Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Aug 2, 2026

Per Elisa

"Per Elisa" is a 1981 single by Alice. The song was the breakthrough in the singer's career, winning the 31st edition of the Sanremo Music Festival, and being an international commercial success.

Last revised
Aug 2, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
460 w
Citations
21
Source
Wikipedia ↗
"Per Elisa"
Cover art
Single by Alice
from the album Alice
B-side"Non devi avere paura"
ReleasedJanuary 16, 19811
Genre
2
Length3:40
LabelEMI
Songwriters
LyricistAlice
Alice singles chronology
"Il vento caldo dell'estate"
(1980) 		"Per Elisa"
(1981) 		"Una notte speciale"
(1981)
Audio
"Per Elisa" on YouTube

"Per Elisa" (transl. "For Elisa") is a 1981 single by Alice. The song was the breakthrough in the singer's career, winning the 31st edition of the Sanremo Music Festival, and being an international commercial success.34

Background

The song marked a second collaboration between Battiato and Alice, following the 1980 moderately successful single "Il vento caldo dell'estate".56 The title Per Elisa is a reference to Ludwig van Beethoven's composition "Für Elise", whose musical theme is reprised in the intro of the song.6

The lyrics on surface tell the story of a love triangle from the point of view of a betrayed woman, but according to many critics actually refer to drug addiction, with the Elisa of the title being a code name for heroin.4567 In this interpretation, rejected by both Alice and Battiato,568 the song was included in the soundtrack of the Claudio Caligari's 1983 drug-themed film Toxic Love.79

The structure of the song has been described as "unusual because it lacks a refrain, but equally catchy thanks to several melodic hooks and a smooth mainstream sound".5

Track listing

  • 7" single - 3C 006-18529
  1. "Per Elisa" (Alice, Franco Battiato, Giusto Pio)
  2. "Non devi avere paura" (Alice)

Charts

Chart Peak
position
Italy (Musica e dischi)10 1
Germany11 17
Austria12 4
Switzerland13 5
References

References

  1. https://www.45cat.com/record/3c00618529
  2. Claudio Fabretti. "Alice - Le canzoni di Carla". Ondarock. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  3. Tinti, Andrea (26 September 2022). "Alice compie 69 anni: da Franco Battiato a "Per Elisa" la storia di Carla Bissi". Corriere di Bologna (in Italian). Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  4. Dario Salvatori (2001). "Per Elisa". Dizionario delle canzoni italiane. Elle U. pp. 254–5. ISBN 8888169016.
  5. Ezio Guaitamacchi (14 January 2011). "Per Elisa". 1000 canzoni che ci hanno cambiato la vita. Rizzoli, 2009. ISBN 978-8858617427.
  6. Zuffanti, Fabio (23 February 2021). "Alice 40 anni dopo 'Per Elisa': «Non l'ho scritta pensando alla droga» {". Rolling Stone Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  7. Marzetti, Claudia (16 November 2020). "Quando Alice e Franco Battiato scrissero "Per Elisa"". StoneMusic (in Italian). Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  8. Fabretti, Claudio (14 November 2014). "Alice: Le canzoni di Carla". OndaRock (in Italian). Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  9. D'Onofrio, Tobia (19 October 2020). "Vita e cinema di Claudio Caligari, regista delle devianze". La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  10. "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 29 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Alice".
  11. "Offizielle Deutsche Charts". offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  12. "Alice in AustrianCharts". AustrianCharts.at. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  13. "Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade". HitParade.ch. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
External links