Learning and improving your italian with music

Hi, I’m Valentina, L2 / LS Italian teacher in ELLCI Milan. Today let’s discover Italian songs to learn Italian that will make us dream of summer and the sea.

I have always loved Italian for its natural musicality: the ease with which a word, an expression, a phrase can get stuck in our memory, there ready to be remembered, repeated and hummed at any time.

What could be better than humming Italian songs to learn Italian? The association of Italian with music is immediate, instantaneous. It brings with it images of theatres, orchestras, guitars in front of a beach and days simply made of songs. Notes and words that come out of the balconies, from the cars and from the voices of distracted passers-by, lost in the rhythm of the cities.

Nothing is more effective and evocative than a summer song; we close our eyes and we are already on a beach, queuing on the highway dreaming of diving into a crystal clear sea, of dancing the whole night barefoot waiting for sunrise or new love.

Here are the 5 Italian summer hits I have chosen for you, the best Italian songs to learn Italian.

5 easy songs to learn Italian

Let’s start with the new single by Diodato  “Un’altra estate”/ Another summer.

The winner of Sanremo, with his warm and powerful voice, rekindles hope after these months of darkness taking us on vacation again this year, indeed especially this year. Chissà che effetto fa /Who knows what effect it has? In short, ce ne andiamo al mare anche se non ci credevamo più, un’altra estate ci consola e ci rincuora/ we go to the sea even if we no longer believed it, another summer comforts us and encourages us. A good exercise to understand the various uses of CI with direct pronouns and pronominal verbs. Only the brave. 

Lo vedi arriva un’altra estate 

lo so non ci credevi più

che è stato buio l’inverno, troppo duro un inferno

è così immobile la primavera

Ma tu ora dove sei?

dimmi dove sei

che oggi ti porto via

E ce ne andiamo al mare

chissà che effetto fa (chissà che effetto fa)

vediamo se questo tempo ci rincuora

se questa estate ci consola

Lo vedi amico arriva un’altra estate

e ormai chi ci credeva più

che è stato duro l’inferno ma non scaldava l’inverno

hai pianto troppo questa primavera

E tu ora dove sei?

dimmi dove sei

che oggi se vuoi ti porto via

E ce ne andiamo al mare

chissà che effetto fa (chissà che effetto fa)

vediamo se questo tempo ci rincuora

se questa estate ci consola

E nuoteremo con il cuore in gola fino all’orizzonte

perchè in fondo noi in quell’orizzonte ci crediamo ancora

ci crediamo ancora

tu ci credi? (tu ci credi, tu ci credi?)

Io ci credo ancora

E ce ne andiamo al mare

chissà che effetto fa (lo devi arriva una tempesta)

e ce ne andiamo al mare

chissà che effetto fa (che poi magari ci consola)

• English translation 

You see, another summer is coming

I know you didn’t believe it anymore

Because the winter was dark, hell too hard

The spring is so still

But where are you now?

Tell me where you are

Because today I’m taking you away

And we’re going to the sea

Who knows what effect it’ll have

(Who knows what effect it’ll have)

Let’s see if this time gives us heart

If this summer consoles us

You see, my friend, another summer is coming

And now those who believed in it most

Because hell was hard, but it didn’t heat up the winter

You cried too much this spring

But where are you now?

Tell me where you are

Because today I’m taking you away

And we’re going to the sea

Who knows what effect it’ll have

(Who knows what effect it’ll have)

Let’s see if this time gives us heart

If this summer consoles us

And we’ll swim with out hearts in our throats to the end of the horizon

Because deep down we still believe in that horizon

We still believe

Do you believe it?

I still believe it

And we’re going to the sea

Who knows what effect it’ll have

(You see, another summer is coming)

And we’re going to the sea

Who knows what effect it’ll have

(Because then maybe it’ll console us)

Our second Italian song to learn Italian is an  Italian summer classic: Luca Carboni’s Mare mare. There is no place where you won’t hear this song every year, a true cult of the 90s. This year reinterpreted by Elisa in a new beautiful version, more electric and fresh to inaugurate this summer 2020. Here too we can’t wait to reach the sea, this time on a motorbike, but also looking forward to joining a partner with the same impatience. Will she be waiting for us?

A perfect piece to go over the prepositions, without stress, darting with your mind from Bologna on the highway, in a bar, on the pier and in the waves.

