What it's about

The singer presents his family as a family tree: his parents holding him by the hand, his brother and sister, his grandparents with silver hair, his aunts, uncles, and cousins at a big table, and finally a nephew and his bride. The chorus says that with these roots in the heart, you never fall. It is a declaration of love for family.

Useful words

  • madre, padre, fratello, sorella: the immediate family
  • nonno, nonna, zio, zia, cugini: the other relatives
  • nipote: in Italian this means both a sibling's child and a child's child
  • sposa: wife, as well as a woman on her wedding day (bride). In everyday language, moglie is used more often.
  • albero genealogico: the chart of all one's relatives (family tree)
  • le radici: the underground part of the tree (the roots), used figuratively here
  • la saggezza, la dolcezza, l'affetto: qualities and feelings
  • capelli d'argento: a poetic way to say white hair (silver hair)
  • un banchetto: a big festive meal (a banquet)
  • lieve: light

Expressions

  • tenere per mano: "mi tengono per mano"
  • non cadere mai giù: not to break down, to stay strong
  • Buon sangue non mente: a proverb meaning that children take after their parents
  • un legame di sangue: the bond between relatives (a blood tie)
  • fa innamorare: sparks love, makes one fall in love

Grammar

  • Possessives with family members: in the singular, they do not take an article (mia madre, mio padre, mio fratello, mia sorella). With other words, the article remains: il mio albero, la mia famiglia, la mia bella sposa.
  • Indirect object pronouns: mi svela, mi parla, mi regalano (= a me, to me).
  • Impersonal si: "si mangia e si beve" (= everyone eats and drinks), "si sa" (= everyone knows).
  • Reciprocal verbs: "ci aiutiamo" (= we help each other).
  • Gerund: "tenendo la mano" (while holding the hand).
  • Truncated form: "han" stands for hanno. It is typical of songs and poetry.

Note: choices made for the rhyme

  • "è così su": this is not said in Italian. It is used to rhyme with giù. Naturally, you would say è così alto or è così grande.
  • "giammai": this is an old, literary word. The standard proverb is buon sangue non mente, without anything added. In spoken Italian, mai is used.
  • "ridono come degli eroi": this is an unusual comparison, chosen to rhyme with noi.
  • "tenendo la mano": naturally, you would say tenendomi la mano.
  • "che non rompi mai": here the tu is generic. Usually, you would say che non si rompe mai.
  • "di questa mia età": this is a poetic and uncommon expression.