Fagiano translates to "pheasant". It's an interesting and somewhat unexpected word to find in a pop song, making it memorable and unique.
In the lyrics, the phrase "Un canto di fagiano sale ad est" (A pheasant's song rises to the east) evokes a vivid image of nature and a specific time of day. It adds a touch of rustic beauty and a sense of place to the song's narrative, drawing the listener into the scene.
"La luce dell'est" opens mid-walk, in fog, watching "Un sole quasi bianco sale ad est" [An almost white sun rises in the east]. The memory pulling at him is oddly specific rather than emotional: her small boots in the mud, a bowl of hot broth in a tavern, and a line barely spoken between two people who don't share a language — "'Scusa se non parlo ancora slavo'" ['Sorry if I don't speak Slavic yet']. Whenever something in the present breaks the spell, a trampled branch, later a gunshot, the same image pulls him back to her: "Come un sole rosso acceso" [Like a red sun lit up], "Arde per me" [Burns for me]. By the second chorus the scene has gone bittersweet, a car pulling away while she chases it uselessly down the road, but the refrain comes back exactly as before, unbothered by how the story ended.
Lucio Battisti, from Italy, was a highly influential singer-songwriter. He became a major figure in Italian music, known for his distinctive voice and compositions. His career truly took off in the late 1960s.
He often worked with lyricist Mogol, creating many memorable hits. Songs like "Acqua Azzurra, Acqua Chiara", "La Canzone del Sole", and "Il Mio Canto Libero" are classics. His albums such as Emozioni and Il Mio Canto Libero are still widely loved today.