In Un Caffè Lyrics in English by Gino Paoli
Fremere is a beautiful and evocative verb that means 'to tremble', 'to quiver', or 'to throb'. It suggests a deep, internal vibration, often associated with strong emotions like excitement, anticipation, or even fear.
In the context of Gino Paoli's song, the narrator sings, "T'ho sentita tremare e fremere per me" (I felt you tremble and quiver for me). This word perfectly captures the intense physical and emotional reaction of a person experiencing love and desire for the first time, making it a powerful and memorable choice.
Gino Paoli sets the whole romance in one unglamorous room: a café with rude waiters and not even an ashtray on the table. He opens flatly — “In un caffè / Coi camerieri maleducati” (In a café / With rude waiters) — before admitting “Per la prima volta / Noi ci siamo amati” (For the first time / We made love), and the plainness of the setting is the point.
He wasn’t even paying attention. “Io non vedevo i tuoi occhi” (I didn’t see your eyes), he sings, “Però piuttosto annoiato / E non ti guardavo” (But rather bored / And I wasn’t looking at you). Then the turn: “Eppure là / Sopra due tazze di caffè fatto male / È nato tutto quel che conta per noi” (And yet there / Over two cups of badly made coffee / Everything that matters to us was born). The coffee’s bad, the waiters are rude, he’s barely looking up — and somehow that’s exactly where it starts.
