“Fall on Me” by Andrea and Matteo Bocelli

The first duet ever recorded by opera superstar Andrea Bocelli and his youngest son, Matteo, “Fall on Me” is a lovely piano ballad with enigmatic lyrics that hint broadly at emptiness, yearning and need. Written by Ian Axel and Chad King of the duo A Great Big World, the song was originally recorded by Axel and King with Christina Aguilera. It was translated into Italian by Fortunato Zampaglione, Chad Vaccarino and Matteo Bocelli, and first released on Andrea’s 2018 album “Si.” Recorded in both English and Italian, “Fall on Me” was also featured in the soundtrack of Disney’s animated film “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.”

Completely blind since the age of 12, Andrea Bocelli is one of the most beloved tenors of all time, with a career that has spanned over 30 years. Originally an opera performer, he’s recently crossed over to other genres, performing duets with a host of vocalists, including country artist Alison Krauss and pop icons Ed Sheeran and Ariana Grande. But performing with Matteo held special meaning for him. In a statement accompanying the release of “Fall on Me,” the 64-year old singer said, “Anyone who is a parent, anyone who knows the precious responsibility of being a mother or a father, will fully grasp the meaning of this piece.”

“Fall on Me” begins with a poignant lament: 

Sooner or later the lights up above

Will come down in circles and guide me to love

I don’t know what’s right for me

I cannot see straight

I’ve been here too long and I don’t wanna wait for it

 

Fly like a cannonball straight to my soul

Tear me to pieces and make me feel whole

I’m willing to fight for it

To feel something new

To know what it’s like to be sharing a space with you.

The plaintive lyrics speak to longing and need, and a loneliness born of separation, perhaps emotional, perhaps physical. In the official video, Matteo appears to be pleading with his father to guide him through the maze of his painful emotions, while the refrain hints at a need for spiritual guidance and comfort as well. 

Fall on me

With open arms

Fall on me

From where you are

Fall on me

With all your light

With all your light

With all your light

Matteo Bocelli, 24, with father Andrea Bocelli. “Fall on Me” is their first recorded duet.

Although the song was not written about grief, the confusion, longing and yearning that come through not just in the lyrics but in Matteo and Andrea’s  performance, easily could depict the wrenching pain of losing someone you love. There is a deep, almost palpable sadness there, but also a thread of strength and determination, all intertwined with an abiding trust in something more.

And I wanna believe in a world we can’t see

Millions of particles passing through me

And I know there’s a meaning

I feel it, I swear

I can’t see the future, but I know that it’s there.

 

 I close my eyes

And I’m seeing you everywhere

I step outside

It’s like I’m breathing you in the air

I can feel you’re there

“Fall on Me” is both a sad and an uplifting song, and I can easily envision it played at a funeral service or celebration of life. It speaks to deep pain and longing, but also to hope for a brighter future — two emotions that are ever-present when we lose someone we love. 

Watch Andrea and Matteo perform “Fall on Me” in English and Italian in the video below.