Il mio nemico [English translation]

Shoot, while you’re still in time,

and don’t miss;

probably, the target you can see

is just an illusion by the person who, from behind,

hopes that you will try again,

because, in the end, he just needs an excuse.

The scam is that it’s always someone else who pays for it;

there’s someone who investigates to eradicate the plague,

yet, for some reason, whatever happens,

in the distant building nobody bats an eye.

They need a scapegoat, and then who cares,1

the first dickhead at hand [will do].2

They need a scapegoat, and then who cares,

the first dickhead at hand [will do].

If you want to shoot, just shoot,

but don’t miss;

probably, the target you can see

is just an illusion by the person who, from behind,

swears he has a clean conscience,

but under that varnish there are sordid walls.

Dictatorship is there but you don’t know where,

you can’t see it from here, you can’t see it from here.

Dictatorship is there but you don’t know where,

you can’t see it from here, you can’t see it from here.

My enemy has no uniform,

he loves weapons but he doesn’t use them,

he has credit cards in his holster,3

and when he kills, he doesn’t apologize.

My enemy has no uniform,

he loves weapons but he doesn’t use them,

he has credit cards in his holster,

and when he kills, he doesn’t apologize.

And if you have no morals,

and if you have no passion,

if no doubt seizes you

because the only rights you’re interesting in

are shareholding ones;4

especially if you have some damn war to make,

don’t make it in my name,

don’t make it in my name,

’cause you never asked for my permission;

if you’re going to defend yourself, don’t do it in my name,

’cause you never asked for my opinion.

Shoot, while you’re still in time,

and don’t miss

(shoot him, Piero, shoot him now).5

Shoot, while you’re still in time,

and don’t miss

(shoot him, Piero, shoot him now).

My enemy has no uniform,

he loves weapons but he doesn’t use them,

he has credit cards in his holster,

and when he kills, he doesn’t apologize.

My enemy has no uniform,

he loves weapons but he doesn’t use them,

he has credit cards in his holster,

and when he kills, he doesn’t apologize.

My enemy has no name,

he has no religion either,

and power doesn’t wear him out,

power doesn’t wear him out.6

My enemy resembles me,

he’s like me: he loves family,

and that’s why he takes more than he gives.

And he won’t make a mistake,

and if he will, someone else will pay.

And power doesn’t wear him out,

power doesn’t wear him out.

1. far cadere una testa {make a head fall} = remove someone from his post (also used when he has (un)willingly taken responsibility for someone else’s faults).2. trovato per strada {found on the streets} = found by chance, available yet not thoughtfully chosen.3. Visa is a credit card network.4. Lit. ‟because the only reason you’re interested in having is a social reason”:

avere ragione {have reason} = be right.

ragione sociale {social reason} = the official, legal name of a company.5. Quote from La guerra di Piero {Piero’s war} by Fabrizio De André.6. il potere logora {power wears out (those who have it)} = a person holding power might be corrupted by it, he might give in to the temptation of using it for his own purposes.

• Artist:Daniele Silvestri