Ciarpame literally translates to "junk" or "rubbish," but it carries a stronger, more dismissive connotation than a simple "stuff."
In the song, Mengoni sings about collecting "il ciarpame dei miei giorni" (the junk of my days). This word is interesting because it's not commonly used in everyday conversation or pop songs, and it powerfully conveys a sense of worthlessness or discarded memories, making it a memorable and evocative choice.
"Ancora Una Volta" ("Once Again") is a duet between Marco Mengoni and Samuele Bersani about holding on to someone through memory, long after they are gone.
The song opens with an image of a box full of the small junk of ordinary days: a thin, fading glitter of memories that still carries a doubt, a question, an answer. From there the singer compares his own life to a fragile line of verse, and himself to the wind leaving a footprint in snow, or rain falling to calm someone's thirst, small, quiet ways of staying close to a person without asking for anything in return.
The chorus is the emotional core of the song: "I will find your eyes at my door, and I will keep them in my eyes just like before." It is a promise to keep watching for someone's return, however far off that day feels now that "the sky has just gone dark."
Marco Mengoni is an Italian singer-songwriter born on December 25, 1988, in Ronciglione, Italy. He rose to fame in 2009 after winning the third season of "X Factor Italy," and became one of Italy's most celebrated pop and soul artists in the years that followed.
Mengoni has won the Sanremo Music Festival twice, in 2013 with "L'Essenziale" and again in 2023 with "Due Vite," which also represented Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest. Known for his powerful, soulful voice and emotionally direct lyrics, he has released multiple platinum-certified albums and remains one of the most streamed Italian artists both at home and internationally.