«Nessuno mi può giudicare» by Caterina Caselli: Meaning & Lyrics

A woman returns, admits her mistake, yet still does not ask for forgiveness. With this attitude, «Nessuno mi può giudicare» took the stage at the 1966 Sanremo Festival, Italy’s most important song contest. Caterina Caselli, then 19 years old, sang the song; the single was released by the Milan-based record label CGD and reached number 1 on the Italian charts. The title translates to „No One Can Judge Me.“.

Sixty years later, «Nessuno mi può giudicare» is considered one of the first Italian songs in which a woman confidently takes control of her own love life. It was actually intended for Adriano Celentano; originally, it was a tango, and in 2000, it became the anthem of a Pride parade in Rome.

How did «Nessuno mi può giudicare» come about?

Caterina Caselli was born on April 10, 1946, in Modena, the city in Emilia-Romagna known for balsamic vinegar and Ferrari. As a teenager, she played bass in local dance bands, and in 1963 she reached the semifinals of the Castrocaro youth competition.

The song was written by four experienced pop songwriters: Luciano Beretta and Miki Del Prete wrote the lyrics, and Daniele Pace and Mario Panzeri composed the music. It was originally intended for Adriano Celentano, the rock singer from Milan, who had even recorded a demo. However, Celentano ultimately chose to perform his own song at the 1966 Sanremo Festival. «The Boy from Gluck Street», and the piece went to Caselli.

In its original version, «Nessuno mi può giudicare» was a tango. Caselli rejected that idea; at the time, she preferred listening to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Kinks. Together with her producer, Ivo Callegari, she reworked the song into a beat song and tested the new version on students at Club Junior in Bologna. At the festival, Gianfranco Monaldi conducted the orchestra.

Back then, each song at Sanremo was performed by two singers; Caselli's partner was the American pop singer Gene Pitney. In the end, they finished in second place behind «Dio, come ti amo» by Domenico Modugno, the singer of «Volare,» and Gigliola Cinquetti, the winner of the 1964 Eurovision Song Contest. Caselli won anyway: The single, featuring «Se lo dici tu» on the B-side, climbed to No. 1 on the Italian charts and stayed there for several weeks until the Beatles took over with «Michelle.» Because of her blonde pageboy haircut, the press began calling the young singer Casco d'Oro, the „golden helmet.“.

What is «Nessuno mi può giudicare» about?

«Nessuno mi può giudicare» tells the story of a woman who had an affair with another man and returns to her partner. She admits her mistake but does not ask for forgiveness: her life is her own, and no one has the right to judge her for it.

For Italy in 1966, this was a minor provocation. Adultery remained a criminal offense for women until 1968, and in the songs of those years, women usually waited faithfully and patiently. Caselli herself now calls the song a manifesto of freedom and the equal dignity of women and men in a relationship.

The Lyrics, Verse by Verse

You can find the full lyrics on Spotify and Apple Music; this post is about his thoughts. In the first verse, the woman is standing in front of her partner again. She knows she’s hurt him, and she also knows that he still loves her. She doesn’t sugarcoat anything; she just explains why she’s back: She compared the two men and consciously chose him.

The refrain is the phrase that became a proverb. No one is allowed to judge her—not even him. The verb to judge means to judge or pass judgment, and it deliberately evokes the idea of a court of law. The singer accepts neither the role of the repentant sinner nor that of the defendant.

After that, her perspective broadens to include other people. According to the song, everyone is free to live as best they can and decide for themselves what they like and what they don’t. She is indifferent to what the neighbors say.

Why did that song sound so fresh in 1966?

In the mid-1960s, large orchestras and classical melodies still dominated the Sanremo Festival. Caselli brought the sound of British beat bands to the festival stage: a steady, driving rhythm, short phrases, and a voice that commands rather than pleads.

What was supposed to be a tango turned into a dance song for young people. According to Caselli, she copied the hand gesture she used to accompany the chorus from I Gufi, a cabaret group from Milan.

«Nessuno mi può giudicare» on video

At the very top of the post is the studio recording from the singer's official Vevo channel. Below that, you can see Caselli as a guest on the Sunday show «Domenica In» on Rai, Italy’s public broadcaster, which dedicated a segment to «Nessuno mi può giudicare» on the song’s 60th anniversary.

Available for listening on streaming services:

Who has covered «Nessuno mi può giudicare»?

Caselli himself recorded the song in French and Spanish. As late as 1966, Brazilian rock singer Jerry Adriani sang it in Portuguese, and Serbian singer Radmila Karaklajić sang it in her native language. The French singer Dalida created a version with completely new lyrics, and in 1974, the chansonnier Richard Anthony reached No. 2 on the French sales charts with «Amoureux de ma femme.».

In Italy, this was followed by, among other things, a ska version by pop singer Ivan Cattaneo in 1981 and a rap-metal version by the band Gazosa featuring rapper Tormento in 2003. In 2011, the song lent its title to a comedy film by Massimiliano Bruno. Lead actress Paola Cortellesi sings her own version in the film and won the David di Donatello, Italy’s most prestigious film award, for the role. At the 2020 Sanremo Festival, the band Pinguini Tattici Nucleari incorporated the chorus into their medley «Settanta volte.» Finally, in July 2000, «Nessuno mi può giudicare» became the anthem of the Pride Parade in Rome, something that still delights Caselli to this day.

Caterina Caselli and Modena

Modena is the city where Caterina Caselli was born, and she grew up in its province. From the region between the Po Valley and the Apennines, she set out into the world with her music. Later, she switched careers and became one of Italy’s most important music producers: in 1977, she founded her own label, Ascolto, and discovered the tenor Andrea Bocelli, the singer Elisa, and the band Negramaro. In 1970, she married music publisher Piero Sugar.

In Modena, you'll quickly find yourself in Piazza Grande, home to the cathedral and the Ghirlandina bell tower, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Find out what to see in the old town, where to try balsamic vinegar, and how to get there in our Travel Guide to Modena.

Conclusion: A pop hit that became a manifesto

«Nessuno mi può giudicare» began as a tango for Adriano Celentano and ended up as a beat anthem for a young woman who refuses to let anyone judge her. If you want to know how other Italian female singers of that era sang about their independence, listen next to «La bambola» by Patty Pravo, the singer from Venice. If you want to get to know Caselli's later work as a producer, listen to Elisa's «Luce (Sunset in the Northeast)». You can find all the song profiles in our overview of the Italian music.