Alex Britti
This was a big summer hit a few years ago. |
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Appuntamento a mezzogiorno in piazza
La macchina l’ho controllata gia’ Quest’anno sara’ proprio grande vacanza e’ un anno che l’aspetto e tra un’ora si va In quattro amici destinazione mare Maschera e pinne non ci servono Camicie giuste per andare a ballare Che tanto il vero mare non si vede piu’ Ma quei locali visti sulle riviste Leggende metropolitane o no? Si era parlato di 6000 cubiste E questo è tutto quello che per ora so. Ma quell’amico un po’ più grande aveva detto “State in campana che non è proprio così Io ci sono già stato e allora vi consiglio Se fossi in voi ci andrei organizzato così ritornello: Io con la ragazza mia, tu con la ragazza tua Lei con il ragazzo suo e a te con chi ti pare a te La prima sera subito in discoteca Madonna qui che atmosfera c’è Non sono mai stato meglio neanche a una partita Mi sembra proprio questo il posto giusto per me Mentre ballavo si avvicina una tipa Mi guarda e penso già che è pazza di me Mi sento grande in questo mondo formica Ci parlo due minuti e tutto viene da sé Ma quell’amico grande mi tornava in mente Diceva è inutile che andate fino lì Vi divertite ma non conquistate niente Secondo me è meglio organizzati così… (ritornello) Arriva il punto di restare da soli Le dico prendi le tue cose e via Andiamo fuori mia regina di cuori Continuiamo a bere nella stanza mia Prendo le chiavi e avverto gli amici Mezzo minuto poi mi giro e non c’è Mi guardo intorno e dopo un attimo vedo Che parla con un altro grosso il doppio di me Vi giuro che non ho potuto fare niente M’ha rovinato le vacanze quello lì Che con la scusa dell’amico intelligente Mi ha portato sfiga e adesso canto così… (ritornello) |
Appointment at mid-day in the piazza
I’ve already checked the car This year it’ll really be a great vacation I’ve been waiting year for it, and in one hour we go. Four friends, destination: sea We don’t need masks or fins [just] The right shirts to go dancing In any case, you don’t see the real sea anymore. But those clubs seen in magazines Urban legends or not? They speak of 6000 go-go dancers And that’s all I know for now. But that slightly older friend had said: “Be careful that it’s not really like that I’ve already been there and I therefore advise you If I were you I’d go organized like this:” refrain: Me with my girl, you with your girl She with her guy and you with whomever you like The first evening immediately to the disco Madonna, what an atmosphere! I’ve never felt better, not even at a [soccer] game This really seems like the right place for me. While I was dancing a girl came up She looks at me and I already think I feel big in this world of ants I talk to her for two minutes and everything comes on its own [naturally] But that older friend returned to mind He said: “It’s useless to go all the way there You’ll have fun but you won’t conquer anything, I say it’s better to go organized like this…” (refrain) The moment arrives [for us] to be alone I tell her “Get your things and we’ll go Let’s go out, my queen of hearts We’ll keep drinking in my room.” I get the keys and tell my friends, Half a minute, then I turn and she’s not there I look around me and after a moment I see She’s talking to another guy, twice as big as me. I swear to you I couldn’t do anything That guy ruined my vacation With the excuse of the intelligent friend He brought me bad luck (refrain) |
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Tag Archives: Alex Britti
Learn Italian in Song: Una Su Un Milione
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by Alex Britti | |||||
Una Su Un Milione |
One in a Million |
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Accettami così | Accept me just like this | ||||
ti prego non guardare | I beg you not to look | ||||
nella mia testa | inside my head | ||||
c’è un mondo da ignorare | there’s a world to ignore | ||||
Voglio che tu sia | I want you to be | ||||
mia complice discreta | My discreet accomplice | ||||
Accettami e sarai la mia bambola di seta | Accept me and you’ll be my silken doll | ||||
Acccettami e vedrai | Accept me and you’ll see | ||||
andremo fino in fondo | that we’ll go on to the end | ||||
Non pensare a cosa è giusto | Don’t think about what is right | ||||
e cosa sta cambiando | and what is changing. | ||||
Andiamo al polo nord | We’ll go to the North Pole | ||||
o al sud se preferisci | or south, if you prefer | ||||
Accettami ti prego | Accept me, I beg you, | ||||
e dimmi che ci riesci | Tell me that you can. | ||||
Non ho detto mai | I never said | ||||
di essere perfetto | That I’m perfect | ||||
Se vuoi ti aiuto io | If you want, I’ll help you | ||||
a scoprire ogni mio difetto | To discover every defect I have | ||||
Se ne trovi di più | If you find [even] more | ||||
ancora mi sta bene | That’s still all right with me | ||||
Basta che restiamo | Just as long as we stay | ||||
ancora così insieme | Together like this still . | ||||
Amo amo | I love, I love | ||||
