This is pure 1980’s Italian rock. Italian singer songwriter legend Umberto Tozzi sings live “Ti amo” in a rock anthem style. Below is an extract of the lyrics in English. This is one to sing along to. Enjoy.

Umberto Tozzi “Ti amo”
Ti amo, un soldo, ti amo, in aria, ti amo
se viene testa vuol dire che basta: lasciamoci.
ti amo, io solo, ti amo, in fondo un uomo
che non ha freddo nel cuore, nel letto comando io.

I love you, a coin, I love you, tossed in the air, I love you
If it comes up heads it means enough: we’re breaking up.
I love you, I’m just, I love you, in the end a man
Who isn’t cold at heart, in bed I make the rules.

Continue reading: English lyrics "Ti amo" Umberto Tozzi

This video comes from one of my Facebook friends and is advertised as “Shrek Karaoke dance party in Milanese [dialect]! With historic Milanese songs for those fed up with the same old Napoletan karaoke.”

So for an insight into the Italian language, here is a series of Milan dialect songs, with the classic nasal sound of this dialect from Northern Italy; and songs from Giovanni d’Anzi, Enzo Jannacci, Cochi & Renato, Nanni Svampa, Tognella e Alberto, Milly, Valter Valdi, and F.I Gamba de Legn.

The grand finale of the video is the song “E, La Vita, La Vita” by Cochi e Renato. After the jump you can take a look at the English lyrics of the chorus to this traditional Italian song. All thanks to Michele for putting the Shrek video up for us to have a giggle.

Continue reading: Italian karaoke and "la vita è bella": Shrek sings in Milanese dialect

“O sole mio” is one of Italy’s most famous songs, originally written in 1898 in the language of Napoli. It has since become a world renowned song, performed by operatic artists such as Enrico Caruso, Luciano Pavarotti (and The Three Tenors) and Andrea Bocelli.

The Italian song has sparked some more unusual versions as well, such as pop and rock re-mixes from Elvis Presley and Bryan Adams. Above, we give you O Sole Mio in its punk version, while after the jump you can hear it in its operatic tones with Caruso’s O Sole Mio, and that of The Three Tenors. For English lyrics to O Sole Mio, go to Wikipedia.

Continue reading: Italian opera song "O Sole Mio" in punk version

This is a very complex song from a worthy Italian artist, Biagio Antonacci. Called “Il cielo ha una porta sola” or “The sky has only one door”, it has created some controversy among fans, being an Italian love song that grows on you over time and which doesn’t necessarily please from the outset.

A Milan singer (here he would be described as “Milanese DOC”), Antonacci has released his latest album, with the same title as the above song. After the jump is the clip with some English lyrics to “Il cielo ha una porta sola”.

Continue reading: Biagio Antonacci: video of Italian love song with English lyrics

This video shows just how loved Laura Pausini is by the Italian public, even with a kind of playback performance, she still manages to create plenty of emotion. In the video here, you can see Pausini perform on Italy’s “C’è posta per te” program.

The song is “invece no”, from the album “Primavera in anticipo” (’early spring’), out on November 14. Below we give you the opening lines to Pausini in English.

Invece no, Laura Pausini

Forse bastava respirare,solo respirare un po’,
fino a riprendersi ogni battito
e non cercare l’attimo per andar via,non andare via
perchè non può essere abitudine dicembre senza te
ti resta qui,spera l’impossibile

Perhaps it was enough to breathe, just to breathe a little,
Until each beat came back
And not looking for the moment to get away, don’t go away
Because December without you can’t be a habit
Stay here, hope for the impossible

Continue reading: Laura Pausini live performance: video and english lyrics

Something of an Italian jazz artist, Pino Daniele here sings “Un vento di passione” or “Passionate wind” with female Italian singer Giorgia at the 2007 Italian Festivalbar, Milan. The live concert in Milan near the Duomo and Galleria is an incredible setting for such a spine-shivering song. Here we give you the English lyrics to this simple, but beautiful, love song.

“Un vento di passione” by Pino Daniele

Il ricordo di un amore
viaggia nella testa
e non c’è una ragione
quando cerchiamo quel che resta

The memory of a love
Travels in the mind
and there’s no logic
When we look for what remains

Continue reading: Italian love songs: English lyrics to "Un vento di passione" by Pino Daniele and Giorgia

This is a truly beautiful song, brought to us by Tiziano Ferro, from the original in Spanish called “Te tomare’ una foto”. The video clip shows the famous padlocks of love in Rome, and as usual the song is quite sad. Why are all the best love songs melancholy…?

Ti scattero’ una foto/I’ll take a photo of you

Ricorderò e comunque anche se non vorrai
Ti sposerò perché non te l’ ho detto mai
Come fa male cercare , trovarti poco dopo
E nell’ ansia che ti perdo ti scatterò una foto…
Ti scatterò una foto…

I will remember and even if you won’t want to
I’ll marry you because I’ve never told you
How it hurts to look, finding you after
And in the anxiety of losing you, I’ll take a photo of you…
I’ll take a photo of you…

Continue reading: Italian love songs: Tiziano Ferro English lyrics of "Ti scattero' una foto"

Okay so once you’ve got past the strange choice of Queen’s “We will rock you”, this is a montage video comparing Vasco Rossi’s “Il mondo che vorrei” with Luciano Ligabue’s “Il centro del mondo” (or “The world I’d like” and “The centre of the world”).

The two are the reigning rock idols in Italy and both have had long and successful careers. As we’ve already written on this site, Italians either love Rossi or hate him, and most rock fans can be divided into Vasco or Ligabue camps.

We give you some English lyrics after the jump and the two video clips of the songs.

Continue reading: Italian music: English lyrics, Vasco Rossi vs Luciano Ligabue

Two of Italy’s great names in music, Laura Pausini and Tiziano Ferro, got together for this duet “Non me lo so spiegare” or “I don’t know how to explain it”. See below for the lyrics in English of a painful love song.

“Non me lo so spiegare”, Laura Pausini and Tiziano Ferro

Solo che pensavo a quanto è inutile farneticare
E credere di stare bene quando è inverno e te
Togli le tue mani calde
Non mi abbracci e mi ripeti che son grande,
mi ricordi che rivivo in tante cose…nananana

Only I thought how useless it is to rave
And believe I’m okay when it’s winter and you
Take your warm hands away
You don’t hug me and repeat that I’m great,
You remind me I live in many things…nananana

Continue reading: Italian love songs: English lyrics of "Non me lo so spiegare", duet with Laura Pausini and Tiziano Ferro

This is a kind of semi-rap piece from Tiziano Ferro, taken from R Kelly’s “Did you ever think”, which has been successful around the world. Below is the translation of “Perdono” or “Forgive”.

Perdono
Tiziano Ferro

Perdono… si quel che è fatto è fatto io però chiedo… scusa
Regalami un sorriso che ti porgo una … rosa
Su questa amicizia nuova pace si… posa
Perché so come sono infatti chiedo…. Perdono
Si quel che è fatto è fatto io però chiedo… scusa
Regalami un sorriso che ti porgo una… rosa
Su questa amicizia nuova pace si… posa

Forgive…what is done is done but I ask…forgiveness
Give me a smile and I’ll hand you a…rose
On this friendship new peace is…placed
Because I know what I’m like in fact I ask…forgive
What’s done is done but I ask…forgiveness
Give me a smile and I’ll hand you a…rose
On this friendship new peace is…placed

Below is the version in Spanish and French, and Did you ever think from R Kelly.

Continue reading: Italian love songs: English lyrics to Perdono by Tiziano Ferro