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Contessa

Paolo Pietrangeli
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COUNTESS

"What a mess, Countess! At Aldo's factory
Those four ignorants started a strike
They wanted their wages raised
They said, can you believe? That they were being exploited
And when the police came
Those four bums screamed ever louder
They dirtied the courtyards and the doors in their blood
Wonder how long it will take to clean up"

Comrades, from the fields and the factories
Take the scythe, bring the hammer
Go down to the square and beat them with it
Go down to the square, quash the system

You good people, what peace are you looking for? [1]
The peace to do whatever you want
But if this is the price we want war
We want to see you end up buried underground
But if this is the price then we've paid for it
No one else in the world must be exploited

"If only you knew, Countess! What a dear relative told me about the occupation
That that scum locked up in there
Made a profession of free love
Then again, my dear, what are you surprised for?
Even the factory worker wants his son to be a doctor
And think of what environment can come of that!
There are no more morals, Countess"

If the wind had been howling now it's howling even stronger [2]
The ideas of revolt have never died
If someone says so don't listen to them
It's someone who just wants to turncoat
If someone says so spit in their faces
It's someone who threw the red flag in a ditch

You good people, what peace are you looking for?
The peace to do whatever you want
But if this is the price we want war
We want to see you end up buried underground
But if this is the price then we've paid for it
No one else in the world must be exploited
COUNTESS

" What's, Countess, in the factory of Aldo
have made a strike those four ignorant
asking to have their wages increased
screaming, do you think, to be exploited
and when the police arrived there
those four beggars have shouted louder
by blood have soiled the courtyard and doors
who knows how long it will take to clean up "

Comrades from the fields and workshops
catch the sickle and bring the hammer
go down to the streets and beat with that
go down to the streets and scuttle the system

You, good people who are looking for peace
peace to do what you want
but if this is the price we want war
we want to see you end up underground
but if this is the price we paid it
no one in the world should be exploited

" If you know, Countess, what told me
a dear relative about squatting
that the bad guys barricaded in there
professed free love
Besides, my dear, no surprise
if even the worker would his son become a doctor
and then try to think what might happen
there is no more moral, Countess "

If the wind whistled
now blows stronger
ideas of revolt are never dead
if there is one who says that
you are not to feel him
is one that just wants to betray
if someone says so
spit in his face
why the red flag he thrown into a ditch

You, good people who are looking for peace
peace to do what you want
but if this is the price we want war
we want to see you end underground
but if this is the price we paid it
no one in the world should be exploited

But if this is the price we paid it
no one in the world should be exploited
[1] Could also be "You good people looking for peace" but I think the first version makes more sense

[2] This is a reference to Katyusha's Italian lyrics, most likely. They start with "The wind howls, the blizzard rages
The shoes are broken, yet we must go on"


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