GLI UOMINI NON CAMBIANO – Bilingual Lyrics Italian/English

• By: Mia Martini

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the emotional depth of Mia Martini's "Gli uomini non cambiano" and understand the powerful narrative of female resilience and heartbreak. This iconic Italian song offers a profound insight into relationships and personal strength, making it a compelling piece for appreciating the nuances of the Italian language and emotional expression.

[English]

I was also a little girl

In love with my father

For him I always make mistakes and I am

His clumsy daughter

I tried to win him over

And I never succeeded

And I fought to change him

It would take another life

The patience of women begins at that age

When those half-hostilities are born in the family

And you get lost inside a cinema

Dreaming of leaving

With the first one who comes along and tells you a lie

Men do not change

First they talk about love and then they leave you alone

Men change you

And you cry a thousand nights asking why

Instead, men kill you

And with friends, they go laugh at you

...

I cried too the first time

Cornered and defeated

He acted and did not understand

Why I was still and silent

But I discovered over time

And by becoming a bit tougher

That if a man is meaner in a group

When he's alone, he's more afraid

Men do not change

They make money to buy you and then sell you

At night, men do not return

And they give you everything you do not want

But why the men who are born

Are sons of women

But they are not like us

Love, the men who change

Are almost an ideal that does not exist

They are those in love like you

...

[Italian]

Sono stata anch'io bambina

Di mio padre innamorata

Per lui sbaglio sempre e sono

La sua figlia sgangherata

Ho provato a conquistarlo

E non ci sono mai riuscita

E ho lottato per cambiarlo

Ci vorrebbe un'altra vita

La pazienza delle donne incomincia a quell'età

Quando nascono in famiglia quelle mezze ostilità

E ti perdi dentro a un cinema

A sognare di andar via

Con il primo che ti capita e che ti dice una bugia

Gli uomini non cambiano

Prima parlano d'amore e poi ti lasciano da sola

Gli uomini ti cambiano

E tu piangi mille notti di perché

Invece, gli uomini ti uccidono

E con gli amici vanno a ridere di te

Piansi anch'io la prima volta

Stretta a un angolo e sconfitta

Lui faceva e non capiva

Perché stavo ferma e zitta

Ma ho scoperto con il tempo

E diventando un po' più dura

Che se l'uomo in gruppo è più cattivo

Quando è solo ha più paura

Gli uomini non cambiano

Fanno i soldi per comprarti e poi ti vendono

La notte gli uomini non tornano

E ti danno tutto quello che non vuoi

Ma perché gli uomini che nascono

Sono figli delle donne

Ma non sono come noi

Amore gli uomini che cambiano

Sono quasi un ideale che non c'è

Sono quelli innamorati come te

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
bambina /bamˈbiːna/ A2	noun - girl, young female child
innamorata /iˌnnamoraˈta/ B1	adjective - in love
sbaglio /sbaˈʎo/ B2	verb - to make a mistake
sgangherata /sganˈɡerata/ C1	adjective - ragged, battered, shabby
provato /proˈvato/ B2	verb - tried, attempted
conquistarlo /konkwiˈstarlo/ C1	verb - to conquer him, win him over
lottato /lʊtˈtaːto/ C1	verb - fought, struggled
cambiarlo /tʃanˈbiarlo/ B2	verb - to change him, alter him
loro /ˈloro/ A2	pronoun - they
piangere /pjanˈdʤere/ A2	verb - to cry
mille /ˈmille/ A2	numeral - thousand
uccidono /utˈtʃidoːno/ C1	verb - they kill
amore /aˈmoːre/ A1	noun - love
ideale /iˈdeːale/ B2	noun - ideal

Key Grammar Structures

• Gli uomini non cambiano

  ➔ Present tense of the verb 'cambiare' used to state a general truth.

  ➔ The phrase uses the **present tense** to state a recurring or universal truth about men.

• E ho lottato per cambiarlo

  ➔ Past participle 'lottato' with auxiliary 'ho' forms the present perfect tense to indicate a completed action.

  ➔ This construction uses the **present perfect tense** to express an action that has been completed in the past with relevance to the present.

• Prima parlano d'amore

  ➔ Present tense of the verb 'parlare' used to describe ongoing or habitual actions.

  ➔ The **present tense** of 'parlare' indicates that the action of speaking about love is ongoing or habitual.

• Gli uomini che cambiano

  ➔ Subjunctive or conditional-like phrase expressing the idea of men who change, often used to express hope or possibility.

  ➔ The phrase uses the **subjunctive or conditional mood** in a poetic or speculative sense to talk about potential change.

• E tu piangi mille notti di perché

  ➔ The use of 'piangi' (you cry) in the present tense indicating an ongoing emotional state.

  ➔ The verb **piangi** is in the present indicative tense, emphasizing an ongoing emotional experience.

• Gli uomini non tornano

  ➔ Use of the present tense negation 'non tornano' to express a general or ongoing truth.

  ➔ The **present tense negation** indicates a universal or habitual truth that men do not return.