L'Uomo Nero Lyrics in English by Brunori Sas
Below, I translated the lyrics of the song L'Uomo Nero by Brunori Sas from Italian to English.
Hai notato l'uomo nero
Have you noticed the boogeyman
Spesso ha un debole per i cani
Often has a soft spot for dogs
Pubblica foto coi suoi bambini
Publishes photos with his children
Vestito in abiti militari
Dressed in military clothes
Hai notato che spesso dice
Have you noticed that he often says
Che noi siamo troppo buoni
That we are too good
E che a esser tolleranti poi
And that by being tolerant then
Si passa per coglioni
You're taken for a*ssholes
Hai notato che gli argomenti
Have you noticed that the arguments
Sono sempre più o meno quelli
Are always more or less the same
Rubano, sporcano, puzzano e allora
They steal, they dirty, they stink and so
Olio di ricino e manganelli
Castor oil and truncheons
Hai notato che parla ancora
Have you noticed that he still talks
Di razza pura, di razza ariana
About pure race, about Aryan race
Ma poi spesso è un po' meno ortodosso
But then he's often a bit less orthodox
Quando si tratta di una puttana
When it comes to a wh*re
E tu, tu che pensavi
And you, you who thought
Che fosse tutta acqua passata
That it was all water under the bridge
Che questa tragica misera storia
That this tragic miserable story
Non si sarebbe più ripetuta
Would not be repeated again
Tu che credevi nel progresso
You who believed in progress
E nei sorrisi di Mandela
And in Mandela's smiles
Tu che pensavi che dopo l'inverno sarebbe arrivata una primavera
You who thought that after winter a spring would arrive
E invece no
But no
E invece no
But no
Hai notato che l'uomo nero spesso ha un debole per la casa
Have you noticed that the boogeyman often has a soft spot for home
A casa nostra, a casa loro
At our home, at their home
Tutta una vita casa e lavoro
A whole life of home and work
Ed è un maniaco della famiglia
And he's a family maniac
Soprattutto quella cristiana
Especially the Christian one
Per cui ama il prossimo tuo
So he loves your neighbor
Solo se carne di razza italiana
Only if they're flesh of Italian race
Ed hai notato che l'uomo nero
And have you noticed that the boogeyman
Semina anche nel mio cervello
Also sows in my brain
Quando piuttosto che aprire la porta
When rather than opening the door
La chiudo a chiave col chiavistello
I lock it with the bolt
Quando ho temuto per la mia vita
When I feared for my life
Seduto su un autobus di Milano
Sitting on a Milan bus
Solo perché un ragazzino arabo
Just because an Arab kid
Si è messo a pregare dicendo il corano
Started praying, reciting the Quran
E tu, tu che pensavi
And you, you who thought
Che fosse tutta acqua passata
That it was all water under the bridge
Che questa tragica lurida storia
That this tragic filthy story
Non si sarebbe più ripetuta
Would not be repeated again
Tu che credevi nel progresso
You who believed in progress
E nei sorrisi di Mandela
And in Mandela's smiles
Tu che pensavi che dopo l'inverno sarebbe arrivata la primavera
You who thought that after winter spring would arrive
E invece no
But no
E invece no
But no
E io, io che pensavo
And I, I who thought
Che fosse tutto una passeggiata
That it was all a walk in the park
Che bastasse cantare canzoni
That it was enough to sing songs
Per dare al mondo una sistemata
To fix the world
Io che sorseggio l'ennesimo amaro
I who sip yet another bitter (drink)
Seduto a un tavolo sui Navigli
Sitting at a table on the Navigli
Pensando in fondo va tutto bene
Thinking deep down everything's fine
Mi basta solo non fare figli
I just need not to have children
E invece no
But no
E invece no
But no
E io, io che pensavo
And I, I who thought
Che fosse tutto una passeggiata
That it was all a walk in the park
E che bastasse cantare canzoni
And that it was enough to sing songs
Per dare al mondo una sistemata
To fix the world
Io che sorseggio l'ennesimo amaro
I who sip yet another bitter (drink)
Seduto a un tavolo sui Navigli
sitting at a table on the Navigli
Pensando in fondo va tutto bene
Thinking deep down everything's fine
Mi basta solo non fare figli
I just need not to have children
E invece no
But no
E invece no
But no
Lyrics and Translations Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Dario Brunori
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manganelli — batons / truncheons
Manganelli translates to "batons" or "truncheons". It's a striking and somewhat unsettling word that immediately evokes a sense of authoritarianism and violence, making it quite memorable.
In the context of the song, it's used to highlight the harsh and oppressive rhetoric of the "uomo nero" (black man/boogeyman), who advocates for extreme measures like "olio di ricino e manganelli" (castor oil and batons). This phrase directly references the brutal tactics used by fascists in Italy, making the word a powerful symbol of historical and contemporary intolerance.
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