Deirdre' cartoon
 

Learn Italian in Song: Fossi Figo

Translations of Lyrics for Italian Songs

Cheap Property In Italy

property for sale in Italy

 

   

This piece of rude irony by Elio e le Storie Tese (Elio and the Tense Stories) is a good example of the use of the conditional tense in Italian, as well as covering some common Italian slang, and some use of English words in everyday Italian.

The video features Gianni Morandi, for no apparent reason (except friendship with the band, I suppose). The subtitles are slogan-like statements about shampoo, beauty treatments, and the importance of diet and exercise in maintaining one's looks.

 
 

Fossi Figo

 

If I Were Hot

 
       
Fossi figo frequenterei il locale giusto,   If I were hot I'd hang out at the right club  
fossi figo conoscerei la gente giusta,   If I were hot I'd know the right people  
fossi figo indosserei vestiti trendy,   If I were hot I'd wear trendy clothes  
certe volte son dei capi orrendi   Sometimes they're horrible pieces  
che a nessuno li rivendi.   That you can't resell to anyone.  
       
Fossi figo tutti i giorni sarei in palestra.   If I were hot every day I'd be in the gym  
fossi figo starei ignudo alla finestra.   If I were hot I'd stay naked at the window  
Fossi figo sarei il principe dell'adduttore,   If I were hot I'd be the prince of the adductor [muscle]  
sarei il re dell'addominale,   I'd be the king of the abdominal  
sarei il re della finestra.   I'd be the king of the window.  
       
Ammirerebbero i miei capelli,   They would admire my hair  
si, sono finti ma comunque sono molto belli,   Yes, it's fake, but in any case it's gorgeous.  
quelli veri sono volati via col vento   My real hair is gone with the wind  
e anche la foto sul documento   And even the photo on my ID  
non mi rassomiglia piu'.   doesn't look like me anymore.  
       
Capelli, capelli*,   Hair, hair,  
sono andati via e non torneranno mai,   It went away and won't return again  
in piazza li rimpiazzo   In the piazza I'll replace it  
con un prodigio della tecnica frutto di ricerche   With a technical prodigy, the fruit of research  
e sperimentazioni che ci aiutano nel look.   and experimentation that helps us with our look.  
       
Fossi figo guiderei una grande jeep   If I were hot I would drive a big jeep  
fino in disco attesissimo in zona V.I.P.,   to the disco, awaited anxiously in the VIP area  
il mio nome sarebbe sempre incluso nella lista,   My name would always be on the list  
non dico proprio il primo della lista   I don't say right at the top of the list  
ma neanche l'ultimo degli stronzi.   But neither the last of the bastards.  
       
Cubista, cubista,   Go-go dancer,  
come balli tu io non ho ballato mai,   The way you dance I have never danced  
ti guardo, tu mi guardi   I look at you, you look at me  
e si scatena nel mio corpo   And something is unleashed in my body  
quella strana sensazione che noi giovani chiamiamo...   That strange sensation that we young people call  
cincin ueò muiterù [parola in cinese che significa "cazzo duro"]   ... [word in Chinese meaning "hard dick"]  
       
(coro)   (chorus)  
Forse non sono figo, forse no,   Maybe I'm not hot, maybe not  
ma sono bello dentro, dentro,   But I'm handsome within, within  
fuori stranamente mi vedete come un solitario   Outside, strangely, you see me as a loner  
ma a me piace stare con la gente.   But I like being with people.  
Io, per piacervi,   I, to please you,  
mi epilerei per tutto il santo giorno   Would depilate all day long  
come le balle di un attore porno   Like the balls of a porn actor.  
       
* Capelli is plural, unlike English where we use "hair" as a singular collective noun. Which is why Italians, in English, frequently talk about their "hairs".
 
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