"Rimmel" is a song by Italian singer Francesco De Gregori, released in 1975.
Contents
Composition
De Gregori composed the song in the summer of 1974 in Milan, while he was staying in a hotel and waiting to take part in a RAI TV-show.
A reflection about a lost love told through metaphors and puns, it is said to have been inspired by De Gregori's breakup with his then-fiancée Patrizia, who left him for comedian Ninì Salerno.
Reception
The song was described by Italian music critic Claudio Fabretti as "a defining divide for the whole of Italian music", with "love taking on a broader and deeper meaning. It breaks through the narrow confines of the couple's relationship, it becomes a universal sentiment, which unites men and at the same time condemns them to pain, to distance. It is the only prospect of salvation and, at the same time, a possible permanent damnation".
Other versions
Artists who covered the song include Gianni Morandi, Tiziano Ferro, Fiorello and Paolo Benvegnù. In 2025, De Gregori recorded a duet version of the song with Checco Zalone for the album Pastiche.