Sornione

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of someone who deliberately avoids direct confrontation and emotional honesty, preferring a more guarded, almost strategic approach to interaction. Asking someone how they are carries a "certain risk" because the honest answer isn't "foreseen" or expected in social exchanges. This sets up a tension between the expected superficiality of interactions and the narrator's own complex, perhaps cynical, perspective on truth and sincerity. The narrator observes that true honesty is rare, often only surfacing when "shouted on television," implying that public displays of sincerity are performative rather than genuine. The lyrics suggest that "truth never pays" and instead "always causes agitation in others." This leads to a peculiar piece of advice: "Don't discuss what you know, always express an opinion on everything else." This highlights a deliberate choice to avoid deep engagement with truth, instead opting for superficial pronouncements, perhaps as a defense mechanism. The core of the narrator's strategy is revealed in the repeated instruction to smile "SORNIONE" when confronted or challenged. This word, and the associated "ghigno" (grin/sneer), suggests a knowing, slightly mocking, and self-protective demeanor. It's a way of acknowledging the game of social interaction without fully participating in its earnestness. The narrator admits to "circling around the truth like a vulture," indicating a constant awareness and proximity to it, but never a direct, vulnerable engagement. This guardedness extends to relationships, as the narrator anticipates that being loved will lead to suffering, rebellion, and eventual hatred, followed by a potential reconsideration. The final repetition of "Remember this grin" reinforces the idea that this "SORNIONE" persona, with its hidden intentions and knowing smile, is the lasting impression the narrator intends to leave. It's a complex portrayal of self-preservation through a carefully constructed, ironic detachment.