Il Pagliaccio Lyrics in English by Cesare Cremonini
Pagliaccio literally translates to "clown". It's a central and evocative image in the song, immediately setting a theatrical and somewhat melancholic tone.
Cesare Cremonini uses the word to explore themes of performance, identity, and hidden sadness. The protagonist is a clown not just on stage, but also in life, revealing a deeper struggle with authenticity and the masks we wear. This makes it a rich and memorable word to learn.
The singer is a circus clown who stands at the gate of a children's paradise: "Per me si va soltanto se sei stato buono" (through me you only pass if you've been good). He has everything inside the big top, and at night, wiping off his makeup, he finds the joke goes all the way down: "Riscopro che sono un pagliaccio anche sotto" (I rediscover that I'm a clown even underneath).
He doesn't ask for pity. He says he's fine among "le mie facce e la mia falsità" (my faces and my falseness), and in the dressing-room mirror he admits the drug he lives on is vanity. The chorus turns on whoever is laughing at him: "non ridere perché... sei come me" (don't laugh, because... you're like me).
