Ain't Got no, I've Got Life – Bilingual Lyrics Italian/English

• By: Nina Simone

Lyrics & Translation

Explore Nina Simone's transformative anthem "Ain't Got No, I Got Life." Discover how this powerful song, a unique medley, shifts from acknowledging what one lacks to celebrating the possession of life itself. Through its dynamic emotional arc, the song offers a profound message of resilience and self-worth, inviting listeners to find strength in their own being.

[English]

I don't have a home, I don't have shoes

I don't have money, I don't have class

I don't have skirts, I don't have a sweater

I don't have perfume, I don't have a bed

I don't have a mind

I don't have a mother, I don't have culture

I don't have friends, I don't have education

I don't have love, I don't have a name

I don't have a ticket, I don't have a token

I don't have God

Then what do I have

Why am I alive anyway?

Yeah, what do I have

Nobody can take away

I've got my hair, I've got my head

I've got my brains, I've got my ears

I've got my eyes, I've got my nose

I've got my mouth, I've got my smile

I've got my tongue, I've got my chin

I've got my neck, I've got my breasts

I've got my heart, I've got my soul

I've got my back, I've got my sexuality

I've got my arms, I've got my hands

I've got my fingers, I've got my legs

I've got my feet, I've got my toes

I've got my liver, I've got my blood

I've got life

I've got my freedom

I have a life

I've got the life

And I'm going to keep it

I've got the life

And nobody's going to take it away

I've got the life

That should be good (that's truly)

...

[Italian]

I ain't got no home, ain't got no shoes

Ain't got no money, ain't got no class

Ain't got no skirts, ain't got no sweater

Ain't got no perfume, ain't got no bed

Ain't got no mind

Ain't got no mother, ain't got no culture

Ain't got no friends, ain't got no schoolin'

Ain't got no love, ain't got no name

Ain't got no ticket, ain't got no token

Ain't got no God

Then what have I got

Why am I alive anyway?

Yeah, what have I got

Nobody can take away

Got my hair, got my head

Got my brains, got my ears

Got my eyes, got my nose

Got my mouth, I got my smile

I got my tongue, got my chin

Got my neck, got my boobies

Got my heart, got my soul

Got my back, I got my sex

I got my arms, got my hands

Got my fingers, got my legs

Got my feet, got my toes

Got my liver, got my blood

I've got life

I got my freedom

I have a life

I've got the life

And I'm going to keep it

I've got the life

And nobody's gonna take it away

I've got the life

That should be good (that's truely)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
home /hoʊm/ A2	noun - the place where one lives
shoes /ʃuːz/ A2	noun - coverings for the feet
money /ˈmʌn.i/ A2	noun - currency used to buy goods and services
class /klæs/ B1	noun - a group of students learning together
skirts /skɜːrts/ B1	noun - clothing worn around the waist
perfume /ˈpɜːr.fjuːm/ B2	noun - a fragrant liquid to scent the body or clothes
mind /maɪnd/ B1	noun - the part of a person that thinks and feels
mother /ˈmʌð.ər/ B1	noun - a female parent
culture /ˈkʌl.tʃər/ B2	noun - the arts, customs, and social institutions of a group
friends /frɛndz/ A2	noun - people whom one knows and likes
schooling /ˈskuː.lɪŋ/ B2	noun - the process of receiving education
love /lʌv/ A2	noun - deep affection and care for someone
name /neɪm/ A1	noun - the word by which a person or thing is known
ticket /ˈtɪk.ɪt/ B1	noun - a piece of paper or card that gives access or proof of payment
God /ɡɒd/ C1	noun - a supreme being worshipped by many religions
life /laɪf/ A2	noun - the period during which a living thing exists
freedom /ˈfriː.dəm/ B2	noun - the power to act or think without hindrance
life /laɪf/ A2	noun - the condition that distinguishes living from non-living