Signora

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of a persistent, unrequited admirer addressing a "Signora" with a mix of desperate hope and resigned sorrow. The narrator apologizes for disturbing her peace, claiming his love is a "sweet dream to remember." This immediately sets up a tone of longing, where even the act of dreaming about her is presented as a transgression. The central tension lies in the narrator's inability to let go, despite clear signs of rejection or indifference. He finds "courage" on a "May night" to approach her again, begging her to "show that face I'd like to kiss." Yet, this plea is undercut by the realization that his "song of love" has been sung "many times" to a "flowered patio" without response. The passage of time has led to him being "forgotten," and his instruments weep with him. The craft here is in the personification of sorrow and the stark contrast between the narrator's romantic ideals and the harsh reality. His "mandola is already sobbing with pain," and "even the moon is already crying over the flowers." These images amplify his despair, making his personal heartbreak feel like a cosmic event. However, this heightened emotion is immediately deflated by the stark, almost brutal, finality of "vain is to sigh / My song the wind will scatter." This lyrical structure effectively conveys the futility of his pursuit. The repeated "Signora" acts as an invocation, a desperate plea to an unresponsive entity. The eventual "goodbye, Signora, goodbye happiness" isn't a triumphant break, but a mournful surrender. The lyrics resonate because they capture that specific ache of knowing something is over, yet still feeling its pull, a universal experience rendered with poignant, almost theatrical, despair.