Toto Cutugno - L'Italiano - Lyrics and English translation

Toto Cutugno - L'Italiano (1983)


Lyrics

Lasciatemi cantare
Con la chitarra in mano
Lasciatemi cantare
Sono un italiano

Buongiorno Italia gli spaghetti al dente
E un partigiano come Presidente
Con l'autoradio sempre nella mano destra
E un canarino sopra la finestra

Buongiorno Italia con i tuoi artisti
Con troppa America sui manifesti
Con le canzoni, con amore, con il cuore
Con più donne sempre meno suore

Buongiorno Italia
Buongiorno Maria
Con gli occhi pieni di malinconia
Buongiorno Dio
Lo sai che ci sono anch'io

Lasciatemi cantare
Con la chitarra in mano
Lasciatemi cantare
Una canzone piano piano
Lasciatemi cantare
Perché ne sono fiero
Sono un italiano
Un italiano vero

Buongiorno Italia che non si spaventa
E con la crema da barba alla menta
Con un vestito gessato sul blu
E la moviola la domenica in TV
Buongiorno Italia col caffè ristretto
Le calze nuove nel primo cassetto
Con la bandiera in tintoria
E una 600 giù di carrozzeria

Buongiorno Italia
Buongiorno Maria
Con gli occhi pieni di malinconia
Buongiorno Dio
Lo sai che ci sono anch'io

Lasciatemi cantare
Con la chitarra in mano
Lasciatemi cantare
Una canzone piano piano
Lasciatemi cantare
Perché ne sono fiero
Sono un italiano
Un italiano vero

Lasciatemi cantare
Con la chitarra in mano
Lasciatemi cantare
Una canzone piano piano
Lasciatemi cantare
Perché ne sono fiero
Sono un italiano
Un italiano vero


English translation

The Italian

Let me sing
With the guitar in my hand
Let me sing
I'm an Italian

Good morning Italy, spaghetti al dente [1]
And a partisan for President [2]
With the car radio always in the right hand [3]
And a canary over the window

Good morning Italy with your artists [4]
With too much America on the posters [5]
With the songs, with love, with the heart
With more women less and less nuns [6]

Good morning Italy
Good morning Mary [7]
With eyes full of melancholy
Good morning God
You know that I'm here too [8]

Let me sing
With the guitar in my hand
Let me sing
A song slowly slowly
Let me sing
Because I'm proud of that
I'm an Italian
A true Italian

Good morning Italy who is not afraid
And with the mint shaving foam
With a pinstripe suit in blue
And the moviola on Sundays on TV [9]
Good morning Italy with espresso coffee
The new socks in the top drawer
With the flag in the laundry [10]
a Seicento with an old bodywork [11]

Good morning Italy
Good morning Mary
With eyes full of melancholy
Good morning God
You know that I'm here too

Let me sing
With the guitar in my hand
Let me sing
A song slowly slowly
Let me sing
Because I'm proud of that
I'm an Italian
A true Italian

Let me sing
With the guitar in my hand
Let me sing
A song slowly slowly
Let me sing
Because I'm proud of that
I'm an Italian
A true Italian


Notes

[1] Spaghetti al dente means Spaghetti not very cooked; in Italy it is a long standing issue the problem of how long to cook spaghetti. In the south it is preferred to boil them not very much, while in the north they are boiled for a lot of time (spaghetti scotti).
[2] In the 80’s the President of the Italian Republic was Sandro Pertini; he was a partisan against the fascism during the Second World War.
[3] In the nouveau riche Italy of the 80’s the car radio was a status symbol.
[4] It is well known that Italy is the country of saints, poets, and sailormans...
[5] The first of a series of verses full of political criticism: after the Second World War the Italian culture was invaded by the American myth, il mito Americano.
[6] There are two different meanings of this verse. The first one is related to a social analysis: in the modern Italy the number of nuns decreased due to secularization of the society. The second one is moral: women of our times forgot the holy principles of the ancient society; note that in Italy is usual to call suora, nun, a girl that doesn’t go with a man if he doesn’t have serious intentions (marriage).
[7] Mary is the mother of Christ.
[8] The Author is frightened of God having forgot him.
[9] Moviola is the replay of the relevant moments of the football matches of the day, on Sunday evening. Football matches were played on Sunday but it was not possible to see them live on television, so Moviola was very popular.
[10] Another political verse: patriottism was not common in Italy after the fascism.
[11] Seicento (600) was a very popular small car produced by FIAT Auto, the symbol of Italian industry (now in deep crisis). The fact the auto has an old bodywork is another symbol of the moral decandence of Italy in the 80’s.