Category Archives: Italian songs

Learn Italian in Song: 7000 Caffé

February 12, 2007 Deirdre Straughan 2 Comments

written, recorded and copyrighted by Alex Britti

Here’s another great by Alex Britti – go out and buy his music! Sadly, his own brilliantly original music video has been removed from YouTube, but here’s a version with another fave of mine, Neri Per Caso.

7000 caffé,

7000 coffees

li ho gia’ presi percha’©

I’ve already drunk them because

sono stanco di stare al volante

I’m tired of being at the wheel

e vorrei arrivare entro sera da te

And I would like to arrive [at your home] by this evening

che aspetti me nel castello lassu’¹

Who are waiting for me in the castle up there

con la treccia gia’ sciolta

With your braid already undone

affacciata al balcone vestita di blu

Looking out from the balcony, dressed in blue

7000 caffé

7000 coffees

é l’effetto che ho

is the effect I have

quando arrivo al portone

When I arrive at the entry

e ti vedo gridare con gli occhi il mio nome percio’

And I see you call out my name with your eyes [therefore]*

vieni verso di me e io pazzo di te

You come towards me, and me crazy for you,

in un attimo ci diamo il bacio piu’dolce, piu’dolce che c’é

in a moment we give each other the sweetest, the sweetest kiss there is

Ritornello:

Chorus:

Ho bisogno di te perche sei bella e poi

I need you because you’re beautiful, and then

Ho bisogno di te come l’acqua il caffé

I need you like [water needs coffee / coffee needs water]**

come un mondo che gira e che, amore, se non vuoi,

Like a world that turns and that, love, if you don’t want

non finira’ mai

Will never end.

Ad esempio lo sai l’altra sera ero a casa

For example, you know, the other evening I was at home

cercavo da bere ma il frigo era vuoto

I was looking [for something] to drink but the fridge was empty

perché non ho fatto la spesa

Because I didn’t do the [grocery] shopping

tu non ci crederai – indovina che c’é

You won’t believe it – guess what?

ho trovato una tazza con l’ultimo dei 7000 caffé

I found a cup with the last of the 7000 coffees

Ora sto qui da solo e non dormo e non volo

Now I’m here alone and I don’t sleep and I don’t fly

mentre tu sei lontana

While you’re far away

ripenso a una scena di te senza velo

I think again of a scene of you “without veils” [nude]

non so bene cos’é, forse i troppi caffé

I don’t know what it is, maybe too many coffees

ma stanotte non riesco a dormire

But tonight I can’t sleep

e l’amore lo faccio da me.

And I’ll make love by myself.

* This word doesn’t seem to fit here – I suspect he just threw it in to fit the rhyme.** The meaning here is (probably deliberately) ambiguous.

if you find this useful and want more, let me know!

Italian songs

Learn Italian in Song: I Bambini Fanno Ooh

February 4, 2007 Deirdre Straughan Leave a comment

by Giuseppe Povia, 2006

This was a big hit last year. It’s so sweet it made me cry. The video is beautiful, too.

Linguistic note: Heavy (and appropriate) use here of the diminutive ending ino, which turns “noun” into “little noun”. This is often used as a form of baby talk when speaking to small children, as if everything in their lives is as little as they are. (I never used baby talk with any kid; I find it condescending, and suspect they do, too.)

E.g., topo = mouse, topolino = little mouse (which is also the name used for Mickey Mouse, a popular character in printed comics even today – it’s claimed that Mussolini said that they only thing he regretted about the embargo on US goods during WWII was that he could no longer see Topolino).

Quando i bambini fanno “oh” c’Ã¨ un topolino

When the children say “Oh, there’s a little mouse”

Mentre i bambini fanno “oh” c’Ã¨ un cagnolino

While the children say “Oh, there’s a little dog”

Se c’Ã¨ una cosa che ora so’

If there’s one thing I know now

ma che mai piÃ¹ io rivedrÃ²

But that I’ll never see again

Ã¨ un lupo nero che da un bacino

It’s a black wolf giving a little kiss

a un agnellino

To a little lamb

Tutti i bambini fanno “oh”

All the children say “Oh,

dammi la mano

give me your hand.

perchÃ¨ mi lasci solo,

Why do you leave me (all) alone?

sai che da soli non si puÃ²,

You know that alone you can’t

senza qualcuno,

Without someone

nessuno

no one

puÃ² diventare un uomo

can become a man.

