Ottomanelli seguiva un suo sogno
di mangiare e bere e di vendemmiar
fuggì dai Fascisti, fuggì dai Tedeschi
per una cascina, lassù, nel nord-est

[Chorus]
E nella notte, nel freddo dell'ombra
pensava al suo sogno, alla patria d'un di , 
cercando di poter mettere a fuoco
in quel barlume, Gesù, segui ,

Credeva nel Papa, così, ebbe figli
più' bocche che han fame ma pur braccia in più 
per munger le mucche, per portare il latte 
per mietere il grano e per vendemmiar

Dopo anni di pace, furon disturbati
da dei venditori di altre città
i figli, ormai grandi, cercaron lavoro
per comprar le cose che non eran la

Quello più grande trovò per lavoro: 
congegni di mira per Colt M-Sixteens
molto richiesti per la guerra in Asia
con gli straordinari, così s'arricchì ,

Un giorno guardava, in TV, la partita 
bevendo una birra, mangiando popcorn
"sospendiam il programma per darvi notizia 
la guerra e' finita col vostro lavor"

Ottomanelli, oramai, era vecchio
più non coltivava la sua proprietà
vendute ha le mucche perché non poteva 
competer con le latterie di città

Nessuno poteva far il suo mestiere
ne' mietere il grano e ne' vendemmiar
il terreno è richiesto per costruir case
così dove vai quando il sogno tuo va

Translation © 1983 by Germana Pucci

Ottomanelli had one dream above all
to eat and to drink and to make wine in peace
he'd run from the fascists, he'd run from the germans 
he'd now run a dairy farm in the northeast

[Chorus]
Late in the night he grew cold in the shadows
tried to recall his homeland his dream
and all to what end were they following jesus
trying to focus and follow the gleam

Because he believed in the pope he had children
I there were more mouths to feed but more hands to help 
to milk all the cows and deliver the produce
to cut all the corn and make wine in the fall

The years that were peaceful they soon were unsettled 
by salesmen come calling with things they don't need 
the children grew older the children grew bolder
went looking for jobs to buy all those things

The oldest went out took a job in a factory
making the gunsights for colt M-sixteens
they were much in demand for a war off in asia
so he worked overtime and grew wealthy and clean

One day he was watching a televised ball game
a can of budweiser and popcorn in hand
"we interrupt program to bring you the great news
the war it is over your jobs have been canned"

Ottomanelli was too old to farm now
the fields they lay fallow he sold all the cows
he could not compete with the lobbying dairy-marts
and their certified pasteurized homogenized now

And no one had learned how to plant all the cornfields or help make the wine in the warm autumn sun
the real estate people want land to build houses
so where do you go when your dream is all done

@ 1984 by John S. Hardy Music