Sergio Caputo | Vita Dromedaria
Regarding the line "si dirada la zazzera," found in this song, Caputo dedicated a chapter in his latest book "Un sabato italiano memories" to the topic, so let's read some excerpts: Despite having plenty of hair, a very meticulous observer might notice a slight thinning at my hairline. Kico Fusco, my friend, who is as bald as a medlar and knows a thing or two about it, keeps subtly hinting that I should start worrying about not neglecting my hair. I was persuaded and made an appointment with a doctor at Fatebenefratelli. This doctor has developed a herbal lotion, with a top-secret formula, that supposedly miraculously stops hair loss and promotes the regrowth of lost hair. Two questions arise spontaneously. Firstly, why is someone possessing such an explosive formula still working for a living, and secondly, why hasn’t Kico Fusco, being aware of it for a long time, taken advantage of it himself? We arrive at the doctor's office, and after the check-up, I break the silence: "Doctor, do you think I will lose my hair?" "Yes," is his curt reply. I absorb the news with utmost composure, but it’s a tough blow... after all, my father was bald by nineteen, and having reached my thirties with my hair still intact, I thought I had good reasons to consider myself safe. "Is there anything I can do to prevent it?" I ask after a moment. "No, but you can slow down the process with daily applications of this lotion," the doctor says as he heads to a cabinet to get the bottle. "By the way, doctor, I've been having some trouble sleeping, can you suggest...?" "GET TIRED!" he snaps impatiently... "But I am tired, it's just that I can’t seem to fal...". "Have a couple of whiskies, and then you'll see if you don’t sleep!" I kept the bottle for many years, through one move after another; it contained a greenish liquid that emitted a strong smell of basil. I was already following the whisky advice.