Andrea Bocelli – Con Te Partiro – (Live) Piazza Dei Cavalieri, Italy 1997

It sounds lovely when Bocelli sings it with oodles of Italian authenticity – but how does the song translate when it’s performed in English?

‘Time to Say Goodbye’ was originally released as a single for Andrea Bocelli in 1995, under the title ‘Con te partirò’ (literally ‘I’ll leave with you’).
A year later, soprano Sarah Brightman was added to the mix for a performance marking boxer Henry Maske’s final match. The duet version was recorded with an English title – and sure enough, it was a commercial success. The slight catch is that when you translate the phrase ‘Con te partirò’ as ‘Time to Say Goodbye’, the song sort of stops making any sense.Here’s the chorus in English: “Time to say goodbye / to countries I never / saw and shared with you / now, yes, I shall experience them / I’ll go with you / go on ships across seas / which, I know, / no, no, don’t exist anymore / It’s time to say goodbye.”