L'amore è un attimo

"L'amore è un attimo"
Eurovision Song Contest 1971 entry
Country	Italy
Artist(s)	Massimo Ranieri
Language	Italian
Composer(s)	Enrico Polito
Lyricist(s)	Giancarlo Bigazzi, Gaetano Savio
Conductor	Enrico Polito
Finals performance
Final result	5th
Final points	91
Appearance chronology
◄ "Occhi di ragazza" (1970)
"I giorni dell'arcobaleno" (1972) ►

"L'amore è un attimo" ("Love is a moment") was the Italian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1971, performed in Italian by Massimo Ranieri.

The song is a ballad, in which Ranieri attempts to write a letter to his lover ending their relationship. He repeats the phrase "You said that the one that can tear us apart will never be born" and also tells her that "life is a storm, stronger than us" in his attempts to rationalise the breakup. It appears that he is as despondent about the end of the relationship as he believes she will be, but no reason for it is offered.

The song was performed eleventh on the night (following Belgium's Jacques Raymond & Lily Castel with Goeiemorgen, morgen and preceding Sweden's Family Four with Vita vidder). At the close of voting, it had received 91 points, placing 5th in a field of 18.

It was succeeded as Italian representative at the 1972 Contest by Nicola di Bari with "I giorni dell'arcobaleno".

Also, this was the first year that the ESC decided to have preview videos promoting the songs competing in the contest. Apparently, Massimo's video was filmed in color, but the location of the shoot is pretty sketchy, since the Italian TV network, RAI didn't convert to color TV until 1977. Plus Massimo's appearance looks a lot different from his appearance at the ESC. Apparently the song and preview video were both recorded in 1970. In the video, he demonstrates all of his emotions in the song very well.

In conclusion, it was rumored that he was favored to win the contest, since he was asked to record the song in Spanish, French, German and English. However, only the French and Spanish versions have been heard.

Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest   Participation 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 to 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 to 1996 1997 1998 to 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016   Artists 1950s Franca Raimondi (1956) Tonina Torrielli (1956) Nunzio Gallo Domenico Modugno Domenico Modugno 1960s Renato Rascel Betty Curtis Claudio Villa Emilio Pericoli Gigliola Cinquetti Bobby Solo Domenico Modugno Claudio Villa Sergio Endrigo Iva Zanicchi 1970s Gianni Morandi Massimo Ranieri Nicola Di Bari Massimo Ranieri Gigliola Cinquetti Wess and Dori Ghezzi Al Bano & Romina Power Mia Martini Ricchi e Poveri Matia Bazar 1980s Alan Sorrenti 1981 to 1982 Riccardo Fogli Alice & Battiato Al Bano & Romina Power 1986 Umberto Tozzi and Raf Luca Barbarossa Anna Oxa and Fausto Leali 1990s Toto Cutugno Peppino di Capri Mia Martini Enrico Ruggeri 1994 to 1996 Jalisse 1998 to 1999 2000s 2000 to 2009 2010s 2010 Raphael Gualazzi Nina Zilli Marco Mengoni Emma Il Volo Francesca Michielin   Songs 1950s "Amami se vuoi" (1956) "Aprite le finestre" (1956) "Corde della mia chitarra" "Nel blu, dipinto di blu" "Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)" 1960s "Romantica" "Al di là" "Addio, addio" "Uno per tutte" "Non ho l'età" "Se piangi, se ridi" "Dio, come ti amo" "Non andare più lontano" "Marianne" "Due grosse lacrime bianche" 1970s "Occhi di ragazza" "L'amore è un attimo" "I giorni dell'arcobaleno" "Chi sarà con te" "Sì" "Era" "We'll Live It All Again" "Libera" "Questo amore" "Raggio di luna" 1980s "Non so che darei" 1981 to 1982 "Per Lucia" "I treni di Tozeur" "Magic Oh Magic" 1986 "Gente di mare" "Vivo (Ti scrivo)" "Avrei voluto" 1990s "Insieme: 1992" "Comme è ddoce 'o mare" "Rapsodia" "Sole d'Europa" 1994 to 1996 "Fiumi di parole" 1998 to 1999 2000s 2000 to 2009 2010s 2010 "Madness of Love" "L'amore è femmina (Out of Love)" "L'essenziale" "La mia città" "Grande amore" (Note: Entries scored out are when Italy did not compete)