The Origin of Bella Meow

by Diane Louise Green

“Meow” by ©dianegreen 2017

Bella Meow Bella Meow Bella Meow Meow Meow…?

Yes go on…

She started with a rough drawing of mine. Enamel paint on old rusty metal. Something I crept into many many years ago but over the years of Trumpism and edged out later by the pandemic the madness was overwhelming.

Bella Meow…a beautiful meow…yes of course rhymes with Bella Ciao the 19th century Italian folk revolution song. Where I heard it first, sorry, I remember not…perhaps it flows in my veins as some ancient DNA primordial ooze of trying trying trying to make things right or left left right left. I heard it a couple years ago in the Americanized version of La Casa de Papel, or Money Heist. One of the best series I’ve ever seen, and best of all one of my all time favorite songwriters, Tom Waits, created or at least shared the English lyrics so I can even do my own version, singing solo and playing guitar. I sing about the partigiano dying for liberty when I do the song because it just seems to rhythm and rhyme better but…Thanks Tom for helping out. We need that song today evermore...

So here are Tom Waits’ traditional English lyrics to Bella Ciao:

One fine morning I woke up early
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao
One fine morning I woke up early
Find the fascist at my door
Oh, partigiano, please take me with you
Bella ciao, bella ciao, goodbye beautiful
Oh, partigiano, please take me with you
I'm not afraid anymore

And if I die, oh, partigiano
Bella ciao, bella ciao, goodbye beautiful
Bury me upon that mountain
Beneath the shadow of the flower
Show all the people, the people passing
Bella ciao, bella ciao, goodbye beautiful
Show all the people, the people passing
And say, "oh, what a beautiful flower"

This is the flower of the partisan
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao
This is the flower of the partisan
Who died for freedom
This is the flower of the partisan
Who died for freedom