In “il rock di capitan uncino” we draw a profile of the pirate commander, summoning his crew to him and emotionally pumping them up for a confrontation with their enemy Peter Pan; in bennato’s metaphor, the captain represents terrorists “to shake people you don’t need speeches: you need bombs”. In the figure of this song’s captain Hook one can also find a possible portrait of Toni Negri, or other “toughs” of the authonomous movements from the late ’70s, or at least a left-winged criticism to all those movements (left wing or not) that did not renounce the use of violence in politics or at least did not condemn it. These interpretations are possible, though not explicit, in many more songs of this album.
Our Captain feels an almost reverential love for this old song, that maybe most of you do not even know. “Cap’n Hook’s rock” made history of italian music, and so did its author, Edoardo Bennato. Once, i saw him sing it with a tear in his eye, and it has never happened that, upon hearing it even for a moment, he didn’t whistle it for the rest of the day.
I can relate to that. There are not many songs that explain “bad guys” and make you take their side, songs that make you shout to the sky your creeds and convictions. Listen to it, and then tell us which side you’re on. Personally, we can’t stand that arrogant brat Peter Pan.