e’ qualcosa che si muove | it’s something that moves | ||||
Su e giù per lo stomaco | up and down in my stomach | ||||
più freddo della neve | colder than the snow | ||||
Amo amo | I love, I love | ||||
e’ un buco alla ciambella | It’s a hole in the donut | ||||
La sua dolcezza effimera | Its ephemeral sweetness | ||||
la rende così bella | Makes it so lovely . | ||||
Accettami e vedrai | Accept me and you’ll see | ||||
insieme cresceremo | Together we will grow | ||||
Qualche metro in più | A few meters more | ||||
e il cielo toccheremo | And touch the sky | ||||
Più alti dei giganti | Taller than the giants | ||||
più forti di godzilla | Stronger than Godzilla | ||||
Faremo una crociera | We’ll go on a cruise | ||||
su una nave tutta gialla | On a boat that’s all yellow | ||||
Andremo su un’isola | We’ll go to an island | ||||
che sembra disegnata | that looks drawn | ||||
Con colori enormi | with enormous colors | ||||
e un mare da sfilata | And a sea like a fashion show. | ||||
Per quanto mi riguarda | As far as regards me, | ||||
ho fatto già il biglietto | I’ve already got a ticket | ||||
Ti prego non lasciarlo accanto | I beg you not to leave it alongside | ||||
a un sogno nel cassetto | a dream in the drawer | ||||
Amo amo | I love, I love | ||||
e’ qualcosa di speciale | It’s something special | ||||
Su e giù per lo stomaco | Up and down in my stomach | ||||
è come un temporale | like a storm. | ||||
Amo amo | I love, I love | ||||
è il sugo sulla pasta | It’s the sauce on the pasta | ||||
Finché non è finito | Until it’s finished | ||||
non saprò mai dire basta | I’ll never know how to say “enough” | ||||
Amo amo | I love, I love | ||||
è un dono di natura | It’s a gift of nature | ||||
Perché la nostra storia | Because our story | ||||
non è solo un’avventura | Isn’t just an adventure | ||||
Amo amo | I love, I love | ||||
è una semplice canzone | It’s a simple song | ||||
Serve a me per dirti | That serves me to tell you | ||||
che sei una su un milione | That you’re one in a million. | ||||
Learn Italian in Song: 7000 Caffé
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. |
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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. | ||||||
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Alex Britti in Concert
This summer we went to a concert by Alex Britti, a singer-songwriter as yet unknown outside Europe. He’s popular with the bubblegum set for a few immensely singable songs such asLa Vasca (The Bathtub), but he considers himself more a guitarist – and turns out to be a hell of a good one.Unfortunately, we hardly got to hear him sing during the concert, due to the chorus of teenyboppers who sang along enthusiastically (and badly) with most of the songs. Early on, I asked the girls behind us to stop: “I came to hear him, not you,” I pointed out. Their mother retorted: “Lady, if you want to hear the music, buy the CD. This is a concert.”
Defeated by this, er, logic, I retired from the battle, and had to be grateful for the guitar solos: delightfully un-singalongable, and very well played. These seemed to confuse much of the audience, who muttered to each other: “What song is this?” or got up and went for a beer.
Alex Britti must be frustrated. He’s made lots of money and gained some artistic freedom thanks to his lighter bestsellers, but his audience doesn’t seem to understand or appreciate the stuff that he himself likes best!
Other musical experiences this summer were less than stellar. Roseto, the little town on the Adriatic coast where my in-laws live, used to be a pleasantly sleepy place with nothing to do at night except stroll around, eat gelato, and watch kids on the carnival rides. But now it aspires to the trendy disco status of the Adriatic’s hotter spots, so the beachfront establishments all have permission to play music til 1 or 2 am.
This would be somewhat bearable, or at least understandable, if the music was good. However, it was all REALLY bad, mostly youngsters basically doing karaoke with automated music machines – their equipment was far more impressive than their abilities deserved.
One band started out relatively promising, playing real instruments, with an admirable selection of blues tunes and guitar licks ripped off from Stevie Ray Vaughan. But the guitar wasn’t quite in tune with the keyboard, and the singer wasn’t in tune with anything. After hearing “Pride and Joy” murdered two or three times, we were ready to strangle the drunk who kept demanding encores.
We could easily perceive even that detail, because my in-laws’ apartment overlooks the beach, within a stone’s throw of two of these establishments (alas, I had no stones). After we finally dropped off to sleep at 2 am one night, I was awoken at 8:00 by a group of retirees just arrived on an group tour. “Ecco il mare!” shouted one enthusiastic fellow – “Look! The sea!” (And just what did you expect to find on a trip to the seaside…?)
Note: I have also translated some of Alex Britti’s songs into English.