When Cristiano Godano founded Marlene Kuntz, he wanted to associate the concepts of elegance and popularity of Marlene Dietrich with the vulgarity of “cunts”, unified in a german-like spelling (but “Kuntz” is also the title of a track in a 1987 album of american experimental band Butthole Surfers). This contrast hints at the attitude, as the band was originally mixing noise rock, metallic and loud, with poetry-inspired lyrics.
La canzone che scrivo per te is part of the turning point album “Che cosa vedi” published in 2000, a record that started the transition of the band from a hard-noise rock to a pop-influenced songwriter style. The song features the english singer Skin, leader of the (at the time) popular rock band Skunk Anansie. She wrote her own english lyrics, setting up a kind of imaginary dialogue with Cristiano Godano. He longs for love, he wants to know her (she’s mysterious, a fleeting gleam), while she keeps detachment and probably regards him just as a temporary amusement. The style of the lyrics is deeply influenced by italian poets that Godano loves, like Gozzano and Montale, so it’s lexically rich and sometimes old fashioned. First two lines “There is no contact of mucosa with mucosa, / yet i get infected of you” are widely remembered and identify the song.
“La canzone che scrivo per te”
Non c’è contatto di mucosa con mucosa
eppur mi infetto di te,
che arrivi e porti desideri e capogiri
in versi appassionati indirizzati a me;
e porgi in dono la tua essenza misteriosa,
che fu un brillio fugace qualche notte fa;
e fanno presto a farsi vivi i miei sospiri
che alle pareti vanno a dire “ti vorrei qua”.
Questa è la canzone che scrivo per te:
l’ho promessa ed eccola.
Riesci a scorgerti? Sì che ci sei,
prima che ti conoscessi.
Pure frigid waters from these eyes that always miss you
Nothing but violence from my empty gun
I’m using silver to light up these blackheart faces
blinding your fingers with my skin that burns for you
Questa è (this song) la canzone che (is for me) scrivo per te:
(I listen) l’ho promessa (I promised you) ed eccola.
(I can see me) Riesci a scorgerti? (in your words from hell) Sì che ci sei
proprio mentre ti conosco (that you write for me)
E ho le tue mani da lasciarmi accarezzare il cuore
immune da difese che non servono.
Ma ora ho in testa il viso di qualcuno (don’t don’t tell me) più speciale di me,
che sa cantare ma ha più stemmi da lustrare di me…(no don’t tell me)
e questo è il tuo svago (What you want from me).
Per quel che mi riguarda sei un continente obliato (no don’t tell me)
Per quel che ho visto in fondo mi è piaciuto (I don’t wanna her, don’t tell me)
Questa è (this song) la canzone che (is for me) scrivo per te:
(I listen) l’ho promessa (I promised you) ed eccola.
(I can see me) riesci a scorgerti? (In your words from hell) non ci sei più
dopo che ti ho conosciuta (that you write for me).
“The song i write for you”
There is no contact of mucosa with mucosa,
yet i get infected of you,
who arrive and bring desires and dizziness
in passionate verses addressed to me;
and wilt give as gift your mysterious essence,
that was a fleeting gleam a few nights ago;
and they are quick to show up my sighs
that say to the walls “I want you here.”
This is the song that i write for you:
i promised it and here it is.
Can you behold yourself? Yes you are there,
before i knew you.
Pure frigid waters from these eyes that always miss you
Nothing but violence from my empty gun
I’m using silver to light up these blackheart faces
blinding your fingers with my skin that burns for you
This is (this song) the song that (is for me) i write for you:
(I listen) i promised it (I promised you) and here it is.
(I can see me) Can you behold yourself? (In your words from hell) Yes you are there
just while i know you (that you write for me).
And i have your hands to let caress my heart,
immune from defenses that are not needed.
But now in my head there’s someone’s face (do not do not tell me), more special than me,
who can sing but has more blazons to polish than me … (no do not tell me)
and this is your amusement (What you want from me).
As far as i’m concerned you’re a forgotten continent (no do not tell me),
for what i saw in the end i liked (I dont want her, do not tell me).
This is (this song) the song that (is for me) i write for you:
(I listen) i promised it (I promised you) and here it is.
(I can see me) Can you behold yourself? (In your words from hell) You’re gone,
after i have known you (that you write for me).