Per una bambola o un robot bot bot

For a doll or a robot-bot-bot

magari litigano un po’

Perhaps they fight a bit.

ma col ditino ad alta voce,

But with their little finger, aloud

almeno loro (eh)

At least they

fanno la pace

Make peace.

CosÃ¬ ogni cosa Ã¨ nuova

In this way everything is new

Ã¨ una sorpresa

It’s a surprise

e proprio quando piove

And just when it rains

i bambini fanno “oh”

The children say “Oh!

guarda la pioggia

Look at the rain!”

Quando i bambini fanno “oh”

When the children say “Oh,

che meraviglia, che meraviglia!

What a marvel!

ma che scemo vedi perÃ², perÃ²

But what an idiot, however,

che mi vergogno un po’

That I feel a bit ashamed

perchÃ¨ non so piÃ¹ fare “oh”

Because I no longer know how to say “Oh”

e fare tutto come mi piglia,

And do everything as it takes me [just as I feel like]

perchÃ¨ i bambini non hanno peli

Because the children don’t have hairs

I bambini sono molto indiscreti

Children are very indiscreet

ma hanno tanti segreti

But they have many secrets

come i poeti

Like the poets.

nei bambini vola la fantasia e anche qualche bugia

In children, imagination flies, along with some lies

oh mamma mia, bada!

Oh, mamma mia, pay attention! [look out]

ma ogni cosa Ã¨ chiara e trasparente

But everything is clear and transparent

che quando un grande piange

so that when an adult cries

i bambini fanno “oh”

The children say “Oh,

ti sei fatto la bua

You hurt yourself [got a boo-boo]

Ã¨ colpa tua

It’s your fault.

Quando i bambini fanno “oh”

When the children say “Oh,

che meraviglia, che meraviglia!

What a marvel!

ma che scemo vedi perÃ², perÃ²

But what an idiot, however,

che mi vergogno un po’

That I feel a bit ashamed

perchÃ¨ non so piÃ¹ fare “oh”

Because I no longer know how to say “Oh”

non so piÃ¹ andare sull’altalena

I no longer know how to go on a swing

di un fil di lana non so piÃ¹ fare una collana

I no longer know how to make a necklace out of a piece of yarn

finchÃ¨ i cretini fanno(eh)

As long as the cretins say “eh”

finchÃ¨ i cretini fanno(ah)

As long as the cretins say “ah”

finchÃ¨ i cretini fanno “boh”

As long as the cretins say boh

tutto il resto Ã¨ uguale

All the rest is the same

ma se i bambini fanno “oh”

But if the children say “Oh,

basta la vocale

The vowel is enough.

Io mi vergogno un po’

I feel a bit ashamed

invece i grandi fanno “no”

Instead the adults say “No”

io chiedo asilo, io chiedo asilo

I ask asylum…

come i leoni

Like the lions

io voglio andare
a gattoni…

I want to go like big cats [on all fours].

e ognuno Ã¨ perfetto

And every one is perfect

uguale Ã¨ il colore

The color is the same

evviva i pazzi che hanno capito cos’Ã¨ l’amore

Hurray for the crazies who have understood what love is

Ã¨ tutto un fumetto di strane parole

It’s all a comic book with strange words

che io non ho letto

That I haven’t read

voglio tornare a fare “oh”

I want to go back to saying “Oh”

voglio tornare a fare “oh”

perchÃ¨ i bambini non hanno peli ne sulla pancia

ne sulla lingua…

if you find this useful and want more, let me know

Italian culture, Italian songs

Learn Italian in Song: Azzurro

November 22, 2006 Deirdre Straughan 2 Comments

A version sung last summer by the victorious Azzurri (Italian national football team), apparently as a fundraiser for charity. The guy in the blue shirt is Gianni Morandi (not a football player).

Azzurro – Sky Blue

by Paolo Conte, made famous by Adriano Celentano

Cerco l’estate tutto l’anno

I look for summer all year long

e all’improvviso eccola qua.

And all of a sudden, here it is.

