Lyrics & Translation
Learning a language is about understanding its culture, and Ghali's "Cara Italia" offers a unique window into contemporary Italy. Through its blend of Italian, Arabic, and French, you can experience the linguistic landscape of a multicultural nation. This song is special because it voices the feelings of a generation navigating a dual identity, making it a powerful and modern text for understanding the social dynamics of Italy today.
How it will end, everyone already knows
I have to be careful, damn
If I get her pregnant, then my mom will, ah
Because I’m still a kid
Half Italian, half Tunisian
She’s from Puerto Rico
If it happens because of Trump, it’s chaos
What kind of politics is this?
What’s the difference between left and right?
Ministers change, but the soup stays the same
The toilet’s on the left, the bathroom’s at the back right
Going straight down my own path
Better than nothing, than nothing at all, whatever
You wait downstairs
If mom doesn’t like you, then I don’t like you
She told me, I knew it, but I don’t believe it, I’m not dumb
Some have closed minds and are left behind, like back in the Middle Ages
The newspaper exploits this, talks about foreigners like they’re aliens
Without a passport, chasing money
I feel lucky at the end of the day
When I’m lucky, the world’s ending
I’m a crazy reader, a crazy outlaw
Out of the herd that writes “stupid is who reads”
Oh eh oh, when duty calls me
Oh eh oh, I answer and say: “I’m here!”
Oh eh oh, you tell me: “Listen to your mom!”
Oh eh oh, one, two, three, I’m already there
Oh eh oh, when they tell me: “Go home”
Oh eh oh, I reply: “I’m already here!”
Oh eh oh, I love you Italy
Oh eh oh, you’re my better half
Wait, I hear ringing in my ears
Suspense, just before the sequel
Cash, doesn’t understand coins
Crash Bandicoot, pick up the apples
In my crew, everyone’s handsome
Like a handsome black guy heading to Benin City
I don’t waste words, I don’t talk to Siri
Happy to make music for kids
Before leaving a comment, think
Before peeing against the wind, turn
Before throwing your paycheck, wait
I go back to Baggio, I don’t go without
Shakera
Maybe your phone doesn’t get reception in the suburbs
Ended up freestyling on a raft in the dockyard
My WhatsApp chat looks like Instagram
Love and ambition, already in my starter pack
Prisoners of Azkaban, escaped from Alcatraz
We did homework just to get by
I feel lucky at the end of the day
When I’m lucky, the world’s ending
I’m a crazy reader, a crazy outlaw
Out of the herd that writes “stupid is who reads”
Oh eh oh, when duty calls me
Oh eh oh, I answer and say: “I’m here!”
Oh eh oh, you tell me: “Listen to your mom!”
Oh eh oh, one, two, three, I’m already there
Oh eh oh, when they tell me: “Go home”
Oh eh oh, I reply: “I’m already here!”
Oh eh oh, I love you Italy
Oh eh oh, you’re my better half
I'm
Key Vocabulary
| Vocabulary | Meanings |
|---|---|
|
fumo /ˈfuːmo/ A1 |
|
|
cambio /ˈkambio/ A2 |
|
|
faccia /ˈfattʃa/ A2 |
|
|
sa /sa/ A2 |
|
|
attento /atˈtento/ B1 |
|
|
metto /ˈmɛtto/ A2 |
|
|
incinta /inˈtʃinta/ B2 |
|
|
madre /ˈmadre/ A1 |
|
|
italiano /itaˈliːano/ A2 |
|
|
tunisino /tuniˈziːno/ B2 |
|
|
casino /kaˈsiːno/ A2 |
|
|
politica /poˈlitika/ B1 |
|
|
differenza /difˈfɛrentsa/ B2 |
|
|
minestra /miˈnɛstra/ A2 |
|
|
bagno /ˈbaɲɲo/ A1 |
|
|
strada /ˈstrada/ A1 |
|
|
niente /ˈnjɛnte/ A1 |
|
|
niente /ˈnjɛnte/ A1 |
|
|
fine /fin(e)/ A2 |
|
|
straniero /straniro/ B2 |
|
|
legge /ˈleddʒe/ B1 |
|
“fumo, cambio, faccia” – got them all figured out?
⚡ Dive into vocabulary challenges in the app and lock in your knowledge right after jamming to "Cara Italia"
Key Grammar Structures
-
Come va a finire si sa già
➔ Use of present tense with 'si' as an impersonal subject
➔ 'si' is used to create impersonal statements in Italian, similar to 'one' or 'they' in English.
-
Se succede per Trump è un casino
➔ Conditional clause with 'se' to express 'if' condition
➔ 'Se' is used to introduce a conditional statement, meaning 'if' in English.
-
Il cesso è qui a sinistra, il bagno è in fondo a destra
➔ Use of 'è' as the third person singular of 'essere' (to be)
➔ 'È' is the third person singular form of the verb 'essere' (to be) in present tense.
-
Fuori dal gregge che scrive "scemo chi legge"
➔ Use of 'che' as a relative pronoun to connect clauses
➔ 'Che' is a relative pronoun used to connect a subordinate clause describing 'gregge'.
-
Quando il dovere mi chiama
➔ Use of 'quando' as a subordinating conjunction meaning 'when'
➔ 'Quando' introduces a subordinate clause indicating time, equivalent to 'when' in English.
-
Rispondo e dico: "Son qua!"
➔ Use of 'rispondo' and 'dico' as present tense verbs in first person singular
➔ 'Rispondo' and 'dico' are present tense verbs meaning 'I answer' and 'I say'.
-
Se non piaci a mamma, tu non piaci a me
➔ Use of 'se' as a conditional clause, and negative form 'non piaci' for 'don't like'
➔ 'Se' introduces a conditional, and 'non piaci' is the negative form meaning 'don't like'.
