“Con Te Partirò/Time to Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli is one of the world’s most famous and beloved operatic tenors. A native of Italy, Bocelli’s roots are firmly classical, but he has had incredible success as a crossover performer in operatic pop. Since the start of his career in the mid 1980s, Bocelli has sold tens of millions of records and collaborated with everyone from Celine Dion to Ed Sheeran. The song “Con Te Partirò” off his second album,”Bocelli,” has become one of the best-selling singles of all time.
Originally written in Italian for Bocelli by Francesco Sartori and Lucio Quarantotto in 1995, another version with the title “Time to Say Goodbye” was released as a duet with soprano Sarah Brightman one year later. This version took the momentum of “Con Te Partirò” even further, topping charts all across Europe for months and bringing international acclaim.
Andrea Bocelli and Andrea Brightman performing “Time to Say Goodbye”
Both versions are primarily sung in Italian. Later, a Spanish version entitled “Por Ti Volaré” with significantly different lyrics was introduced. Regardless of the language, the music is powerful and feels much bigger than the moment. Bocelli and Brightman’s other-worldly voices take you to another plane as the sentimental melody swells with emotion. The song feels as if it were written to cry to. The title itself, whether it’s the English version, “Time to Say Goodbye,” or the Italian “Con Te Partirò” (which literally translates to “I’ll leave with you”), also indicates a theme of loss and goodbyes.
When it comes to the lyrics…that’s another story. I do not know Italian, but there are plenty of English translations out there. The song begins with:
“Quando sono solo
Sogno all’orizzonte
E mancan le parole
Sì lo so che non c’è luce
In una stanza quando manca il sole
Se non ci sei tu con me, con me”“Whenever I’m lonely
I dream beyond the horizon
And all the words are missing.
Yes I know there is no light
In a room where the sun is missing
If you’re not here with me, with me”
The first stanza seems clear, but following that, the Italian to English translation doesn’t make much sense. But I am OK with that, and it seems as if millions of others are, too.
If you want to mark any major moment of change with a song, whether it’s a death, a move, or another kind of goodbye, I recommend seeking out “Con Te Partirò/Time to Say Goodbye” for an incredibly powerful experience.
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To me this song is not about leaving somebody, but leaving with somebody. Not even leaving physically. They can just been saying goodbye to the past (before they met) to say hello to the future they are going to live together.
They are saying: “It is time to say goodbye, because I´ll leave with you”, which is actually the title of the song: “Time To Say Goodbye. (Con Te partiró)”.
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That’s right< Maricarmen. It's a love song, not a sad song. Sing it at a wedding, not a funeral.
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Would like hear him sing in English
His voice on itself has feeling and combing that with words I can understand even more beautiful.
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He’s recorded a few songs in English, though I don’t think this is one of them. Check out YouTube: he’s done songs with Ed Sheeran (Perfect Symphony – English and Italian and very beautiful!) and Alison Krauss (Amazing Grace) and quite a few others. I personally think his voice is more beautiful when he sings in Italian…I don’t need to understand the words!
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I believe the song is about a person who’s love has died and it is now time to now die and follow to enjoy those travels together in “spirit” selves.
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I love your take on the lyrics. This is the reason we include music since people such as you find connections and stories in them. Personally I agree with you ; – )
Suzette Sherman, Founder SevenPonds
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Not knowing Italian, I cried the first time I heard this song. It was a gut reaction to the profound yearning and sadness in his voice, yet there was hope and joy too. Then I found the English translation and it didn’t quite make sense. But your interpretation of lovers finally being reunited through death makes perfect, beautiful sense, and this is how I shall think of the song from now on. Thank you.
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I think it’s saying that you’ll go anywhere with the person you love because without them you are alone.
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