The grass was greener
The light was brighter
The taste was sweeter
The nights of wonder
With friends surrounded
The dawn mist glowing
The water flowing
The endless river
Forever and ever
"I Like Chopin" is from Gazebo’s self-titled debut album, released in 1983. Gazebo is the stage name of Italian singer-songwriter Paul Mazzolini.
Despite the title, Gazebo himself confirmed in an interview that the song “has nothing from Chopin actually.” The title was inspired by the idea of Chopin’s turbulent relationship with George Sand.
Gazebo and Giombini recorded the song as a melancholic synth-pop ballad during demo sessions that ended up forming most of the debut album. At the time, Gazebo didn’t believe it would become a major hit, he later admitted he thought it was just “a good ballad” and was focused on finding a strong follow-up to his previous single “Masterpiece.” It was Baby Records owner Freddy Naggiar who immediately loved the track and pushed it as a single.
The song’s success was completely unexpected, released in September 1983, it became one of the biggest European hits of the year, reaching No. 1 in several countries including West Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, and Finland, No. 2 in Italy and performed strongly across the continent. The track sold 9 millions of copies and remains one of the most iconic and enduring classics of 1980s Italo disco and synth-pop.
Gazebo has since described the song’s massive success as “unbelievable.”