Dosvedanya Mio Bombino Lyrics
You stare unblinkingly at me
While your car waits in the freezing rain
I know your soul calls Moscow home
But your heart belongs to Rome
So for years I've followed you in vain
But oh will you ever know what you are
Dosvedanya, mio bombino
There is a place where only you alone go
There is a world that only you alone know
Above the Adriatic Sea
I tried to storm the Kremlin of your heart
In Florence we were on the mend
But that mazurka had to end
We missed the naked trees of Gorky Park
But oh will you ever know what you've lost
Dosvedanya, mio bombino
There is a place where only you alone go
There is a world that only you alone know
Dosvedanya, mio bombino
Dosvedanya, mio bombino
There is a place where only you alone go
There is a world that only you alone know
In a warm Italian town
So I took the train to see you there
Your wife is sweet and you're well-fed
Your daughter tucked away in bed
Still, you looked at me with great despair
I hear snow is falling on Red Square
Valderi Valdera ha ha ha ha ha
Valderi Valdera
My knapsack on my back
Valderi Valdera ha ha ha ha ha
Valderi Valdera
My knapsack on my back
I saw Pink Martini in concert once (2006 or so?), and they played this song. China Forbes said her sister had dated a guy who was half Russian and half Italian, and apparently he was a bit flaky, so she got inspired to write this song. Ultimately, it's about someone who doesn't know what he wants, and the two countries make handy metaphors for those warring interests.
Dosvedanya is Russian for good-bye, and Mio Bambino is Italian for my (male) child, but also can mean baby, as in slang for a bf/gf. I think the other comment explaining the meaning makes sense, but I'll expound a little.
First of all, the samovar is like a form of Russian tea kettle. It's a tradition to sit and chat while having tea. Being Russian, the subject of the song would know this, but instead his car 'waits in the freezing rain' - he's not planning on staying long.
She asks 'will you ever know what you are?'
the man is torn between two halves, and his ancestry of Russia (often seen as cold and unyielding) and Italy (often seen as warm and happy) show the dichotomy of his character.
Abive the Adriatic sea/ in Florence (Italy) they were briefly happy, but the mazurka (happy eastern European dance) had to end, because the man couldn't settle down.
When he finally settles down, he chooses the domestic life, but when she viaits and mentions the snow falling in Red Square (Russia) he despairs, thinking about the parts of his life he has given up.
The ending, valderi, valdera, show that the women has chosen the path of freedom, choosing not to settle down.
'Valderi valdera' is a nonsense phrase from the song The Happy Wanderer, and the imagery of her setting off into the unknown is compounded by the line 'my knapsack [traditional choice of travelers] on my back'
So the message of the song is basically 'good-bye baby' across two languages, giving up on the man who is torn and undecisive, and setting out to continue on your journey [in love].
While you often see "mio bambino," the lyrics actually say "mio bombino."\n\n"il bombo" can be bumblebee in Italian, and "my little bumblebee" could also describe the character in the song, constantly wandering.