Lyrics & Translation
Learning a language can be a joyful experience, and 'a me mi piace' by Alfa and Manu Chao is the perfect song to dive into Italian with. Its lyrics are a celebration of simple, everyday pleasures, making the vocabulary relatable and easy to remember. The song's title itself is a fun lesson in colloquial Italian, and its blend of Italian, Spanish, and catchy pop melodies makes it a unique and encouraging start for any language learner.
I told you very clearly.
Manu (here present)
How are you, my friend? (What's happening on the street in Genoa?)
(To me)
I love the sun that warms me and changes my skin.
Your arched back looks to me like southern Italy.
I love French‑style noses and Eskimo kisses.
I make up the words when I sing an English song.
I like to say “I like it” even though it’s not usual.
But it gets the idea across much more effectively.
I love GE with the rough sea, coffee with red wine.
When the first of September feels like August 32nd and
You're the morning light (I like you).
My serotonin (I like you).
You boost my self‑esteem (I like you).
(I like everything, I like you).
More than the Mediterranean Sea (I like you).
A Sunday at the stadium (I like you).
With you I have everything I need (I like you).
Yes, I like everything, I like you.
Because you are like Rome; every road leads to you.
Yes, it leads me to you (one night in Managua, Nicaragua).
I was thinking, if you sleep eight hours a day, that’s a hundred days in a year.
But if you were here with me, we wouldn’t sleep that much.
Yes, that much, yes, that much.
Head down while I was walking.
I realized yesterday that the sky starts at the feet.
That things change shape depending on how you see them.
I like that we match each other's energy.
And even if I leave, you find me everywhere, kind of like Radio Maria.
You're the morning light (I like you).
My serotonin (I like you).
You boost my self‑esteem (I like you).
(I like everything, I like you).
More than the Mediterranean Sea (I like you).
A Sunday at the stadium (I like you).
Everything else is secondary (I like you).
Yes, I like everything, I like you.
Manu!
What an intense life.
It's our big heart.
What's happening on the street?
Quick! One, two, three, four.
You're the morning light (I like you).
My serotonin (I like you).
You boost my self‑esteem (I like you).
(I like everything, I like you).
More than Genoa and Bilbao (I like you).
Than a sold‑out concert (I like you).
More than Alfa and Manu Chao (I like you).
Yes, I like everything, I like you.
Key Vocabulary
| Vocabulary | Meanings |
|---|---|
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sole /ˈso.le/ A2 |
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pelle /ˈpɛl.le/ A2 |
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schiena /ˈskje.na/ B1 |
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naso /ˈna.so/ A2 |
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bacio /ˈba.tʃo/ A2 |
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parole /paˈrɔ.le/ B1 |
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canto /ˈkan.to/ A2 |
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amore /aˈmo.re/ B1 |
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luce /ˈlu.tʃe/ A2 |
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forma /ˈfɔr.ma/ B1 |
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energia /e.nerˈdʒi.a/ B2 |
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cuore /ˈkwɔ.re/ A2 |
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vita /ˈvi.ta/ A2 |
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caminando /ka.miˈnan.do/ B1 |
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cambia /ˈkam.bja/ B1 |
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matchiamo /ma.tʃˈʃa.mo/ B2 |
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Key Grammar Structures
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¿Qué hora son, mi corazón?
➔ Interrogative sentence (question)
➔ The word "¿Qué" introduces a question and the verb "son" follows the subject inversion.
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Mi piace il sole che mi scalda e la pelle me la cambia
➔ Relative clause with clitic pronouns
➔ The conjunction "che" starts the relative clause "che mi scalda" and the clitic phrase "me la" functions as indirect and direct objects in "me la cambia".
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A me mi piace dire: "A me mi piace" anche se non si dice
➔ Concessive clause with "anche se" + impersonal passive "si dice"
➔ The conjunction "anche se" introduces a concession ("even if"), and the impersonal construction "si dice" means "it is said" without a specific subject.
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Sei luce la mattina (me gustas tu)
➔ Copular verb (essere) + predicate noun
➔ The verb "Sei" (you are) links the subject to the noun "luce", functioning as a predicate nominative.
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Stavo pensando, se dormi otto ore al giorno, son cento giorni in un anno
➔ Conditional clause with "se" + present indicative
➔ The conjunction "se" introduces a condition ("if you sleep"), and the following verbs "dormi" and "son" are in the present indicative.
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Che le cose cambian forma in base a come le vedi
➔ Relative clause with "che" + comparative "come"
➔ The relative pronoun "Che" links to "le cose" and the comparative phrase "come le vedi" means "as you see them".
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Anche se vado via, mi prendi ovunque un po' come Radio Maria
➔ Concessive clause with "anche se" + comparative "come"
➔ The phrase "Anche se" introduces a concession ("even though"), and "come Radio Maria" compares the way she catches you to the radio station.
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¡Manu! Que vita intensa
➔ Exclamatory sentence with interjection "Que"
➔ The interjection "Que" intensifies the exclamation, functioning like "What a" in English.
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¡Rápido! Un, dos, tres, cuatro
➔ Imperative mood + enumeration
➔ The word "¡Rápido!" is an imperative urging speed, followed by a simple enumeration of numbers.
