Titanic [English translation]

Travelling first class costs a thousand lire

second class costs a hundred, third class is pain and fear

and the stench of sweat from the hatch

and the smell of stagnant water1.

Captain, sir, listen to me

I have my 1000 lire ready

I want to travel first class

on this splendid sea.

There's my daughter who's fifteen

and bought a hat in Paris

it would be very nice

if you invited us to dine with you tonight.

And with the orchestra playing in the background

those novel American rhythms

we'll say goodbye to Great Britain

with glasses in our hands

and with ice in our glasses

we'll give a clinking toast

to this truly world-class journey

to this giant moon.

But who said that travelling third class,

travelling third class is uncomfortable?

This berth looks like a queen-size bed

it's more comfortable than a hospital bed.

People have always called us hillbillies

but here we are treated like gentlemen

when it rains we can stay under cover

and when the weather's good we get out

on this sea, as black as oil,

to gaze at this metal moon

and when sirens go off

it almost sounds like a cockcrow,

it almost feels like the ice in our hearts

slowly, can melt

with the smoke of this steamer

in this holiday on the high seas.

And the propeller spins and spins and spins and spins

it spins and spins, come rain or snow,

for us, third-class boys

going to America to avoid dying.

The radio operator on his turret

- his long celestial fingers in the air -

was transmitting greetings and hopes

for this extraordinary cruise

and was receiving best wishes

in almost every language of the world

he was connecting Vienna with Chicago

in slightly less than a second.

And the first class girl

who was in love with her hat

when she saw him dancing at night

she immediately found him very handsome,

perhaps because of his steely gaze

that was so difficult to avoid,

she thought: "Maybe, with a bit of courage

before the arrival I'll make him kiss me."

And how beautiful is life tonight

between the urge of love and a father's rants

for us, first-class girls

going to America to get married,

for us, first-class girls

going to America to get married.

1. lit: the smell of a dead sea

• Artist:Francesco De Gregori
• Album:Titanic (1982)