Generale (song)
| "Generale" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg?lang=en) | ||||
| Single by Francesco De Gregori | ||||
| from the album De Gregori | ||||
| Released | 1978 | |||
| Length | 4:30 | |||
| Label | RCA Italiana | |||
| Francesco De Gregori singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio | ||||
| "Generale" on YouTube | ||||
"Generale" ('General') is a song by Italian singer Francesco De Gregori, released in 1978.
Overview
[edit]De Gregori composed the song after a period of personal crisis, during which he had opened a bookstore, having decided to leave the music industry.[1] The song tells the story of a General returning from war, and has been variously interpreted, including as a metaphor of De Gregori's return to music, or as a symbolic retreat from political and social engagement toward personal intimacy,[1] or as shift from the hermeticism of his earlier works to a lighter and more immediate impressionist style.[2]
De Gregori drew inspiration for the lyrics from a variety of sources, with primary influence from Louis-Ferdinand Céline's semi-autobiographical novel Journey to the End of the Night, alongside Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms and Mario Monicelli's film The Great War.[1] The production of the song lasted two weeks, with De Gregori recording about 15 different versions of the song and being constantly dissatisfied with them; as he recalled, in the end 'I took one of these versions that I had discarded and said "OK, let's get this one out"'.[1] Over the years, he eventually recorded 11 different versions of the song, varying from bolero to folk style.[1]
Artists who covered the song include Vasco Rossi, Fiorello, Anastasio, Jimmy Cobb Trio, and Benny Neyman in a Dutch version titled "Jouw Verhalen".[1]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Generale" | De Gregori | 4:30 |
| 2. | "Natale" | De Gregori | 2:34 |
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Italy (Musica e dischi)[3] | 4 |
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Italy (FIMI)[4] Sales from 2009 |
Platinum | 50,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Deregibus, Enrico (2020). "Generale". Francesco De Gregori. I testi. La storia delle canzoni. Giunti Editore. ISBN 978-88-09-90422-4.
- ^ Salvatori, Dario (2001). "Generale". Dizionario delle canzoni italiane. Elle U. p. 153. ISBN 8888169016.
- ^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 24 June 2025. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". In the "Artista" field, type "Francesco De Gregori". Then, in the "Titolo" field, search "Generale".
- ^ "Italian single certifications" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 22 April 2024.