Lei é partita per le spiagge

She has left for the beaches,

e sono solo quassu’ in citta’ ,

And I’m alone up here in the city.

sento fischiare sopra i tetti

I hear whistling above the roofs

un aeroplano che se ne va.

a plane that’s leaving.

Refrain

Azzurro,il pomeriggio é troppo azzurro

Blue, the afternoon is too blue

e lungo per me.

And long for me.

Mi accorgo

I realize

di non avere piu’ risorse,

That I have no more resources

e allora

so now

io quasi quasi prendo il treno

I could almost take the train

e vengo, vengo da te,

And come, come to you

ma il treno dei desideri

But the train of our desires

nei miei pensieri all’incontrario va.

In my thoughts runs backwards.

Sembra quand’ero all’oratorio,

It’s like when I was at the oratorio*

con tanto sole, tanti anni fa.

With so much sun, so many years ago.

Quelle domeniche da solo

Those Sundays alone

in un cortile, a passeggiar…

Walking around in a courtyard

ora mi annoio piu’ di allora,

Nowadays I get more bored than I did then

neanche un prete per chiacchierar…

Not even a priest to chat with.

(refrain)

Cerco un po’ d’Africa in giardino,

I look for a bit of Africa in the garden

tra l’oleandro e il baobab,

Between the oleander and the baobab

come facevo da bambino,

As I did when I was a kid

ma qui c’é gente, non si puo’ piu’,

But there are people here, I can’t do that anymore

stanno innaffiando le tue rose,

They’re watering your roses

non c’é il leone,

But there’s no lion

chissa’ dov’é…

who knows where it is.

(refrain)

*Oratorio in this context means a youth center, run by and physically attached to a Catholic church. They offer after school and summer programs to keep neighborhood kids out of trouble if their parents have to work.

if you find this useful and want more, let me know!

Italian language, Italian songs, living in Italy

Learn Italian in Song: Translations of Italian Popular Songs

September 20, 2006 Deirdre Straughan 122 Comments

A friend told me that she learned Italian via song lyrics. My Italian husband, as a teenager, wanted to learn English so he could understand the lyrics to Jesus Christ Superstar. So, to aid in your Italian studies, I present side-by-side translations of some popular (with me, at least) Italian songs.

See my Amazon Italian music store if you’d like to honor these artists by buying their music.

These translation do not attempt to be elegant – they are intentionally very literal, to help you learn, and therefore do not do full justice to the linguistic beauties of the songs in the original.

Index of Songs (Now Incomplete)

You can also browse the tag.

Aggiungi un Posto a Tavola – An Italian Musical – full list of translated songs from the show on this page

7000 Caffé

A Casa d’Irene

Acqua Azzurra, Acqua Chiara

Centro di Gravita’ Permanente

Certi Momenti

Chitarra, Suona Piu’ Piano

Com’é Profondo il Mare

E la Barca Torno’ Sola

Gli Ostacoli del Cuore

Il Campo Delle Lucciole

Il Mio Canto Libero

Il Pescatore

Il Ragazzo della via Gluck

Il Solito Sesso

Io Con La Ragazza Mia, Tu Con La Ragazza Tua

La Pulce d’Acqua

L’Emozione non ha Voce

La Coppia Piu’ Bella del Mondo

La Terra dei Cachi

La Vasca

Largo al Factotum della Citta‘

Questo Piccolo Grande Amore

Sandokan

Sentimento, Pentimento

Sono Una Donna, Non Sono Una Santa

Sparring Partner

Stessa Spiaggia, Stesso Mare

Tu Vuo’ Fa’ L’Americano

Tuo Bacio é Come Un Rock

Italian language, Italian songs

Learn Italian in Song: La Canzone del Sole

September 2, 2006 Deirdre Straughan 1 Comment

The Song of the Sun

One of the greatest pop songs ever, in any language. Music by Lucio Battisti, lyric by Mogol (1971). If you only ever listen to one Italian pop song, it should be this one.

