L'italiano Lyrics in English by Toto Cutugno

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Below, I translated the lyrics of the song L'italiano by Toto Cutugno from Italian to English.

These lyrics have verified word for word translations. Click any lyric word to see the translation and hear the pronunciation!

Intro

Let me sing

With the guitar in hand

Let me sing

I'm an Italian

Verse 1

Good morning, Italy, with your spaghetti al dente

Al dente - cooked firm, just right

And a partisan as president

Alessandro 'Sandro' Pertini was an Italian socialist politician who served as the president of Italy from 1978 to 1985

With the car radio always in my right hand

Referring to keeping the car radio in your hand so that it won't get stolen

And a canary above the window

Good morning Italy with your artists

In Italian the word 'buongiorno' literally translates to the English 'good day', but since in English people rarely say 'good day', it is equivalent to the English 'good morning'

With too much America on posters

With songs, with love, with heart

With more women, always fewer nuns

Or: With more women fewer and fewer nuns

Good morning Italy, good morning Maria

With eyes full of melancholy

Good morning, God

You know that I'm here too

Chorus 1

Let me sing

With the guitar in hand

Let me sing

A song, slowly, slowly

Let me sing

Because I'm proud of it

Or: Because I'm one of those proud people

I'm an Italian

A true Italian

Or: A real Italian

Verse 2

Good morning Italy that doesn't get scared

And with mint shaving cream

With a blue pinstripe suit

And the slow-motion replay on Sunday on TV

A Moviola is a device that allows a film editor to view a film while editing

Good morning Italy with your strong coffee

Or: Good morning Italy with the strong coffee / short coffee

The new socks in the top drawer

With the flag at the dry cleaners

And a Fiat 600 with beat-up bodywork

Or: And a (Fiat) 600 (car) broken down / with a down-looking body

Good morning Italy, good morning Maria

With eyes full of melancholy

Good morning, God

You know that I'm here too

Chorus 2

Let me sing

With the guitar in hand

Let me sing

A song, slowly, slowly

Let me sing

Because I'm proud of it

I'm an Italian

A true Italian

Chorus 3

Let me sing

With the guitar in hand

Let me sing

A song, slowly, slowly

Let me sing

Because I'm proud of it

I'm an Italian

A true Italian

Lyrics and Translations Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing

Cristiano Minellono, Salvatore Cutugno

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moviola — slow-motion replay

Moviola is a classic Italian word for a slow-motion replay, especially used for analyzing key moments in a soccer match.

In the song, Toto Cutugno sings about watching "la moviola la domenica in tivù" (the slow-motion replay on Sunday TV), painting a perfect picture of a classic Italian weekend ritual. It's a nostalgic and culturally rich word that captures a slice of life you won't find in a textbook!

This song is a love letter to Italy, but it's not a postcard. It's a list of all the little, everyday things that make up a life there. Toto Cutugno just wants to be allowed to sing about his country: "Lasciatemi cantare / Perché ne sono fiero / Sono un italiano / Un italiano vero" (Let me sing / Because I'm proud of it / I am an Italian / A true Italian).

He fills the song with specific details that feel completely real. He mentions everything from "gli spaghetti al dente" (spaghetti cooked just right) and mint-flavored shaving cream to a blue pinstripe suit and the Sunday football highlights on TV. He even points out the problems, like "troppa america sui manifesti" (too much America on the posters). It's a song full of pride, but also a little bit of melancholy, especially in the line "Buongiorno Maria / Con gli occhi pieni di malinconia" (Good morning Maria / With eyes full of sadness). This isn't just a song about Italy; it's about what it feels like to be Italian.

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Toto Cutugno L'italiano Lyrics