Lyrics & Translation
Experience the heartfelt lyrics of Adriano Celentano's "Il ragazzo della via Gluck" and connect with themes of nostalgia, urban change, and environmental consciousness. This classic Italian song offers a unique glimpse into the cultural landscape of post-war Italy, allowing you to explore the Italian language through its evocative storytelling.
He too was born by chance on Via Gluck
In a house outside the city
Calm people who worked
Where there was grass, now there's a city
And that house in the greenery, where will it be now?
This boy from Via Gluck
Used to have fun playing with me
But one day he said: "I'm going to the city"
And he said it while crying
I asked him: "Friend, aren't you happy?"
"You're finally going to live in the city
You'll find the things you didn't have here
You can wash up at home without going down to the yard"
"My dear friend," he said, "I was born here
And in this street, I now leave my heart
But how can you not understand
It's a fortune for you who stay
Barefoot playing in the meadows
While there in the center, I breathe concrete
But one day I will return here again
And I will hear the friendly train whistle like this"
Years go by, but eight are long
Yet that boy has come a long way
But he doesn't forget his first home
Now with money, he can buy it
He returns and doesn't find the friends he had
Only houses upon houses, tar and concrete
Where there was grass, now there's a city
And that house in the greenery, where will it be now?
I don't know, I don't know why they keep building houses
And they don't leave the grass, they don't leave the grass
They don't leave the grass, they don't leave the grass
And no, if we keep going like this
Who knows how it will be, who knows, who knows, how it will be
Key Vocabulary
| Vocabulary | Meanings |
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storia /ˈstɔ.ri.a/ A2 |
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città /tʃitˈta/ A1 |
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casa /ˈka.za/ A1 |
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amico /aˈmi.ko/ A1 |
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giocare /dʒoˈka.re/ A1 |
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lavorare /la.voˈra.re/ A2 |
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fortuna /forˈtu.na/ B1 |
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cemento /tʃeˈmen.to/ B2 |
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prati /ˈpra.ti/ B1 |
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treno /ˈtre.no/ A2 |
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strada /ˈstra.da/ A2 |
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soldi /ˈsol.di/ B1 |
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cortile /korˈti.le/ B2 |
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erba /ˈer.ba/ A2 |
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lascio /ˈla.ʃo/ B1 |
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costruire /kosˈtru.i.re/ B2 |
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“storia, città, casa” – got them all figured out?
⚡ Dive into vocabulary challenges in the app and lock in your knowledge right after jamming to "Ragazzo della via Gluck"
Key Grammar Structures
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Questa è la storia di uno di noi
➔ Present tense to describe a current situation.
➔ The phrase "Questa è" indicates the present state of the story.
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E quella casa in mezzo al verde ormai, dove sarà?
➔ Future tense to express uncertainty about a future event.
➔ The phrase "dove sarà?" indicates a question about the future location of the house.
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Ma come fai a non capire
➔ Interrogative form to ask a question.
➔ The phrase "come fai a non capire" is a way to express disbelief or confusion.
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Passano gli anni, ma otto son lunghi
➔ Present tense to describe a general truth.
➔ The phrase "Passano gli anni" indicates the passage of time as a constant fact.
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Torna e non trova gli amici che aveva
➔ Past tense to describe a completed action.
➔ The phrase "non trova gli amici che aveva" indicates that he cannot find his friends anymore.
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E no, se andiamo avanti così
➔ Conditional form to express a hypothetical situation.
➔ The phrase "se andiamo avanti così" suggests a concern about the future if things continue as they are.
