisti, Gianni Bella, Marcella Bella, Adriano Celentano and Mango.
Minacantalucio is a studio album by Italian singer Mina, released in October 1975 by PDU and distributed by EMI Italiana.
The Cappuccino Songs is the sixth studio album by British singer-songwriter Tanita Tikaram, released by Mother in 1998.
The Best of Tanita Tikaram is the first compilation by pop singer Tanita Tikaram, released in 1996 by East West Records. Containing fifteen songs from 1988 to 1995, it also included one new track "And I Think of You - E penso a te" which was released as a promotional single and a special remix of her biggest hit "Twist in My Sobriety" which was also released as a single in UK.
Lucio Battisti, la batteria, il contrabbasso eccetera is an album by the Italian singer-songwriter Lucio Battisti. It was released in January 1976 by Numero Uno.
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Lucio Battisti vol. 4 is an album by the Italian singer-songwriter Lucio Battisti. It was released on 21 October 1971 by Dischi Ricordi.
Lucio Battisti is the first album by the Italian singer-songwriter Lucio Battisti. It was released in March 1969 by Dischi Ricordi.
Amore e non amore is a concept album by the Italian singer and songwriter Lucio Battisti. It was released in July 1971 by Dischi Ricordi.
Il nostro caro angelo is an album by the Italian singer and songwriter Lucio Battisti. It was released in September 1973 by Numero Uno and was Italy's second-best selling album in 1973, the first being Battisti's previous album, Il mio canto libero.
"Il mio canto libero" is a song written by Italian singer-songwriter Lucio Battisti and lyricist Mogol. The song was recorded by Battisti for the album of the same title, and released as a single in November 1972 for Mogol's recording label Numero Uno. The song was a commercial success in Italy, topping the Musica e dischi singles chart for nine consecutive weeks in 1973 and becoming the third best-selling single of the year. During the following years, it was covered by several artists, and it became a classic of Italian popular music. It was certified double platinum by the Federation of the Italian Music Industry in 2024, for domestic equivalent sales exceeding 200,000 units since 2009.
Lucio Battisti Vol. 2 is the second album by the Italian singer-songwriter Lucio Battisti. It was released in July 1970 by Dischi Ricordi.
"Una donna per amico" is a song composed by Lucio Battisti and Mogol, and performed by Lucio Battisti. It was released as a single in October 1978, with "Nessun dolore" as B-side. The single peaked at first place fourteen consecutive weeks on the Italian hit parade between November 1978 and February 1979. It was the second most sold single of the year in Italy, behind Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive".
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"Io e te da soli" is a song by Italian singer Mina. The song was written by Mogol and Lucio Battisti.
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