DEDICA Lyrics in English by Ernia

Dedica translates to "dedication" or "a dedication". It's a central theme in the song, as the artist reflects on his complex relationship with Milan.

He questions whether Milan is worthy of a dedication from others, but ultimately affirms his own deep connection, stating, "Ma tu per me resti come l'America" (But for me, you remain like America). The word encapsulates the song's heartfelt tribute to the city.

For most of this song you assume Ernia is singing to a woman. He tells her she is "una vecchia amica e una madre severa" (an old friend and a strict mother), apologises for the years he spent away, and only in the last verse says her name out loud: "Milano, scusa, ma in passato sai che ti ho tradita" (Milan, I'm sorry, but in the past you know I betrayed you). The title arrives in the same breath. "E per milioni di altri non vali una dedica" (and to millions of others you're not worth a dedication) is the argument of the whole record, and he writes the dedication anyway.

What makes it work is that he refuses the postcard version. His Milan is shopkeepers rattling the shutters down at closing time, "Tra i palazzoni e le villette a schiera" (between the tower blocks and the terraced houses), and a chorus built around a scale model behind museum glass: "E nei musei di Milano sogniamo guardando / La città fatta in plastica" (and in the museums of Milan we dream, looking at / the city made of plastic). Then comes the line that proves he actually lives there: "Il Milan gioca stasera, sono tutti a casa" (Milan play tonight, everyone is at home). He is honest about what the place costs you, too. "Ma il non aver pietà è una forma di rispetto dopo tutto" (but showing no mercy is a form of respect after all) is an odd thing to say about home, and he means it.