Maledetto Me Lyrics in English by Fulminacci
Arrotino refers to a knife sharpener, a traditional street vendor who goes around sharpening knives and scissors. It's a charmingly old-fashioned word that evokes a specific image and sound.
In the song, the mention of the arrotino appearing adds a touch of everyday life and a slightly nostalgic, almost cinematic detail to the narrative. It's a unique word that stands out from more common vocabulary, making it memorable and interesting for learners.
Fulminacci rents a scooter to work out how he's feeling and ends up stopped at a light on Rome's Lungotevere Flaminio, where he recognises a sticker on a Nissan Micra. It's her. "Guarda te che caso strano, quindi non sei più partita" (Well what a strange coincidence, so you never left after all) is a man doing a very bad impression of someone who is surprised. What follows is small talk at its most excruciating: he changes the subject, he manages "Da quanto tempo" (Long time no see), and somewhere behind them the knife sharpener is driving around yelling his trade. Then the chorus does the arithmetic. "Centomila dediche e ora frasi da ascensore" (A hundred thousand dedications and now it's elevator talk). Love letters to weather chat, in one line.
The joke is that he never actually says anything. He tells her to get the tail light looked at. He admits the clutch was probably his fault, which is the nearest thing to an apology he offers, and it is about a car. Then she rolls the window up and vanishes into the smog. Only in the bridge does he name the real problem: "Maledetta timidezza, maledetta educazione" (Damn shyness, damn good manners). Being well brought up is what kept his mouth shut, and the title is where he puts the blame. Not on her. "Maledetto me" (Damn me).