Le bionde trecce gli occhi azzurri e poi		Blonde braids, blue eyes, and then
le tue calzette rosse		your red socks
e l’innocenza sulle gote tue		And the innocence on your cheeks ““
due arance ancor piu’ rosse		two oranges redder still
e la cantina buia dove noi, respiravamo piano		And the dark cellar where we breathed softly
e le tue corse l’eco dei tuoi no, oh no		And your running, the echo of your “no’s” ““ oh, no
mi stai facendo paura		you’re scaring me
dove sei stata cosa hai fatto mai?		Where you have you been, what on earth have you done?
una donna, donna, dimmi		“A woman” ““ woman, tell me
cosa vuol dir sono una donna ormai?		What does it mean: “I’m a woman now” ?
ma quante braccia ti hanno stretto tu lo sai		How many arms have held you – you know [the answer]
per diventar quel che sei		to become what you are?
che importa tanto tu non me lo dirai		What does it matter – in any case, you won’t tell me.
purtroppo		Unfortunately.
ma ti ricordi l’acqua verde e noi		But do you remember the green water and us,
le rocce e il bianco fondo		The rocks and the white sea floor?
di che colore sono gli occhi tuoi?		What color are your eyes?
se me lo chiedi non rispondo		If you ask me, I won’t answer.
oh mare nero, oh mare nero, oh mare ner		Oh, black sea, oh black sea, oh black sea”¦
tu eri chiaro e trasparente come me		You were clear and transparent as me.
oh mare nero, oh mare nero, oh mare ne..		Oh, black sea, oh black sea, oh black sea”¦
tu eri chiaro e trasparente come me		You were clear and transparent as me.
Le biciclette abbandonate sopra il prato e poi		The bicycles abandoned on the grass and then
noi due distesi all’ombra		We two stretched out in the shade.
un fiore in bocca puÃ² servire sai		A flower in the mouth can be useful, you know
piÃ¹ allegro tutto sembra		Everything seems more cheerful.
e d’improvviso quel silenzio tra noi		And suddenly that silence between us
e quel tuo sguardo strano		And that strange look of yours.
ti cade il fiore dalla bocca e poi…		The flower falls from your mouth and then…
oh no ferma ti prego la mano		Oh, no, please – stop your hand.
dove sei stata, cosa hai fatto mai?		Where have you been, what on earth have you done?
una donna, donna, donna dimmi		“A woman” – woman? – woman, tell me
cosa vuol dir “sono una donna ormai”?		What does it mean: “I’m a woman now” ?
Io non conosco quel sorriso sicuro che hai I don’t know that secure smile that you have
non so chi sei, non so piu’ chi sei		I don’t know who you are, I don’t know who you are anymore
mi fai paura oramai, purtroppo		You scare me now – unfortunately.
ma ti ricordi le onde grandi e noi		Do you remember the big waves and us
gli spruzzi e le tue risa		The splashes and your laughs
cos’Ã¨ rimasto in fondo agli occhi tuoi?		What remains at the bottom of your eyes?
la fiamma é spenta o é accesa		Has the flame gone out or does it still burn?
Oh mare nero, oh mare nero, oh mare ne..		Oh, black sea, oh black sea, oh black sea”¦
tu eri chiaro e trasparente come me		You were clear and transparent as me.
oh mare nero, oh mare nero, oh mare ne..		Oh, black sea, oh black sea, oh black sea”¦
tu eri chiaro e trasparente come me.		You were clear and transparent as me.
Il sole quando sorge, sorge piano e poi		The sun when it rises, rises slowly and then
la luce si diffonde tutto intorno a noi		The light spreads all around us
le ombre di fantasmi nella notte		The shadows of phantoms in the night
sono alberi e cespugli ancora in fiore		Are trees and bushes still in flower
sono gli occhi di una donna ancora pieni d’amore		They’re the eyes of a woman, still full of love.

Countries Beginning with I

Category Archives: Italian songs

Learn Italian in Song: 7000 Caffé

Learn Italian in Song: I Bambini Fanno Ooh

Learn Italian in Song: Azzurro

Azzurro – Sky Blue

Learn Italian in Song: Translations of Italian Popular Songs

Index of Songs (Now Incomplete)

Learn Italian in Song: La Canzone del Sole

The Song of the Sun

Deirdré Straughan on Italy, India, the Internet, the world, and now Australia

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You might also like:

Azzurro – Sky Blue

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Index of Songs (Now Incomplete)

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The Song of the Sun

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Deirdré Straughan on Italy, India, the Internet, the world, and now Australia