Hey America, Italy Wants to Talk.

10 min readNov 20, 2020

And it is not about Covid. Honest. Not really. Well, Sort of . . .

Italy and America have close historical links. They also have, unfortunately, a few similarities in causes and effects of Covid.

But this article is not about those.

Instead it is about death. Yikes, huh? But before you click away, hear me out.

It is about death in a pretty phenomenal song. That is in Italian. That is no less phenomenal if you don’t speak Italian . . . because I have provided the lyrics in translation below and because the music, the music, will speak to you.

Originally released in 2008, and originally about the suicide of a friend, the song could easily be about the Corona Virus Pandemic and the deaths of hundreds of thousands in these respective countries.

In “La Canzone di Tom,” by Il Teatro degli Orrori, an Italian alternative/punk band, the singer sings of Tom and his “departure.” The story begins quietly, acoustically, innocently enough, like the virus did. The singer asks us if we have heard of his friend Tom. Before we can answer, we realize that the question is a rhetorical one, of course, and that Tom’s departure is the final one; worse, it was caused by suicide.

The singer, distraught enough because of this, laments that he did not tell Tom of his love. As he moves from hurt to anger, the instrumentation moves from soft acoustic to power electric, and the singer admits that he is also contemplating suicide.

I used to think that Italian is such a graceful and poetic language that it can make even death sound beautiful. I still think it is a language with beauty beyond all others, but the Pandemic has taught me that death is winning. Rightly or wrongly, punk rockers have a reputation for an excessive anger and self-loathing that can cross into self-harm. Not being fluent in Italian (but understanding enough to know that the translation below is stiff, soulless, and entirely unable to represent this song adequately), I can’t be sure that this is not the case in this narrative.

It is for this reason that this song holds my attention. Yes, the singer talks of suicide, but I think it is a natural reaction in his initial rage and helplessness. The power his voice exhibits in the second half of the song illustrates the strength necessary to overcome such an event; it exercises the will necessary if hard memories are to be wrangled or made softer; it confers the need to allow life to continue, even flourish, and to do so without guilt, after death. Every replaying of this great song makes Tom live on in the singer’s heart; every replaying is an affirmation that purpose — and happiness — can be reclaimed from grief and sorrow; every replaying brings with it a small cup of aqua vita to replenish body and soul.

Where is your strength coming from as we all endure this pandemic? Are you speaking your love?

Hai sentito di Tom?
Tom che se n’è andato via!
Questo non è uno scherzo,
Non è neanche una fantasia.
Hai sentito di Tom?
Tom che se n’è andato via!
Come ci illudi, Tom,
Di essere ancora tutti vivi
Mentre guardiamo sempre dall’altra parte.
Avrei voluto dirti tante cose,
Forse la più importante non la ricordo più.
Avrei voluto averti amato.
Ma è così tardi ora,
Parlami ancora Tom,
Parlami ancora…
Dimmi qualcosa.
Hai sentito di Tom?
Tom che se n’è andato via!
Questo non è uno scherzo,
Non è neanche una fantasia.
Hai sentito di Tom?
Tom che se n’è andato via… per sempre!
Ma come ci illudi, Tom,
Di essere ancora tutti vivi
Mentre guardiamo sempre dall’altra parte.
Avrei voluto dirti tante cose…
Forse la più importante non me la ricordo più.
Avrei voluto averti amato,
Ma è così tardi ora.
Parlami ancora Tom,
Parlami ancora…
Dimmi qualcosa.
Ma non importa,
Non è per questo che ti chiamo.
Volevo dirti…
Volevo dirti “ti amo”!
Cantare una canzone, per non dimenticarti più!
Cantare una canzone, per averti sempre…
Sempre con me!
Hai sentito di Tom?
Tom che se n’è andato via!
Uno di questi giorni
La farò finita pure io.
Hai sentito di Tom?
Tom che se n’è andato via… per sempre!
Come ci illudi, Tom,
Di essere ancora tutti vivi
Mentre guardiamo sempre dall’altra parte.

Have you heard of Tom?

Tom who has gone away!

This is not a joke,

It is not even a fantasy.

Have you heard of Tom?

Tom who has gone away!

As you deceive us, Tom,

To still be all alive

While we always look the other way.

I wanted to tell you many things,

Maybe I don’t remember the most important one.

I wish I had loved you.

But it’s so late now,

Talk to me again Tom,

Talk to me again …

Tell me something.

Have you heard of Tom?

Tom who has gone away!

This is not a joke,

It is not even a fantasy.

Have you heard of Tom?

Tom who has gone away … forever!

But as you deceive us, Tom,

To still be all alive

While we always look the other way.

I would have liked to tell you many things …

Maybe I don’t remember the most important one anymore.

I wish I loved you,

But it’s so late now.

Talk to me again Tom,

Talk to me again …

Tell me something.

But it does not matter,

That’s not why I’m calling you.

Wanted to tell you…

I wanted to say “I love you”!

Sing a song, not to forget you anymore!

Sing a song, to always have you …

Always with me!

Have you heard of Tom?

Tom who has gone away!

Someday

I’ll do it too.

Have you heard of Tom?

Tom who has gone away … forever!

As you deceive us, Tom,

To still be all alive

While we always look the other way.

Lyrics from Musixmatch

Hey America, Italy Wants to Talk.

Written by khacharvitornaipakhi