BSPH: Adriano Celentano - Prisencolinensinainciusol

Here's a controversial confession. I was a big fan of Adriano Celentano when i was a kid. He always seemed to be grounded and believable even though he always played an amped up version of himself and his films were mostly braindead monstorocities (but there was also magical "Bluff" directed by Corbucci and co-starring everawesome Anthony Quinn) - he is kinda like Dwayne Johnson. For reasons unknown he radiated such deeply awesometacular charisma he could literally spat out nonsense and remain otherworldly cool. Speaking of nonsense...

"Prisencolinensinainciusol" is a song by italian multi-faceted artist Adriano Celentano. It was released in 1972 on an album titled "Nostalrock". It was a big hit for Celentano scoring No. 1 spot in Italy and numerous chart entries all over Europe coupled with critical acclaim. This is more amazing because it is a gimmick song. It sounds like a regular rock song but actually is warped experimental song written in faux English. This combination makes it brilliant in every way. 

But it never really evolved into anything. Celentano never really tried to develop the concept any further. From his point of view it was a nice one-off slight about face. Mostly because, aside from the gimmick, "Prisencolinensinainciusol" isn't that different from any other Celentano song of that period. His 60s-70s output generally sounded like a bizarro twisted whimsical version of american rock-n-roll.  "Prisencolinensinainciusol" was just like that but pushed to its logical extreme. 

The selling point of "Prisencolinensinainciusol" is that it is written in made-up English or "Celentanese", as contemporaneous press called it, thus it makes zero sense but it is sounds quite legit because of Celentano's fired up delivery. He sings with such intense confidence that it seems natural that he just makes up the words on the fly. Because no word is cool enough for the Great Adriano Celentano. 

But the song itself is not about subversion. It is about Celentano's own experience of language barrier. Back in the day he wasn't able to understand english words in rock and rolls he was listening to. But he heard how they sounded. And those sounds became the embodiment of real "rock and roll" for him. That sound inspired him. He was mimicking it. This simulacrum, basically a glorified glossolalia, laid the groundwork for him, became his "alphabet". And that is why "Prisencolinensinainciusol" is written in faux english "as he heard it".  

This detail also makes the song and the way it is made extremely engaging. You can identify yourrself with Celentano because who wasn't mimicking his favorite performers and spouting nonsensical soundalike to his favorite melodies? 

Playful cognitive dissonance between nonsensical content and straightforward arrangement is the songs heart. But deep inside - "Prisencolinensinainciusol" is a tribute to a fast-paced scat croon of  early master of rock and roll Little Richard who, as you know, was all about universal language of "Whop bopa-a-lu la whop bam boo!". Even the title itlself - "Prisencolinensinainciusol" is a callback to Sherman Brothers' "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and Isaac Hayes' "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic". 

In terms of method "Prisencolinensinainciusol" is close Weird Al Yankovic modus operandi. Celentano takes very basic and familiar rock song structure, turns it inside out and makes it look nice and natural. The result is crooked curved ball of a song that feels like a legitimate song but ultimately is an exploration of the concept of necessity of meaning in a work of art dressed up like a party anthem. Celentano's statement can be summed up as "Take it easy! To be is to do; to do is to be; do be do be do". Celentano's gift of not taking himself too seriously helps to avoid persistent pretentiousness and makes the song tick in a special way.

Musically "Prisencolinensinainciusol" is styled after the complicated beats of funk music and Bob Dylan "Outlaw Blues" stomp. There is sprawling octopus of a guitar riff that is akin to slowed-lighting playing a whip. Bass is basically seismic quake that bounces like a ball. Heavy stomping beat grinds through everything around and then pulls it the other way around. Curiously there is no groove. Every instrument is busy and churns rhythmic patterns but music barely moves. It seems to be stomping on one place with a manic smile - just a loop with horn stabs. Horn stabs styled after James Brown' - they add the song illusion of propulsion. In the end comes mighty nifty harmonica solo. It feels out of place and dissonant but nevertheless it delivers satisfying blow off.

On the other hand - the whole nonsense verse gimmick of "Prisencolinensinainciusol" is very much like what DADA were doing back in the Cabaret Voltaire days. In short - making it strange out of love. Celentano intentions was to show that it doesn't really matter what the song is about. What matters is whether or not it is fun. Because aside from that - nothing really matters.

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Oh, by the way - here's the transcript of "Prisencolinensinainciusol" lyrics made by Anthony Madrid: 

Preezen-collin-ensinine-choozol

You de kohl mayn saywum
preezen-collin-ensinine-choozol
all right

We d’same t’choose now
hole beel d’same in a hole-rate
maybe is de cuddle balls die

Trrrrrrrrrr!
chanz de my b’gee-d’kohl
baby sustay yeah been jo whoa

We d’same t’choose now
whole beel d’same in a hole-rate
maybe is de cuddle balls die

Whether s’sane aintchu de coffee steen
you never truvva nuvva jerseyguhl
baby j’jam

You de comin’ up choose
no bife f’not soul
hobo-hobo dis gettin’ louda kubba no time

Oh but divisistan
lie d’shoes d’gubbaman
you because tribimaht call dovráy d’girls

Oh sanday …

Ay ay zmai sezlin
anyghels so gowin beezo
eyes

You de kohl mayn saywum
preezen-collin-ensinine-choozol
all right

Ay ay zmine senflint
anygoals so gowin beezo
eyes

Preezen-collin-ensinine-choozol
all right

Well I s’no schemin’ aina given the sin
t’line t’choozin-oava-jove ho hadda good time
like faze t’go

We d’sen in d’sen
in d’shoes to gobbo ben
is d’two wullaguys they love a flow
well de guy just ate

Ay ay smai chenslet
anyhills so gowin beezo
eyes

You d’collin may de saywum
preezen-collin-ensinine-choozol
all right

You doice y’know
billy zeekee hollomun dohl
es baby d’lie s’like bikme ohl

Ay ay zmai senflen
anyghesso gowin beezo
eyes

You de kohl mayn d’saywum
preezen-collin-ensinine-choozol
all right

You doice y’nop
billy zeekee hollomun dohl
es baby-de-lak s’lak blikme ohl