La prima volta – Bilingual Lyrics Italian/English

• By: Negramaro

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the poignant Italian song "La prima volta" by Negramaro. Through its evocative lyrics and electronic rock sound, you can delve into themes of memory, change, and the enduring significance of first experiences, offering a unique window into Italian songwriting.

[English]

Tell me about the time

You saw me for the first time

You barely remember

Or you relive it all again

As if it were then

I looked so tired

Hanging on a crooked moon

Or maybe I was careful

Not to lose myself in your eyes

Still in your eyes

And do you remember how

The world spun around

Time felt slow

Or it ran like crazy

And now there's nothing in the world

That can truly compare

To what we were

To what we are now

To how we will be someday

Remember when

You killed me for the first time

You aimed right at the center

And you hit a little by mistake

And by mistake you won

And the world was trembling

How many times it spun around

Time is running out

Or will you stay beside me still

And now there's nothing in the world

That can truly compare

To what we were

To what we are now

To how we will be someday

I don’t remember that moment

When I saw you and you were someone else

You don’t remember that time

When you took my breath away

I don’t remember your face

When you made that funny face of mine

I don’t remember my home

And now there’s nothing in the world

That can truly resemble us

And what we were

We’re not anymore

And maybe we’ll be someday

Yes, but right now the world makes no sense

If with one gesture you erased everything

The story we were

The days we are now

And the absence we will be someday

Tell me about the time

You loved me for the first time

...

[Italian]

Parlami di quando

Mi hai visto per la prima volta

Ti ricordi a stento

O rivivi tutto come

Come fosse allora

Avevo l'aria stanca

Appeso ad una luna storta

O forse ero attento

A non perdermi negli occhi

Nei tuoi occhi ancora

E ti ricordi il mondo

Quanti giri su sé stesso

Era lento il tempo

O correva come un matto

E adesso non c'è niente al mondo

Che possa somigliare in fondo

A quello che eravamo

A quello che ora siamo

A come noi saremo un giorno

Ti ricordi quando

Mi hai ucciso per la prima volta

Hai mirato al centro

E hai colpito un po' per sbaglio

E per sbaglio hai vinto

E tremava il mondo

Quanti giri su se stesso

Sta scadendo il tempo

O mi rimani ancora accanto

E adesso non c'è niente al mondo

Che possa somigliare in fondo

A quello che eravamo

A quello che ora siamo

A come noi saremo un giorno

Non ricordo quella volta

In cui ti ho visto ed eri un'altra

Non ricordi quella volta

In cui mi hai tolto pure l'aria

Non ricordo la tua faccia

Quando hai fatto la mia smorfia

Non ricordo la mia casa

E adesso non c'è niente al mondo

Che possa somigliarci in fondo

E quello che eravamo

Adesso non lo siamo

E forse lo saremo un giorno

Sì, ma adesso non ha senso il mondo

Se con un gesto hai cancellato tutto

La storia che eravamo

I giorni che ora siamo

E l'assenza che saremo un giorno

Parlami di quando

Mi hai amato per la prima volta

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
ricordi /riˈkɔrdi/ A2	verb - to remember
visto /ˈviːstɔ/ A2	verb - to see
prima /ˈpriːma/ A2	adjective - first
tempo /ˈtɛm.po/ B1	noun - time, tempo
donna /ˈdɔn.na/ A2	noun - woman
occhi /ˈkɔk.ki/ A2	noun - eyes
mondo /ˈmɔn.do/ B1	noun - world
tempo /ˈtɛm.po/ B1	noun - time, rhythm
scadendo /skaˈdɛn.do/ B2	verb - to expire, run out
saremo /saˈre.mo/ B2	verb - we will be, shall be
amato /aˈmaːːto/ A2	verb - to love
giro /ˈdʒi.ro/ A2	noun - circle, turn, rotation
scordo /skordo/ C1	noun - disorder, disarray
senso /ˈsɛn.so/ B2	noun - sense, meaning
attento /atˈtɛn.to/ B2	adjective - attentive, careful
perdermi /perˈdɛr.mi/ B2	verb - to lose oneself
palpito /palˈpiː.to/ C1	noun - palpitation, heartbeat

Key Grammar Structures

• Ti ricordi a stento

  ➔ Use of the indirect object pronoun 'ti' with the verb 'ricordare' to indicate 'you remember' (reflexive action).

  ➔ 'Ti' is an indirect object pronoun meaning 'to you', used here with the verb 'ricordare' (to remember).

• E tremava il mondo

  ➔ Use of the imperfect tense 'tremava' to describe ongoing or habitual past action, with 'il mondo' as the subject.

  ➔ 'Tremava' is the imperfect tense of 'tremare', meaning 'was trembling' or 'was shaking'.

• Non ricordo la tua faccia

  ➔ Use of the negative form 'non ricordo' with the direct object 'la tua faccia' to express 'I don't remember your face'.

  ➔ 'Non ricordo' combines the adverb 'non' (not) with the verb 'ricordare' (to remember) in the present tense.

• Se con un gesto hai cancellato tutto

  ➔ Use of the present perfect 'hai cancellato' to indicate a completed action with 'se' (if) expressing conditional possibility.

  ➔ 'Hai cancellato' is the present perfect tense, combining 'hai' (you have) with the past participle 'cancellato'.

• E come noi saremo un giorno

  ➔ Use of the future simple 'saremo' of 'essere' to express 'we will be', indicating a future event or state.

  ➔ 'Saremo' is the simple future tense of 'essere', used to talk about something that will happen.

• Ti ricordi quando

  ➔ Use of the phrase 'Ti ricordi quando' to introduce a subordinate clause of time following 'when you remember'.

  ➔ 'Ti ricordi quando' is a phrase used to recall a specific moment in the past when the person remembers an event.