Che Bella Gente Lyrics in English Simone Cristicchi

Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Che Bella Gente by Simone Cristicchi from Italian to English.
Ilala ilalà ilalà
Ilala ilalà ilalà
What lovely people, they get it all
They know the reason but not the trick
They peer behind shutters long grown old
They always hit you with big questions
Then they carve you like a diamond
They wait for you to crumble so they can tell the others
"I told you so"
We should all just stay silent
Don't pay heed even to your brothers
Speak very softly in a low voice
Look at Jesus, they put him on the cross
So what, so what
Like it or not you have to do this
I'd go up on the cross
But for whom, for whom
Ilalà ilala ilala ilala
Ilalà ilala ilala ilala
What lovely people, they get it all
They know the reason but not the trick
They've got pistols loaded with malice
We should load them with blanks
And make all those daggers out of rubber
Because if you turn for just an instant
You find them stuck in your back
So what, so what
Like it or not you have to do this
I'd be stabbed
But by whom, by whom
I'll wait
For you to come at me
I'll wait
Standing here in my place I'll sing
For instance sometimes I prefer the madmen
Because they say what they think
And won't take blackmail or compromise
They don't blend in with the others
For better or worse they stay themselves
Don't settle for staying on the surface
Instead dig deep past the root and appearances
Love me for what I really am
And I'll stay with you forever
Ilalà ilala ilala ilala
Ilalà ilala ilala ilala
What lovely people
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Ilalà ilalà… From the very first chant, Simone Cristicchi’s “Che Bella Gente” throws us into a carnival of irony. The title means “What lovely people,” yet the lyrics expose a crowd of gossips peeking from old shutters, always ready with pointed questions, loaded words, and metaphorical knives for your back. Cristicchi calls out this poison-tipped curiosity, comparing it to bullets of malice and reminding us that even Jesus was crucified by the judgments of “nice” onlookers. His solution is not violent payback but courageous authenticity: keep singing, stay in your place, and let them talk while you remain true to yourself.

In the second half, the songwriter flips the spotlight toward the so-called “madmen.” He praises these outsiders because they speak their minds, refuse blackmail, and never dilute their essence. Cristicchi urges the listener to dig past appearances, love people for who they really are, and never settle for surface impressions. Behind the playful refrain lies a sharp social lesson: choose sincerity over gossip, depth over judgment, and you will find loyalty that lasts “per sempre.”

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