Well that didn’t take long at all.
Matthew Thredgold of New Zealand was the first to figure out that at one time or another, The Grateful Dead, Rodney Dangerfield, Alvin & The Chipmunks and Andrea Bocelli all sang the famous Italian song Funiculi Funicula.
Congrats, Matthew! 50 bucks is yours!
Why does this matter? Well, apparently the song was originally written by Peppino Turco and Luigi Denza to commemorate the opening of the first funicular on Mount Vesuvius.
It’s one of those songs we all instinctively know as it’s been recorded and used in so many countless ways it’s almost a parody of itself. How many people know, however, that it’s a song about a cable car?
Not me, that’s for sure.
It wasn’t until I stumbled onto Tony Chavira’s excellent blog post over at fourstory.org that I learned about Funiculi Funicula’s somewhat bizarre history. But Tony isn’t just content to leave it at history. He’s got bigger, brighter ideas.
Says Tony: I think we need more epic and awesome songs to celebrate cool transit development projects. Think about how amazing it must’ve been for a giant choir to sing “Funiculì, Funiculà” right before the Mayor cut the red ribbon and let people onto the Mt. Vesuvius funicular railway for the first time… epic.
What Tony is getting at is the need for us to regain our pride in civic infrastructure, specifically public transit. He wants us to connect deeply with it on an emotional level. During the 1800’s, public transit was more than just a necessary hassle for those who couldn’t afford cars. It was a source of esteem, joy and dignity. Vehicles were designed for style and comfort, not just practicality. Form was every part as important as function.
Epic indeed.
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