Just a slight correction, Jon. As this library's Webster's New World says, a funicular or funicular railway is a mountain railway on which counterbalanced cars on parallel sets of rails are pulled up and lowered by cables. The definition doesn't quite fit my experience - the funicular railways I've ridden have parallel rails only at the point where the two cars would meet. There's a single rail for most of the distance. If you sit in the front of the car, it looks like the other car is going to run right into you, but then it turns away at the last moment and misses you by inches. In my book, it's more fun than a roller coaster. I ride 'em wherever I find 'em. The most memorable ones I've ridden are the newly restored Angel's Flight in downtown Los Angeles, the two across the river from downtown Pittsburgh, and the one that goes to the castle in Salzburg, Austria.
Mega-cool.
-Joe Offer, rail fan-

...but the song doesn't seem to have much to do with railroads, does it?

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This site has Italian and German lyrics: https://ingeb.org/Lieder/dasmeerd.html

Peppino Turco Aieressera, oi' ne', me ne sagliette, tu saie addo'? tu saie addo'? Addo' 'stu core 'ngrato cchiu' dispietto farme nun po'! farme nun po'! Addo' lo fuoco coce, ma si fuie te lassa sta! te lassa sta! E nun te corre appriesso, nun te struie, 'ncielo a guarda'! 'ncielo a guarda'! Jammo 'ncoppa, jammo ja', funiculi', funicula'! Ne'... jammo da la terra a la montagna! no passo nc'e'! Se vede Francia, Proceta e la Spagna Io veco a tte! Tirato co la fune, ditto 'nfatto, 'ncielo se va.. Se va comm' 'a lu viento a l'intrasatto, gue', saglie sa'! Jammo 'ncoppa, jammo ja', funiculi', funicula'! Se n' 'e' sagliuta, oi' ne', se n' 'e' sagliuta la capa già! E' gghiuta, po' e' turnata, po' e' venuta sta sempe cca'! La capa vota, vota, attuorno, attuorno, attuorno a tte! Sto core canta sempe nu taluorno Sposammo, oi' ne'! Jammo 'ncoppa, jammo ja', funiculi', funicula'!

Das Meer, Das blaue Meer, Die gold'ne Sonne Und auch den Mond, Und auch den Mond, Die kann man nur erleben in Italien? Die Reise lohnt, Die Reise lohnt! Der Wein, Der rote Wein in der Taverne Ist weltbekannt, Ist weltbekannt. Die Frau'n, Sie haben Augen wie die Sterne In diesem Land, In diesem Land. Aber bella, bella musica Ist das Schönste in Italia! Funiculi, funicula, funiculi, funicula! Bella musica! Funiculi, funicula!

Melody - Luigi Denza, 1880
https://ingeb.org/Lieder/funiculi.mid