By Lily Jimenez
Rhetoric in music has served the world in many ways. However, it has been especially important within the context of protest music. Protest music has been around for over centuries, discussing many issues throughout the world, such as government, global issues, racism, women’s rights, civil rights, and so much more. Protest songs are symbolic tools that are not only specifically used in the United States, but in many other countries. “Bella Ciao” is an example of a powerful protest song that has influenced many societies regarding different social movements using identity politics and storytelling that have enacted different nonverbal acts over the years such as protesting against political powers when it was created and using media to influence others in today’s time. It used Lloyd Blitzer concepts of “The Rhetorical Situation” in using exigence by addressing the problems of working conditions to later as a resistance song for fascism. They used the audience as those who see the problem and even those who were the problem so they could understand their situation would not be tolerated. The constraints of the song were that it was produced during the time where there were many in opposition including some governmental powers and those who supported said powers. However, they overcame this by using this song and connecting with others who have grown tired of the conditions they were facing and decided to make a change.
In the book “Persuasion and Social Movements” Stewart et al. (2012) state “Protest songs attempt to transform perceptions of social reality by creating awareness of an urgent problem in the environment, often focusing on suffering and misery.” (Stewart et al., 2012, p.156) As previously mentioned “Bella Ciao” was a protest song that was used to speak out on different political climates thus this being the element of exigence. In Giusti’s (2021) article on “Bella Ciao” she states, “Its first authors were the 19th-century mondine (literally “weeders”), female rice paddy field workers of the Po Valley, in the country’s north east, who sang dirges lamenting their harsh working conditions.” (Giusti, 2021) Considering the song was first adapted for this specific reason the lyrics were different than we now recognize from the famous “Bella Ciao” song. In Giusti’s (2021) article she goes on to discuss the first lyrics, “The original lyrics describe “insects and mosquitoes”, the boss’s “cane”, the “curved” backs of the mondine, the “torment” of wasting their youth toiling.” (Giusti, 2021) It was then transformed and used by the same country to speak out against the invasion and fascism that occurred later on in a very dark period of war. In Giusti’s (2021) article she then explains the later lyrics, “If I die as a partisan,” he continues, “you must bury me / up in the mountain / under the shade of a beautiful flower / and all those who will pass by / will say ‘What a beautiful flower / This is the flower of the partisan / who died for freedom’”. (Giusti, 2021) In this song they use an enthymeme by referencing an “invader”. In Fernandez’s (2021) article on “Bella Ciao” featured on the popular show “Money Heist” she translates, “One morning I awakened / And I found the invader / Oh partisan carry me away / Oh Goodbye beautiful, Goodbye beautiful, Goodbye beautiful! Bye! Bye! / Oh partisan carry me away / Because I feel death approaching.” (Fernandez, 2021) Considering the time period in which “Bella Ciao” was modified to fit their political climate it was assumed that the invader was the opposing party in the Italian partisan war, they did not specify who the “invader” was. It was up to the people to decode it. They also used the act of a metonymy, based on the symbol of the flower. I believe this is connected to the idea where the flower represents freedom and succession but they used this symbol to represent it. In addition to this they also used the act of a prosopopoeia. In Giusti’s (2021) She discusses the lyrics, “and all those who will pass by / will say ‘What a beautiful flower / This is the flower of the partisan / who died for freedom’”. (Giusti, 2021) They used the act by speaking for those who will pass by and speaking on what they’ll believe once they witness it.
Furthermore, the use of the audience as the rhetorical situation describes would be those who were suffering. In terms of the first translation of “Bella ciao” the female workers, the audience would be those who were suffering in terms of the conditions that they were facing. It could also be those who were family members of said workers who were fed up with the conditions in which their family members were being treated. Whereas the second alteration of the song, the audience could be those who were suffering during the Italian world war. Not only the people who were facing these fascist dictators, but as well as other people in the world who saw this was going on. However, the audience may also be towards the invaders in some aspects. Perhaps the song was a political tool to emphasize that regardless of the outcome the fight will continue until the end of the fascism that was going on in their country. Stewart et al. (2012) state, “Social movements employ verbal symbols to define good and bad to identify with the set of social values or specific audience. Labeling is an act of judgment; it makes positive or negative associations.” (Stewart et al., 2012, p.157) Therefore an example of the audience were those who supported what the “Bella Ciao” song was fighting against. Furthermore, when thinking about the song and the title specifically “Bella ciao” is often repeated throughout the song many times. Repetition is an important rhetorical tool as a use for emphasis on the desperation permeated throughout the song. Stewart et al. (2012) discuss, “Repetition, claimed by some to be the heart of persuasion, is a traditional characteristic of music that allows to persuade to reinforce again and again the miserable plight.” (Stewart et al., 2012, p.156) The repetition that is the heart of the song is directed towards the audience in an attempt to symbolize the impending event that could be understood or portrayed as the death of the individual of this song. This symbolism within the climax would make those who are suffering because of this war, want to connect with others who are experiencing the same and to come together and protest against the horrors that were being enacted during that period of time.
