Well Known Italian Song Pays Homage To 'Mystical' Isle Of Wight

Being 44 per cent Italian (according to one of those online DNA tests), I was shocked to discover recently that there is a popular 1970s song that remains on the tip of a plethora of tongues in Italy to this day.

L'Isola Di Wight/Inammorato, or “Isle of Wight/In Love” in English, is a heartfelt single from an Italian band named Dik Dik.

Asking my (totally coincidentally and definitely more than 44 per cent) Italian brother-in-law about the track, he said:

"It's a familiar song to many Italians, obviously with me married to a woman from the Island it is more pertinent to me than even those who sing it oblivious to the Isle of Wight itself.

"Still, when Italians hear the words 'Isle of Wight' they will invariably start singing the song.

"The Isle of Wight is referred to as an almost mystical place, full of liberation and freedom. A land for lovers, somewhere dreams come to fruition.

"The song doesn't actually mention the Island as a specific location in the UK, it is more of an Eden type destination - a transcendent, supernatural 'pleasure-dome' filled with milk, honey and burgeoning love stories."

The song itself wasn't originally in Italian, or even sung by an Italian band - on the contrary, it was produced in 1969 by Michel Delpech, a French singer-songwriter and actor.

It was named, “Wight is Wight”, and was originally written as a tribute to those early Isle of Wight Festivals, which culminated in around 600,000 people attending the following year.

The flower-power influenced song makes reference to Bob Dylan, who appeared at the festival in 1969.

Michel Delpech died in 2016, but “Wight is Wight” still remains his most popular single.

Dik Dik then rebranded it as an Italian love song in 1970.

Both versions of the song, French and Italian, are available to listen to on YouTube.