Treccani is preparing to review the definition of “Bocca di Rosa”, the historic character of the famous song by Fabrizio De André. As Alessandra Arachi reveals in the Corriere della Sera, in the next edition of the dictionary the expression could be combined with the definition of “free woman”, at least partially overcoming the interpretation which for years identified it exclusively as a synonym for prostitute. The director of the dictionary Valeria Della Valle explains, however, that the meaning now consolidated in common use cannot be eliminated completely: it can be integrated, but not cancelled. A choice that comes close to the vision of De André himself, who already in 1996 strongly contested this interpretation, recalling that Bocca di Rosa “did it out of passion, not as a profession”.
Dori Ghezzi welcomed the revision: “Finally his song is interpreted correctly”. Luvi De André also underlines how the central theme is individual freedom and overcoming prejudices, both for those who live their sexuality freely and for those who choose sex work. Among the interventions collected by the Corriere there are also those of Lidia Ravera, who hopes for a cultural change in the way of judging female sexual freedom, and of the writer Diego De Silva, in favor of the new interpretation while warning against the risk of it being perceived as an erasure of the past.
The song
“Bocca di Rosa”, written in 1967 by Fabrizio De André together with Gian Piero Reverberi, tells the story of a mysterious woman, whose real name is never revealed, who arrives by train in the small town of Sant'Ilario. Free and independent, she lives love by following passion exclusively, as the famous verses say: “There are those who make love out of boredom, those who choose it as a profession, Bocca di Rosa neither one nor the other, she did it out of passion”.
His arrival upsets the balance of the country. The men are fascinated by her, while the women, jealous and indignant at their husbands' infidelities, turn to the commissioner to intervene. So Bocca di Rosa is accompanied by the gendarmes first to the barracks and then to the train station, forced to leave the town. Upon her departure, however, it is the men of the village who pay homage to her, greeting “who for a while without pretensions brought love to the town”. Her fame spreads quickly and, at the next station, the woman is welcomed with enthusiasm. Even the parish priest invites her to participate in the religious procession, symbol of the meeting between “sacred love and profane love”, one of the most emblematic passages of the song.
According to several scholars, De André may have been inspired by “Brave Margot” by Georges Brassens, with which the song shares some themes and narrative references. Another possible influence is the film “La donnaccia” (1965) by Silvio Siano, starring Dominique Boschero, which tells the story of a young prostitute forced to return to her country of origin, where she is marginalized by other women. Even if there is no definitive confirmation from the author, both works are considered among the most plausible sources of inspiration for the birth of “Bocca di Rosa”.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
