L'amore è un attimo

"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.

"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
Entry chronology
◄ "Occhi di ragazza" (1970)
"I giorni dell'arcobaleno" (1972) ►

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.