Song Clearance Sheet
3 sources citedVesti la giubba
Opera1890sPictured: Enrico Caruso, ca. 1910 (public domain) · source
123BPM
More around 120 BPM → · More “Public Domain” →
Algorithmically estimated; acoustic-era recordings are a documented hard case for automated tempo/key detection.
The verdict
Public Domain
In the public domain — but check the Rights Status below; a specific host's copy can carry its own caveat.
Used by independents?
Yes — it’s in the public domain — free for any independent artist to use, with no clearance needed.
Origin
The Act 1 closing aria of Leoncavallo's opera Pagliacci (1892) — Canio must perform as a clown despite discovering his wife's betrayal
Caruso's recordings
Enrico Caruso recorded it in 1902, 1904 and 1907; the 1904 disc was among the first records to sell over a million copies
National Recording Registry
Caruso's 1907 recording was inducted into the U.S. National Recording Registry in 2002
Rights Status
Licenses explained →Public domain is not one blanket badge — each source can carry its own caveat
The composition (Pagliacci)Public domain
Caruso's recordings (1902–1907)Public domain
Cultural Impact
Documented covers, adaptations, and cultural echoes — each with a real, dated source
The first record to sell a million copies
Widely cited (Guinness World Records via Wikipedia, multiple music-history sources, the Enrico Caruso Museum of America) as recorded music's first million-selling release. Sources vary on whether the 1904 or 1907 take gets the credit — presented honestly rather than picking one.
Library of Congress · read it →
Named to the National Recording Registry
Selected in 2002 by the Library of Congress as historically significant enough for preservation.
Library of Congress · read it →
A beloved Sesame Street parody
In a 1982 sketch, José Carreras performs a rewritten English version about Ernie losing his Rubber Duckie, with Ernie miming along; Carreras "cries," and Ernie comforts him before demanding his duck back.
Wikipedia · read it →
Directly reused by Queen
Freddie Mercury sang new lyrics ("I don't want my freedom...") to this exact melody in Queen's 1984 single "It's a Hard Life."
Wikipedia · read it →
Played over Seinfeld's end credits
Featured multiple times in the 1992 episode "The Opera," replacing the show's usual theme music over the closing credits.
Wikipedia · read it →
Still being performed in character, as recently as 2024
In the 2024 biographical film "Cabrini," Rolando Villazón performs the aria while playing Enrico Caruso himself.
Wikipedia · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?Yes — free to use without clearance
Listen & Access
Where this recording is hosted — we link out to the source
Library of Congress (National Recording Registry)
Essay on Caruso's 1907 recording, inducted into the Registry; pre-1923, public domain
Internet Archive
Public-domain transfers of Caruso's recording — multiple copies hosted
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Cultural Impact refreshed to match the verified PD batch research (million-selling, National Recording Registry, Sesame Street, Queen, Seinfeld, Cabrini)
Jul 2026Page created