La Mia Città
By Emma
What “La Mia Città” means
Emma’s "La Mia Città" is about a complicated love-hate relationship with both a city and the self. The singer lists the annoyances of urban life—noise, fog, traffic, tripping on manhole covers—yet these same places and routines are also where she belongs and keeps returning. Emotionally, the song feels restless, self-aware, and urgent: she wants freedom and movement, but also connection, stability, and certainty, especially in love. The repeated running, leaving, and coming back suggest that the city is a metaphor for her own inner contradictions: she hates her flaws, but also accepts that they are part of her identity.
About emmaVEVO
Emma Marrone is an Italian singer-songwriter and actress from Florence, Italy, known for pop and pop rock music. She became widely known after winning the TV talent show Amici di Maria De Filippi in 2010, and later became one of Italy’s biggest pop artists of the 2010s.
"La mia città" was released on May 9, 2014 as a single from the deluxe edition of Emma’s album Schiena. The song is in Italian and has a rock/pop-rock sound; it was chosen to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, where it finished 21st.
Line highlights
"Odio andare di fretta"
Literally, "I hate going in a hurry." This opening immediately sets a frustrated, stressed urban mood and uses a very natural everyday phrase learners will hear often.
"Il tempo appeso"
This means "time hanging" or "time suspended," a poetic way to describe the city as stuck or waiting. It is a strong metaphor that gives the song a feeling of tension and stagnation.
"O dovrò correre per la felicità"
This translates to "Or will I have to run for happiness?" It captures the song’s central question: whether happiness must be chased constantly, which is both poetic and easy to remember because of the simple verb choice.
"Stringo forte il tuo respiro"
Literally, "I hold your breath tightly" or more naturally, "I hold onto your breath." It is intimate and unusual, showing emotional dependence and closeness through an image rather than direct explanation.
"Voglio tutto, voglio te"
"I want everything, I want you" is the emotional climax of the chorus. The repetition makes the desire sound impatient and intense, and it also highlights the song’s theme of wanting both life in full and a specific person.
"Spegni la città"
This means "turn off the city" and works as a vivid metaphor for shutting out the noise and chaos. It is a nice example of how Italian lyrics can use simple verbs in poetic, surprising ways.
Lyrics preview (Italian with English translation)
- Odio andare di fretta, i rumori, la nebbia I hate being in a rush, the noises, the fog
- Il tempo appeso di questa città The suspended time of this city
- Odio le scarpe col tacco, che incastro da distratta I hate high heels, how I get caught on them, distracted
- Nei tombini invadenti di questa città In the intrusive manholes of this city
- Odio me stessa allo specchio I hate myself in the mirror
- Non per il difetto, ma per stupidità. Not for the flaw, but for my stupidity
- Amo restare in giro sapendo I love staying out, knowing
- Di tornare sempre in questa città. That I'll always come back to this city
Play the song above for the full karaoke-synced lyrics with line-by-line translation.