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Centro di gravità permanente

"Centro di gravità permanente" (transl. "Permanent center of gravity") is a song by Italian singer-songwriter Franco Battiato. It was released as a track from his eleventh studio album La voce del padrone on 21 September 1981.[1][2]

Release

The song was written by Franco Battiato and Gusto Pio. It was produced by Franco Battiato and Angelo Carrara.[3] [4] The song was released as a single in Netherlands (Capitol)[5], Argentina (EMI)[6] Spain (EMI/Odeon)[7] and France (EMI/Pathé). It was released as a 45rpm vinyl single with the song "Summer on a Solitary Beach" as the B-side.[8] A Spanish-language version translated by Carlos Toro and entitled "Centro de gravedad permanente", was released in Spain in 1986, and included in his album Ecos de Danzas Sufi.[9][10]

Battiato included the song on his live albums Giubbe Rose (1989),[11] Last Summer Dance (2003),[12] and Live in Roma (2016). Live in Roma was recorded with the singer Alice.[13]

In a competition called "I Love My Radio", both Biagio Antonacci and Francesco Gabbani covered the song.[14][15]

Meaning

The song makes reference to the sense of loss felt by Battiato.[16] Like the songs "Bandiera Bianca" and "Cuccuruccucù", the song is based on a text written making reference to random images. The "permanent centre of gravity" referred to in the title is quoting Gurdjieff[17], and is a place of intimacy where the singer hopes to find stability and be a simple observer.

In other media

The song featured in season 4 of the Netflix television series Money Heist, performed by the cast.[18]

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Centro di gravità permanente"
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Italy (FIMI)[19] 55

Certifications

Certifications for "Centro di gravità permanente"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Italy (FIMI)[20] 2× Platinum 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Guido Crainz (2003). Il paese mancato: dal miracolo economico agli anni Ottanta. Rome: Donzelli Editore. p. 560.
  2. ^ Luigi Manconi; Valentina Brinis (2012). La musica è leggera. Racconto su mezzo secolo di canzoni. Milan: Il Saggiatore. p. 288.
  3. ^ "Franco Battiato – Centro di gravità permanente". Genius. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  4. ^ "Song: Centro di gravità permanente written by Franco Battiato, Giusto Pio | SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  5. ^ "Franco Battiato - Centro Di Gravita Permanente". Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  6. ^ "Battiato - Centro Di Gravità". 1981. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  7. ^ "Franco Battiato - Centro De Gravedad". 1986. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  8. ^ "Battiato - Centro Di Gravità". Discogs (in Italian). 1981. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  9. ^ Carlos Toro (18 May 2021). "Cuando me pidieron adaptar las canciones de "un tío muy raro" llamado Franco Battiato". El Mundo (in Spanish).
  10. ^ "La Spagna saluta il Maestro: Viva Franco (Battiato)". la Repubblica (in Italian). 21 May 2021.
  11. ^ "Giubbe Rosse by Franco Battiato". Genius. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  12. ^ "Last summer dance". Franco Battiato (in Italian). 6 February 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  13. ^ "Battiato e Alice Live in Roma". Franco Battiato (in Italian). 30 January 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  14. ^ Pirola, Daniele (12 October 2020). "I Love My Radio: serata finale". www.r101.it (in Italian). Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  15. ^ "Biagio Antonacci, arriva la cover di 'Centro di gravità permanente'". tg24.sky.it (in Italian). 13 July 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  16. ^ Crainz, Guido (2003). Il paese mancato: dal miracolo economico agli anni Ottanta. Donzelli Editore. p. 560.
  17. ^ "La Voce Del Padrone – Un Album Musicale In Cui Battiato Insegna Gurdjieff". Tragicomico (in Italian). 29 February 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  18. ^ "The Full Soundtrack From Netflix's La Casa de Papel". oprahmag.com. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  19. ^ "Franco Battiato – Centro de gravedad permanente". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  20. ^ "Italian single certifications – Franco Battiato – Centro di gravità permanente" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 16 November 2024.