Rimborsano comes from the verb rimborsare, meaning 'to refund' or 'to reimburse'. It's a word you might not expect to find in a rock song, making it quite unique and memorable.
In the context of the song, Ligabue sings, "Soddisfatti o no qua non rimborsano mai" (Satisfied or not, here they never refund). He uses this financial term metaphorically to convey that life doesn't offer second chances or take-backs, emphasizing the finality of our choices and experiences.
Ligabue sings about feeling out of step with the times. The people in this song don't wake up in time, don't dress or laugh or love the way everyone else seems to, and carry dreams that feel too big for their ordinary faces.
Life only gives you one shot, and there's no refund for the years you spend chasing something that doesn't quite fit. Instead of forcing themselves to catch up, the people here just keep dreaming, getting knocked down, and picking themselves back up anyway.
The chorus circles the same idea from a few different angles: maybe it isn't their moment right now, and maybe it never will be. But the song isn't really about giving up. It's about wearing that mismatch with a stubborn kind of pride.
Ligabue, whose full name is Luciano Ligabue, is one of Italy's most beloved rock singers. Born in 1960 in Correggio, a small town in the Emilia-Romagna region, he started his music career with his self-titled debut album in 1990 and has been a major force in Italian rock ever since.
His 1995 album "Buon Compleanno Elvis" made him a household name, and his song "Certe Notti" is still considered one of the defining Italian songs of the 1990s. In 2005, he played a legendary concert in his hometown area that drew around 180,000 fans, setting a European record at the time.
Beyond music, Ligabue is also a writer and filmmaker. He wrote and directed the film "Radiofreccia," which won several major Italian film awards, and he has published acclaimed short stories as well.
More than three decades into his career, he remains one of Italy's most popular rock artists, known for lyrics that mix everyday emotion with a rebellious, working-class spirit.