Caruso is an operatic song written in 1986 by Italian musician Lucio Dalla (1943 – 2012), who also sang it. Dalla dedicated the song to Enrico Caruso, one of the greatest and most sought-after Italian Opera singers during the late 19th and early 20th century.
The song is most probably a way of romanticizing Enrico Caruso’s last days, and has become immensely popular. It has been recorded by Josh Groban, Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Boccelli and many others.
What inspired Dalla to write “Caruso”?
Dalla had the occasion to stay at the same hotel “Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento” where Caruso passed his last nights.
Controversially, the song simply talks about the pain and longings of a man who is about to die while he is looking into the eyes of a girl who was very dear to him. Dalla imagined Caruso singing for a young woman with green eyes with whom he had fallen deeply in love.
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4 replies on “The Story Behind “Caruso””
My name it Tom (tomasio), son of an immigrant Italian from Fuscaldo, a seaside village in Callabria. In September of 2025, I visited with my then 93 year old mother, Loretta, who asked me about a recurring memory she was having of a song with the lyrics ‘te vogilo bene, assai’. I searched and found the history of this now iconic composition and multiple recordings. In May of 2026, my wife and I will begin a three-week stay in Reggio, Calabria. I would love to visit the hotel where this amazing song was composed. Is there any way you can help me make this happen?
Thank you. Caruso is a song written by Lucio Dalla, an Italian singer‑songwriter. He composed it in 1986 while staying at the Excelsior Vittoria Hotel in Sorrento. The hotel is historically significant because the legendary tenor Enrico Caruso spent his final days there.
Let me know if you need any other help :))))
My mom died within a month of learning about this recording–her favorite version was from Pavorotti! Apparently, the night she died, she asked her caregiver to play the Pavorotti recording from YouTupe on her IPad–and she passed peacefully while listening to it
I’m sorry about your mom. And thank you so much for reading my blogs :))