In spite of the audience being tailored to those who were against the working conditions and fascism within the two versions of the song, there were people who opposed this song in the previous ages as well as in today’s time. As previously discussed, the first version of this song was tailored to women speaking out about the unfair conditions in which they were made to work. In Lucarino-Diekmann (2020) article on “Bella Ciao” she states, “The original version, “Alla mattina appena alzata,” written in 1906 by an unknown author and sung by the Mondina women while working, was an outlet for their resentment against the supervising and often cruel padroni.” (Lucarino-Diekmann, 2020) The constraints for this version of the song could obviously be those who benefited from the women working in such conditions. Those who wanted nothing to change, and we’re comfortable with the living situation at the cost of the way of life of these many women. Similarly to this, there were also similar constraints to the second version of the song that aimed to oppose the Italian war. In Lucarino-Diekmann (2020) article she continues to mention, “From 1943-1945 the lyrics of Bella Ciao were modified and sung by the anti-fascist Italian Resistance, partigiani against Mussolini and the Nazi German forces occupying Italy and again in their struggle against the Italian Social Republic and its German allies during Italy’s Civil War.” (Lucarino-Diekmann, 2020) Those who opposed this version, were people who supported the occupation and those who identified themselves and had similar ideals to the German forces. In any political aspect there are two parties however, in both these versions, they seem to oppose the party who had a more harmful agenda towards the people who were living in Italy under certain conditions. Stewart et al. (2012) go on to state, “Movements portray themselves as majority movements, people’s, or citizen’s movements, and grassroot movements. Since the movement and the people become one, they share common interest, needs, values, and wisdom— common ground.” (Stewart et al., 2012, p.145) This quote highlights the strengthens and importance that protest songs represent for people and how just a simple thing such as a song can unite so many people against something that they never would have imagined doing by themselves now that they have seen that so many people feel the same way and within this solidarity it incites people to want to take action or to speak out. This is a huge motivator in how regardless of the constraints this verbal symbol can hold, unity is a huge way to overcome these constraints because of the power that speaking out has, not only in the form of a song. But in the simple idea that this song can unify those who feel unheard as well as others who the song reaches and feel that they must be a part of such a movement against injustice.
Along with discussing the origins that come with the history of “Bella Ciao” it is important to understand its impact within protesting stretching as far as today’s time and even in the media more specifically television. In Lucarino-Diekmann (2020) article she further discusses, “Bella Ciao has become an anthem for anti-fascist movements worldwide and versions have been used in revolutionary events in Spain, Greece, Tunisia, Puerto Rico, and more recently in the protests in Palestine against Trump’s failed “Deal of the Century.” (Lucarino-Diekmann, 2020) It is astonishing to see a parallel case within why the song was created in the past and how it closely relates to events happening a few years ago and even now. Regarding the fact that “Bella Ciao” is an Italian song it’s enlightening to see that people have and are currently using the song to speak out against their own political injustice around the world. They are not letting a language barrier get between using their voice and protesting. Stewart et al. (2012) go on to state in chapter 6, “There are several assumptions associated with identity politics. First, members of the group share common histories, and analysis of their historic and continuous shared depression. Second, the shared experience of oppression is a marker of identity and supersedes all other forms of identity.” (Stewart et al., 2012, p.148) Identity politics play a huge part in this particular protest song because as previously mentioned, many countries and states have identified themselves with this song in terms of an outcry against signs of inequality that they face regardless of the nature of the inequality. It is a chance to use this symbolic piece as a way to connect and to incite social movements around the world. In McCluskey (2025) article titled “Elon Musk speaks at Germany’s AfD campaign launch as thousands protest the far right party” she states, “According to the Associated Press. About 35,000 protestors gathered at Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate, according to police estimates, where they sang anti-fascist songs, carried banners denouncing AfD, and displayed illuminated letters spelling “hope and resistance,” AP reported.” (McCluskey, 2025) This quote is very important to mention because this event happened only a few months ago showing how powerful this song can be translated and used for other countries in their fight for what they believe is right regardless of who they’re going against. Stewart et al. (2012) state, “Since protesters often sing songs together or along with a leader, they become active participants in the persuasive process rather than passive listeners to speeches or readers of printed or electronic messages.” (Stewart et al., 2012, p.156) Further demonstrating the impact that music has not only in society, but as a way to transform the way people view each other and needing them when it comes to issues that may impact a few individuals or so many that they can come together to protest and make active change that not only impacts them but spreads throughout other countries and creates awareness for their cause. “Bella Ciao” has been a very powerful instrument in being a protest song because of the labeling, polarization and Identity politics that it uses within its music which has impacted history and has been continuing to do so as we’ve noted from different areas of the world such as Spain, Palestine, Germany, and many others. Proving that a language barrier is not a factor when it comes to social change and what music can do for you.
