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ROME(AP) - The swinging singers of one of Europe's biggest pop tune festivals have turned down the American-led wave of protest songs and gone back to that good old theme of love, love, love.

It was a full turnabout from last year’s show when the three-day San Remo songfest thundered with complaints against the bomb and racism and pleas to stuff the cannon full of flowers.

There wasn’t a howl of protest in any of the 24 songs in this year’s festival which ended Saturday night after attracting as much attention in Italy as a national election.

There were other big losers besides the protest songs. There wasn’t a real miniskirt on any of the women singers. More gowns touched the floor than the knees.

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For all their fine close harmony, American mamma Barbara Cowsill and five singing children had equally no chance with a tune whose words went” “Bartolomeo bored 1,112 holes in a straight line down a piece of iron.”