Un'estate al mare (song)

"Un'estate al mare" (lit. 'A summer at the beach') is a 1982 song written by Franco Battiato and Giusto Pio and performed by Giuni Russo.

Background
Following the tepid reception of the Battiato-produced Russo's previous album Energie, Battiato, who was fresh from the massive success of the album La voce del padrone, decided to pen a more commercial song for Russo to push her career.

Lyrics
The song tells the story of a prostitute dreaming to take a break from her job to go on a vacation. Originally the lyrics were more sexually explicit, as they included the word "erezioni" ('erections'), later modified in "illusioni" ('illusions').

Reception
The song entered the 1982 Festivalbar, winning the Disco Verde competition. It proved to be a major hit and became Russo's signature song, even if it tied Russo to the unwanted stereotype of an easy pop songs performer; Russo, who was interested to a more mature and sophisticated repertoire, ended up to refuse to perform the song for years.

Cover versions
Paloma San Basilio covered the song in Spanish with the title "Unas vacaciones". Artists who covered the song also include, Marvin, and Federica Abbate with.