Lastly, I wanted to discuss another factor that made Bella ciao more recognizable within contemporary media consumption. “Bella Ciao” was featured many times throughout the infamous Netflix series titled “La Casa De Papel” otherwise known as “Money Heist”. The show itself is not one solely centered on the idea to fight back against the government for freedom, but as an act of resistance. In Shaw-Williams (2021) article titled “Money Heist Song Explained: The Real Meaning of ‘Bella Ciao’” she states, “In Money Heist, it’s a cry of resistance against a capitalist system that bailed out the banks following the financial crisis of 2007-2008, while a generation of people were left struggling.” (Shaw-Williams, 2021) Due to the production being from Netflix it had to be one that was enthralling to the audience, encapsulating many characters who the audience could grow attached to. However, the goal that all the characters shared was said heist. In Craig’s (2021) article titled “Money Heist season 1-4 recap” he states, “The big idea is to rob the Royal Mint, where all the money in Spain is printed. By taking 67 hostages and locking the place down for a little over a week, they hope to print €2.4 billion in unmarked bills and escape without any bloodshed.” (Craig, 2021) Going back to Fernandez’s (2021) article on Bella Ciao featured on the popular show “Money Heist” she translates, “And if I die as a partisan / (And if I die on the mountain) / Oh Goodbye beautiful, Goodbye beautiful, Goodbye beautiful! Bye! Bye! / And if I die as a partisan / (And if I die on the mountain) / Then you must bury me.” (Fernandez, 2021) This direct quote from this song provides a sense of storytelling, which is a parallel case to the fictional story that is occurring within the show. The direct connection within the song and the story is then brought to life not only in the season finale of the first season but in the next few seasons as many of the characters meet an end similar to the one told in the song “Bella Ciao”. In Craig’s (2021) article he explains, “The significance behind “Bella Ciao” is revealed in Money Heist’s season 1 finale, during a flashback where Berlin tells the Professor to escape and save himself if the gang doesn’t make it out of the Royal Mint. When Berlin asks him to make a promise, the Professor deflects by telling him that nothing will go wrong, adding, “We’re the resistance, right?” (Craig, 2021) In this quote it further emphasizes one of the main themes of the song which is the importance and protesting for resistance. This Netflix drama brought a new audience to the importance of protest songs and has influenced the culture within contemporary society regarding protesting and resistance towards the government.
In closing as Stewart et al. (2012) state in chapter 6, “Human language is a vehicle for political and social thought, debate, and action. It is a powerful tool and is far more than a collection of words and rules for proper usage.” (Stewart et al., 2012, p.156) “Bella Ciao” is a powerful example of how a song can be used as a symbol to use storytelling in order to polarize people and encourage them to fight against oppression and be a symbol of resistance. Using identity politics to unite those who feel as if they have no voice. “Bella Ciao’s” tune has had a large impact within past protest movements, and even current ones around the world. Illustrating that protest music will forever be a tool used by many and can ignite those around the world to stand up, use their voice and fight to create change in the world.
References
Stewart, C. J., Smith, C. A., & Denton, R. E. (2012). Persuasion and social movements. Waveland Press.
Giusti, M. (2021, April 19). Bella Ciao – Italy’s liberation anthem has deep roots.
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Fernandez, C. (2021, July). Bella Ciao Lyrics – Meaning of ‘Money Heist’ Italian
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