Song Meaning

Roberto Vecchioni's "Messina" isn't a travelogue; it’s a brutal, poetic rejection of something – or someone – once held dear. The refrain, "Svegliarsi ed essere a Messina" (waking up and being in Messina), acts as the central metaphor. Messina, a city "worthy of all esteem," becomes synonymous with a disappointing, unwanted reality. It represents the mundane, the anticlimactic aftermath of a love that promised "amore grande, amore eterno" (great love, eternal love). The initial verses speak of scaling metaphorical heights, "salito i sette piani" (climbing the seven floors), only to find the object of affection, now absent, replaced by the unwelcome prospect of waking up in Messina. The core of the song meaning lies in this contrast: the aspiration versus the letdown. Vecchioni doesn't stop at romantic disillusionment. He broadens his critique, turning his attention to a "buon usuraio dal naso storto" (good usurer with a crooked nose), a figure of exploitation and deceit. This character, offering false promises and demanding piety, is met with defiance. The singer refuses to participate in the transaction, declaring, "Tu vendi troppo io compro poco" (You sell too much, I buy too little). This rejection of the usurer further illuminates the song's underlying theme: a refusal to settle for anything less than genuine connection and authentic experience. The threat to "mando a buco quest'affare" (I'll sabotage this deal) underscores a commitment to integrity, even in the face of pressure to compromise. The latter verses continue this thread of resistance against inauthenticity. Vecchioni dismisses the temptation to chase fleeting trends or pander to popular opinion. He scorns the idea of creating art that manipulates listeners into believing they are intelligent for consuming it. The lines about not having been to India and not copying the theme suggest a rejection of exoticism and imitation in favor of originality. He could, he implies, play it safe, "far quello che non rischia" (do what doesn't risk), but that, too, would be akin to waking up in Messina – a perfectly acceptable, even esteemed, place, but utterly devoid of personal meaning or fulfillment. The insistent return to Messina, then, is a powerful statement about the necessity of remaining true to oneself, even when the alternative seems easier or more appealing.