I came upon this today and thought I would share...

[pecosbob]

Into the Wolf's Mouth

[erronis]

1. Have no idea what this is about (can't understand the song), but enjoyable...

[erronis]

2. OK - not much to go on from imdb:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1603480/

[soldierant]

4. I don't think that's the same story

The book referenced is here:
https://www.scribd.com/book/224278021/Accordion-Crimes
It's a novel, but the first portion, "The Accordion Maker" appears to stand alone as a story, and even if you don't belong to the site in my link, you can at least start reading as a preview. The song is written fro the point of view of the accordion.

From GoodREads:
Pulitzer Prize–winning author Annie Proulx brings the immigrant experience to life in this stunning novel that traces the ownership of a simple green accordion.

E. Annie Proulx’s Accordion Crimes is a masterpiece of storytelling that spans a century and a continent. Proulx brings the immigrant experience in America to life through the eyes of the descendants of Mexicans, Poles, Africans, Irish-Scots, Franco-Canadians and many others, all linked by their successive ownership of a simple green accordion. The music they make is their last link with the past—voice for their fantasies, sorrows and exuberance. Proulx’s prodigious knowledge, unforgettable characters and radiant language make Accordion Crimes a stunning novel, exhilarating in its scope and originality. (less)

[erronis]

5. Thank you so much. I'm a huge fan of Annie Proulx so I should have caught that.

I haven't read Accordion Crimes but will now.

[soldierant]

9. So glad I found it, then.

Reading a little further, I gather it's an episodic novel following the accordion through all its journeys, starting with it being made, by (of course) The Accordion Maker. I hope you enjoy.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

3. Lyrics

Last edited Tue Aug 27, 2019, 08:30 PM - Edit history (1)

In Bocca al Lupo

The damp air carried the smell of musty cotton
And burning sugar
The red moon over the brackish dark water
Whispered danger

Oh, in bocca al lupo
Oh, crepi il lupo

La Merica won't you please, please won't you be
A place that loves music and the man that made me
These docks are a war zone, such ferocity
I wonder if we should have left dear Sicily

I am steel reeds, gaskets & kidskin gusset
I'm gleaming green
Set in Circassian walnut
He crafted me with love
And I am his best shot
At getting out of the shipyards
And starting his music shop

Oh, in bocca al lupo
Oh, crepi il lupo

His eyes grew nervous, his touch grew rough
I think it troubled him that no one liked our melodies much
The French swore for waltzes, the Irish jigs and reels
A choppy sort of fusion was demanded by the Creoles
He was such a brave man with eyes of amber
Thick black hair and a barrel chested swagger
But sfortunato was his hand
Even the best accordion can't save an unlucky man

La Merica won't you please, please won't you be
A place that loves music and the man that made me
These docks are a war zone, such ferocity
I wish that we had never left dear Sicily

Have you ever had to say goodbye from a distance
Knowing it was forever in one sharp instant
I slid out of his arms and crashed to the floor
As the cops burst through the party and tore the men through the back door

Three hundred Italians were rounded up that day
As an officer was shot and an accusation was made
Some were tried, then acquitted
But a mob still insisted it was them that did it
They broke into the prison shouting "someone will pay!"
My sweet maker was among the innocent lynched that day

Oh, in bocca al lupo
Oh, crepi il lupo

La Merica won't you please, please won't you be
A place that loves music and the man that made me
These docks are a war zone, such ferocity
I wish that we had never left dear Sicily

La Merica won't you please, please won't you be
A place that loves music and the man that made me
These docks are a war zone, such ferocity
Crepi il lupo

Source: https://lyricstranslate.com

Notes (per Google translate):
"bocca al lupo" translates to "mouth of the wolf"
"crepi il lupo" translates to "crack the wolf"

[erronis]

6. Thanks for the lyrics. When I looked up "bocca al lupo" it came back with "break a leg"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_bocca_al_lupo

In bocca al lupo (pronounced [in ˈbokka al ˈluːpo]; lit. "into the wolf's mouth&quot is an Italian idiom originally used in opera and theatre to wish a performer good luck prior to a performance. The standard response is crepi il lupo! (IPA: [ˈkrɛːpi il ˈluːpo]; "may the wolf die&quot or, more commonly, simply crepi! ("may it die&quot .

Equivalent to the English actor's idiom break a leg, the expression reflects a theatrical superstition in which wishing a person "good luck" is considered bad luck.[1][2][3] The expression is commonly used in Italy off stage, as superstitions and customs travel through other professions and then into common use, and it can sometimes be heard outside of Italy.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

7. LOL. Google translate came back with "good luck".

Translators seemed to struggle with that one and thanks for the clarification.....

I assume in this case, "into the wolf's mouth" refers the guy being taken away to prison.

[pecosbob]

8. Sorry for lack of response...was sleeping in preparation for my graveyard shift

The metaphor 'into the wolf's mouth' is the equivalent of 'good luck' or 'break a leg' but in the story also relates to the immigrants' leap into the New World with all it's perils. It also stands as a metaphor for all those today who would come to La Merica to seek a better life, but often encounter only hatred and violence.