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Vesti la giubba

"Vesti la giubba" (Italian: [ˈvɛsti la ˈdʒubba], "Put on the costume", often referred to as "On With the Motley", from the original 1893 translation by Frederic Edward Weatherly) is a tenor aria from Ruggero Leoncavallo's 1892 opera Pagliacci. "Vesti la giubba" is sung at the conclusion of the first act, when Canio discovers his wife's infidelity, but must nevertheless prepare for his performance as Pagliaccio the clown because "the show must go on".

The aria is often regarded as one of the most moving in the operatic repertoire of the time. The pain of Canio is portrayed in the aria and exemplifies the entire notion of the "tragic clown": smiling on the outside but crying on the inside. This is still displayed today, as the clown motif often features the painted-on tear running down the cheek of the performer.


Enrico Caruso's recordings of the aria, from 1902, 1904 and 1907, were among the top selling records of the 78-rpm era and reached over a million sales.[1][2]


This aria is often used in popular culture, and has been featured in many renditions, mentions, and spoofs, and is often misspelled "guibba" instead of "giubba" on many recordings.

Both the melody of the aria and dramatic points of the opera from which it comes are referenced by in the 1953 Spike Jones song "Pal Yat Chee" on RCA Victor[4]

Homer and Jethro

The melody is set to lyrics about Kellogg's breakfast cereal in an American television commercial for that product, circa 1970.[5]

Rice Krispies

In a sketch from 1982, Jose Carreras performed an English version of "Vesti la giubba" with rewritten lyrics about Ernie losing his Rubber Duckie, while Ernie mimed along. At the end of the aria, Jose burst into tears, and Ernie consoled him saying, "I didn't really lose my Rubber Duckie", upon which he produces it and offers Jose to squeeze it. Jose squeezes the Rubber Duckie and confesses that he feels "much better", upon which Ernie retorts, "Give me back my duck!".[6]

Sesame Street

The melody of the song was used by the band Queen in their 1984 single "It's a Hard Life" when frontman Freddie Mercury sang that song's opening lyrics "I don't want my freedom, there's no reason for living with a broken heart."[7]

rock

The aria is heard several times in the 1992 episode "The Opera",[8] including over the episode's end credits instead of the Seinfeld theme.[9]

Seinfeld

The opera is performed in episode "The Italian Bob" (2005) in which Sideshow Bob sings the final verse of the aria.[8]

The Simpsons

The aria is featured in the 2005 video game as part of the fictional classic music radio station Double Cleff FM.

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

Verses from the aria are used in both Italian and English in the song "A Metaphor for the Dead" by the metal band on their 2012 album Vanitas.[10]

Anaal Nathrakh

In the show , the final verse is sung by rival lawyer Evelyn Spyro Throckmorton in the episode "The Dabba Don" [11]

Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law

In , the aria is used as a backdrop for Treasury agent Malone's murder, and is ironically "illustrated" with Capone's displaying both tears (at the emotional opera performance) and laughter (upon learning that another of Elliot Ness's task-force has been eliminated).

The Untouchables

In the episode "The Two Faces of Squidward," the song plays when a falling shoe lands on Squidward's head.[12]

SpongeBob SquarePants

In episode "My Shiny Friend," the song plays when Ren is crying over the thought of losing Stimpy to the TV.[13]

The Ren & Stimpy Show

In the movie , the famous solo is sung by Rolando Villazón playing Enrico Caruso.

Cabrini (film)

In the Nervous Mob Boss sketch of , the aria plays when the mob boss enters the house which emphasizes the dramatic turning point of the whole sketch.[14]

Key & Peele

: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project

Pagliacci, "Vesti la giubba"