Ho comprato anche la moto

usata ma tenuta bene

ho fatto il pieno e in autostrada

prendo l’aria sulla faccia

Olè tengo il ritmo prendo un caffè

lo so

questa notte ti troverò

Son partito da Bologna

con le luci della sera

forse tu mi stai aspettando

mentre io attraverso il mondo

Alè questa notte mi porta via

olè questa vita mi porta via…

mi porta al mare

Mare, mare, mare

ma che voglia di arrivare lì da te, da te

sto accelerando e adesso ormai ti prendo

mare, mare, mare

ma sai che ognuno* c’ha il suo mare dentro al cuore sì

e che ogni tanto gli fa sentire l’onda

mare, mare, mare

ma sai che ognuno* c’ha i suoi sogni da inseguire sì

per stare a galla e non affondare no, no

Ma son finito qui sul molo

a parlare all’infinito

le ragazze che sghignazzano

e mi fan sentire solo

sì ma cosa son venuto a fare

ho già un sonno da morire

Va beh, cameriere un altro caffè

per piacere

alè tengo il ritmo e ballo con me

Mare, mare, mare

cosa son venuto a fare se non ci sei tu

no, non voglio restarci più no, no, no,

mare, mare, mare

cosa son venuto a fare se non ci sei tu

no, non voglio restarci più no, no, no,

mare, mare, mare

avevo voglia di abbracciare tutte quante voi

ragazze belle del mare, mare,

mare, mare, mare

poi lo so

che torno sempre a naufragare qui..

• English translation

I even bought a motorbike

used but well kept

I filled up and on the highway

I take the air on my face

Olè I keep the rhythm I take a coffee

I know

I’ll find you tonight

I left Bologna

with the evening lights

maybe you are waiting for me

while I cross the world

Alè takes me away tonight

olè this life takes me away …

takes me to the sea

Sea, sea, sea

but  how bad I want  to get there to you, to you

I’m speeding up and now I’m going to take you

sea, sea, sea

but you know that everyone * has his sea inside his heart yes

and that occasionally makes him feel the wave

sea, sea, sea

but you know that everyone * has his own dreams to chase yes

to stay afloat and not sink no, no

But I ended up here on the pier

to talk endlessly

the girls who laugh

and make me feel lonely

yes but what did I come here for? 

I am already so sleepy 

Okay, waiter another coffee

please

alè I keep the rhythm and dance with myself

Sea, sea, sea

what did I come here for  if you’re not here

no, I don’t want to stay anymore no, no, no,

sea, sea, sea

what what did I come here for if you’re not here

no, I don’t want to stay anymore no, no, no,

sea, sea, sea

I wanted to embrace all of you

beautiful sea-girls, sea,

sea, sea, sea

then I know

that I always go back to shipwreck here ..

[* Remember that the expression “c’ha” is part of the spoken colloquial Italian and, although it is widespread, it is not to be considered grammatically correct. It should be ognuno ha il suo mare dentro al cuore, ognuno ha i suoi sogni da inseguire/ everyone has his sea inside his heart, everyone has his dreams to chase”]

The third song is from 2009 “Verrà l’estate/ Summer will come” by Malika Ayane and Pacifico. Two great artists and beautiful voices who take us on vacation on a slow train that runs along the sea through the countryside, scents, lights and colours of the Mediterranean summer. Let’s enjoy this journey from the window and reflect a bit on the future. Che estate sarà quella che verrà?/ What summer will be the next one?

Verrà l’estate

sarà nel vento

nel fiato caldo dietro le persiane

nelle campagne gialle consumate

nelle strade vuote

Verrà l’estate

senza avvisare

Un treno lento che costeggia il mare

Sul marciapiede vuoto alla stazione

ti farai trovare

Sempre ti aspetto

Apro per te ogni finestra

respiro e l’aria è fresca

Salterà i muri,

le cancellate

Starà nei pozzi, in fondo ai corridoi

E verrà a prenderti, a portarti fuori

Sempre ti aspetto

salvami stanco e infelice

Nell’aria la tua luce

• English translation

Summer will come

it will be in the wind

in the warm breath behind the shutters

in the worn yellow countryside

in the empty streets

Summer will come

without notifying

A slow train that runs along the sea

On the empty sidewalk at the station

you will find yourself

I always wait for you

I open every window for you

I breath and the air is fresh

He will jump the walls,

the fences

He will stay in the wells, at the bottom of the corridors

And he will come to get you, to take you out

I always wait for you

save me tired and unhappy

Your light in the air

 We continue with one of the greatest successes of recent years and travel from Rome to Bangkok with Baby K and Giusi Ferreri. “Rome – Bangkok” of 2015 winks at reggaeton and electronic pop giving us a hymn of the summer that we will not easily forget.

Let’s get carried away by the conditional Volerei da te, ti seguirei fino in capo al mondo /I would fly to you, I would follow you to the end of the world and give some energy to the trip with the imperatives vestiti in fretta/ dress up quickly, abbassa i finestrini/ roll down the car windows and alza il volume/ turn up the volume. Ready go!

