La Societa dei Magnaccioni

Nationality: Italian
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 04/26/17
Primary Language: Italian
Language: English

Subject: Folk Song

Informant: Guido was born in Rome, Italy in a traditional Italian family. He currently studies business in California and plays rugby for his college team.

Original Script:

Fatece largo che passamo noi,
sti giovanotti de sta Roma bella,
semo regazzi fatti cor pennello,
e le regazze famo innamorà.
e le regazze famo innamorà.
Ma che ce frega, ma che ce importa,
se l’oste ar vino c’ha messo l’acqua,
e noi je dimo, e noi je famo,
c’hai messo l’acqua, e nun te pagamo, ma però,
noi semo quelli, che ja risponnemo n’coro,
è mejo er vino de li Castelli
che de sta zozza società.

Background information by informant: It’s probably the most popular roman folklore song. The song is primarily about the roman youth and its purity and spontaneity in the eyes of society. Additionally, it glamorizes Rome, establishing its superiority over the north of Italy.

Context of performance: We generally sing it in circumstances of victory, such as winning a rugby game against a team from a different city.

Thoughts: It is interesting to see how even within a country, there are different aspects of folklore that individualize certain regions of the country and exclude those outside of that group. This song is even more prominent in Rome because it is written in the specific roman dialect, causing a greater attatchment to the piece of folklore by locals.