The word schiaffi literally translates to "slaps". It's a very strong and visceral word that immediately grabs your attention.
In the song, Marco Mengoni isn't talking about a physical fight. He uses it metaphorically in the line "Tutte le corse gli schiaffi, gli sbagli che fai" (All the runs, the slaps, the mistakes you make) to refer to life's hard knocks, setbacks, and the painful lessons we learn along the way. It’s a powerful way to describe the struggles and chaos of life.
This song feels like it's happening at 3 AM when you can't sleep and your whole relationship is on your mind. Marco Mengoni sings about being one half of a couple who are the "soli svegli in tutto l'universo" (the only ones awake in the whole universe), which is such a huge, romantic, and lonely idea all at once. It's a song about the messy reality of a deep connection, where you know someone so well but also not at all. He admits, "non conosco ancora bene il tuo deserto" (I still don't know your desert well), suggesting there are still hidden, difficult parts to his partner.
The song is full of these sharp, specific images of a relationship's ups and downs. One minute they are "i mostri e le fate" (the monsters and the fairies), and the next he's admitting he should call but has "finito le scuse" (run out of excuses). It's about those nights where you can't sleep because your mind is racing with all the arguments and mistakes, when life "esagera" (exaggerates). He knows his partner is awake too, repeating "tanto lo so che tu non dormi, dormi, dormi, dormi, dormi mai" (I know you never sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep). It's a look at the chaotic journey of two lives running alongside each other, even when they're lost in the dark.