Bisce

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of someone who has been wronged but now finds themselves in a position of power, viewing their detractors with a mix of disdain and a sense of karmic justice. The opening lines, "Mi hanno tolto tutto, ma comunque li ringrazio / Io ricco e loro poveri, pagano il contrappasso," immediately establish this dynamic. The narrator acknowledges past hardship but frames their current success as a form of retribution for those who took from them, suggesting a reversal of fortunes where the former oppressors now suffer. The central tension revolves around authenticity and deception, particularly in how others perceive and speak about the narrator. The recurring image of "bisce" (vipers or grass snakes) in the chorus, described as "strisciando giù" (slithering down) and having "lingua biforcuta" (forked tongue), serves as a potent metaphor for deceitful individuals who feign death or innocence while harboring malicious intent. The narrator asserts that these individuals, despite their attempts to undermine them, will ultimately remain "a terra come bisce," implying they are destined for a low, insignificant existence. A striking element of the craft is the juxtaposition of primal, almost violent imagery with more mundane or even childlike references. The narrator speaks of ripping out viscera to predict the future like the Etruscans, a visceral and ancient practice, immediately followed by the image of taking "quella mela" (that apple), a clear allusion to the biblical temptation. This contrast highlights a complex persona that is both anciently wise and prone to transgression, suggesting a rejection of external moral guidance in favor of self-determination, as indicated by the line, "Perché chi prende gli ordini sarà destinato per sempre a restare schiavo." The lyrics also touch on the fragility of perceived stability, noting, "È bella una città, sì, finché non crolla," and a fear of departure, "Mi piace quell'aereo, ma ho paura se decolla." This lyrical approach is effective because it grounds abstract feelings of betrayal and triumph in vivid, often unsettling, imagery. The repeated use of "bisce" creates a persistent sense of danger and duplicity, while the narrator's defiant stance and embrace of their own path, even one marked by transgression, resonates with a desire for agency. The lyrics suggest that true power comes not from external validation but from navigating a world of snakes and fallen cities with a clear, albeit perhaps morally ambiguous, sense of self.