Luca Sardella
Pace e Libertà

I know, in the end we grow old, become flabby, deaf, sick, reactionary, religious, and we ramble on with phrases like: "Homemade bread was so good!", "In my day, we didn't behave like that!", "What's that internet thing?" and so on. I don't think it's our fault; the brain is an organ like the others, and it ages too. We start thinking about death, not being depressed, but simply as the next stage of life. And if you live in the city and it's summer, you have to go out to avoid ending up like the neighbor, who melted in the heat and was taken to the morgue five days later because someone noticed the nauseating smell. So, you go out into the street, and there are gigantic writings like: "Moderates, like you," "I'm in," "A Common Design," "Stop fighting" and the connection with "In my time..." is just a step away, also because that logo still bears the cursed crusader shield with the word "LIBERTAS" and the stream of consciousness will continue: "Oh my God! In 2 weeks there are elections; I think I'll vote for..." (THERE!).

A nice party for old people who walk with the shadow of death feeding on their shoulders. And then you die sadly in the summer without even making a number, as many of us will end up (what a tragedy life is!). With this passage I didn't want to mock the elderly, rather fate and what it holds for us.

Now I am about to speak of this masterpiece "Pace e libertà" by Luca Sardella, a conductor, singer-songwriter with a green (or white?) thumb summoned by Casini to compose the hymn for the wonderful UDC in 2006, the elections went the way they went, but then harmony always returns.

Every political hymn, like every poem, deserves to be paraphrased at least a little.

The anthem can be found here, or if you go to the UDC website you can find umbrellas, T-shirts, tank tops, sweatshirts, posters of Andreotti, Jesus, and one of Casini landing on Mount Ararat with a host of young smiling men and women (they care about dental hygiene, these demis!). 

The music is a tacky plagiarism of a thousand pre-existing songs, but there is also a catchy finger-snapping, and choirs that become increasingly transcendental, the tone is subdued until a somewhat obvious explosion of positivity and joy. Our man's vocal skills are embarrassing.

Let's get to the lyrics:

"Come my friend, follow me too, - here the tone is of confidential persuasion "Also" implies the fact that many are in this group, yet like a lost sheep the party wants you too- 

If we stay united, we will advance more, - here the tone is adventurous, the hunt for the stools has begun, but it is full of pitfalls, already in the second verse you are already part of the group, I would glide over the rhyme "You and more"- 

Let us clasp our hands and down from the sky - the theme of union (also between parties) is dominant, the words "Down from the sky" is a clear reference to the divine, after all, they are on a mission from God (but we're not listening to the Blues Brothers) 

A great rain of serenity. - the water that washes away sins and reconnects everyone in faith, imagine a golden rain gently falling on the faces of smiling people holding hands forming a circle, not even in Mulino Bianco ads are the images so glossy -

Peace and liberty - which is indeed the title and demagogic refrain of the song 

And our dream already becomes reality - the conjunction between heaven and earth is emphasized, "just a cross and your dreams will come true" said the genie of the lamp

A better future - the first wish will be granted

And the heart beats strong - because it is full of hope and life (returning to the discourse on senility) now! Even before the elections because "we have the gods on our side" as the Greeks said or "Gott mit uns" as the Nazis ranted

And a great love is born - the rhyme heart - love should be banned by law and yet those who shape it propose it again; also, the second wish has been granted -

And happiness - and here's the third and the refrain repeats from "peace is freedom" adding -  the shield of our freedom - the reference to the logo is evident and what’s more, one can catch the suggestion that to conquer peace and freedom, it is necessary to build fortified walls to defend against enemy attacks -

We color the gray walls of our city - this is supposed to be an avant-garde proposal for urban imagery, in reality, it's a justification for all those obscene billboards displayed every year with families who "say they got it" 

And a sad child will smile at us - the future smiles at those like us (but we're not listening to Diaframma) the triad is complete: God, symbolized by the sky and the cathartic rain, the homeland, symbolized by the shield, and family symbolized by the smiling child and joyful union in fact then there is again the phrase of the hands and the rain of serenity, (the most mischievous will associate it with orgasm) then the refrain repeated till the supreme love (but we're not listening to Coltrane) then returns the peaceful tone of someone who has won and can enjoy peace and love, like in fairy tales or Teletubbies cartoons in the land of clichés.

"MODERATES, LIKE YOU" - "WRONG PERSON, HELLO"

"... this summer we will go to the sea, with the crazy desire to row ..."