Yo, Baby K

Vestiti in fretta perché ho voglia di far festa

Sai non importa il trucco, la bellezza è in testa

Abbiamo visto il cielo piangerci addosso

Perciò balliamo ora che il sole è il nostro

Voglio una musica che mi ricorda l’Africa

All’improvviso tutto il mondo cambia pagina

Innamorarsi con la luna nel mare

Partire e tornare

Senza sapere quando

Andata senza ritorno

Ti seguirei fino in capo al mondo

All’ultimo secondo

Volerei da te, da Milano

Fino a Hong Kong

Passando per Londra, da Roma e fino a Bangkok

Cercando te

Stacca dal tuo lavoro almeno per un po’

La vita costa meno trasferiamoci a Bangkok

Dove la metropoli incontra i tropici

E tra le luci diventiamo quasi microscopici

Abbassa i finestrini voglio il vento in faccia

Alza il volume della traccia

Torneremo a casa solo quando il sole sorge

Questa vita ti sconvolge

Senza sapere quando

Andata senza ritorno

Ti seguirei fino in capo al mondo

All’ultimo secondo

Volerei da te, da Milano

Fino a Hong Kong

Passando per Londra, da Roma e fino a Bangkok

Cercando te

Anche i muri di questa città mi parlano di te

Le parole restano a metà

e più aumenta la distanza tra me e te

Giuro questa volta ti vengo a prendere

Senza sapere quando

Volerei da te, da Milano

Fino a Hong Kong

Passando per Londra, da Roma e fino a Bangkok

Cercando te

• english

Yo, Baby K

Dress up quickly because I want to party

You know no matter the makeup, beauty is in the lead

We saw the sky crying over us

So let’s dance now that the sun is ours

I want music that reminds me of Africa

Suddenly the whole world changes the page

Fall in love with the moon in the sea

Leave and return

Without knowing when

One way only

I would follow you to the end of the world

At the last second

I would fly to you, from Milan

Up to Hong Kong

Passing through London, from Rome and to Bangkok

Looking for you

Get away from your job at least for a while

Life costs less let’s move to Bangkok

Where the metropolis meets the tropics

And among the lights we become almost microscopic

Roll down the windows I want the wind in my face

Turn up the track volume

We will only go home when the sun rises

This life upsets you

Without knowing when

One way only

I would follow you to the end of the world

At the last second

I would fly to you, from Milan

Up to Hong Kong

Passing through London, from Rome and to Bangkok

Looking for you

Even the walls of this city tell me about you

The words remain in the middle

and the more the distance between you and me increases

I swear this time I’ll come get you

Without knowing when

I would fly to you, from Milan

Up to Hong Kong

Passing through London, from Rome and to Bangkok

Looking for you

Let’s conclude with a touch of indie pop directly from last summer. Coez with his “Domenica/ Sunday” takes us for a walk with his arm hanging from the window, his feet on the glove compartment and riding a bike without hands laughing for no reason. Come se fossimo bambini, come se fossimo destini, come fosse domenica con te/as if we were children, as if we were destinies, as if it were Sunday with you: imperfect subjunctive in a perfect day.

Vorrei fosse domenica

andare in bici senza mani

una risata isterica

e sconvolgere i tuoi piani

e volare senz’elica

senz’elica con te

vorrei fosse domenica

niente stadio né partite

una coda patetica

su questa statale andare

volare senz’elica

senz’elica io e te

[Chorus]

È come se fossimo bambini

come se fossimo destini

che si corrono accanto

con le mani nel vento

come fosse domenica con te, con te

Vorrei fosse domenica

tu coi piedi sul cruscotto

io il braccio che penzola

l’orologio sotto al sole che scotta

e ripenso alla mia vita senza te

vorrei fosse domenica

e tua madre fosse meno, un po’ meno nevrotica

e tuo padre oggi bevesse soltanto acqua tonica

io e te a ridere

[Chorus]

[Pre-Chorus]

Vorrei fosse domenica

vorrei fosse domenica

e stringi la giornata fra le dita

che tra poco è già finita

così è la vita, così è la vita

[Chorus]

• English

I wish it were Sunday

Riding a bike with no hands

A hysterical laughter

And ruining all your plans

And flying with no propeller

With no propeller with you

I wish it were Sunday

No stadium and no matches

A pathetic traffic jam

On this highway going

Flying with no propeller

With no propeller you and me

[Chorus]

And as if we were children

As if we were destinies

That run parallel to each other

With the hands in the wind

As if it were Sunday with you, with you

I wish it were Sunday

You with the feet on the car dashboard

Me with the arm hanging down

The watch that burns under the sun

And I think back to my life without you

I wish it were Sunday

And your mother were less, a bit less neurotic

And you father today only drank tonic water

You and me laughing

[Chorus]

[Pre-Chorus]

I wish it were Sunday

I wish it were Sunday

And hold your day between your fingers

‘Cause soon it will already be over

Life’s like this

Life’s like this

Congratulations you made it till the end of our song to learn Italian to playlist!
Still craving some Italian? Try our Online Italian courses, starting from two weeks. Reach a level in 6 weeks![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]