Perché lo fai
| "Perché lo fai" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Marco Masini | ||||
| from the album Malinconoia | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Length | 4:41 | |||
| Label | Dischi Ricordi | |||
| Songwriters | Giancarlo Bigazzi Mario Manzani Marco Masini | |||
| Marco Masini singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio | ||||
| "Perché lo fai" on YouTube | ||||
"Perché lo fai" ('Why do you do it') is a 1991 Italian song by Marco Masini, composed by Masini, Giancarlo Bigazzi and Mario Manzani. It is the leading single of Masini's album Malinconoia.
Production
The song was initially composed in 1989 by Giancarlo Bigazzi and Mario Manzani as "Un adagio per dirti addio", and was originally intended to be Umberto Tozzi's entry at the Sanremo Music Festival 1990, before Tozzi eventually changed his mind and decided to do not take part in the festival.[1]
At the Sanremo Music Festival 1991, Marco Masini was automatically qualified for the main competition after winning the 1990 Newcomers' competition with "Disperato", and his producer Bigazzi suggested to use the same melody; the song, which originally told the story of a painful breakup, was totally rewritten in collaboration with the same Masini, and turned into a manifesto against the use of hard drugs.[1] The song eventually placed third at the festival, following Riccardo Cocciante's "Se stiamo insieme" and Renato Zero's "Spalle al muro".[1][2]
Reception
Upon its debut, the song was generally poorly received by critics, who criticized its lack of poetry and described it as exhibiting "an almost smug desperation".[2] It was a commercial success, and the most sold single among the songs presented at the 1991 Festival.[2]
Other versions
At the festival, Dee Dee Bridgewater presented an English-language version of the song titled "Tell Me Why".[2] Masini recorded the song in Spanish, with the title "Por Qué Lo Háras".[2] In 1993, Nancy Martinez released a French cover of the song, "Pourquoi Tu Pars".[2] In 2006, Masini and Umberto Tozzi recorded it in a duet for their collaboration album Tozzi/Masini.[1]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Perché lo fai" | Masini, Bigazzi, Manzani | 4:41 |
| 2. | "Il giorno dei perdenti" | Giuseppe Dati, Masini, Bigazzi, Manzani | 4:05 |
Charts
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Italy (Music & Media)[3] | 1 |
| Italy (Musica e dischi)[4] | 1 |
References
- ^ a b c d Rettani, Marco; Donvito, Nico (22 November 2022). "Perché lo fai". Canzoni nel cassetto: Come ne sono uscite per diventare grandi successi. Vololibero. ISBN 978-88-32085-41-9.
- ^ a b c d e f Anselmi, Eddy (2009). "Perché lo fai". Festival di Sanremo: almanacco illustrato della canzone italiana. Panini. p. 413. ISBN 978-8863462296.
- ^ "Top 10 sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 13. 30 March 1991. p. 25. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
- ^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 28 July 2024. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Titolo" field, search "Perché lo fai".
External links
- Perché lo fai at Discogs (list of releases)