Willie Peyote

Heading into night four, it’s one of the top three in the Sanremo 2021 rankings, proving particularly popular with the press voters. But what exactly is Willie Peyote’s “Mai dire mai (La locura)” all about?

Scroll down for “Mai dire mai (La locura)” lyrics

Sanremo 2021: Willie Peyote “Mai dire mai (La locura)”

Guglielmo Bruno, known as Willie Peyote, is a singer-songwriter and rapper. His stage name combines the animated character Wile E. Coyote with peyote, a hallucinogenic plant from North America. On YouTube, his most viewed videos are “Ottima scusa” and “La mia futura ex moglie”.

What do the “Mai dire mai (La locura)” lyrics mean?

Sanremo 2021’s only authentic rap entry is a fast and relentless, vitriolic satire of Italian music. Willie Peyote talks about the new songwriting and dancing on TikTok. The slavery of the social network expands to civil society. That’s why “Mai dire mai (La locura)” or “Never Say Never (The Madness)” is the most political song of the Festival. “They pump the trash in the name of LOL and then you’re surprised by the exit polls”. The “locura” of the title is a quotation from the Italian satirical series Boris. In fact the song opens with the voice of actor Valerio Aprea, taken from a famous scene in the third season: “This is the Italy of the future: a country of music while outside there is death”.

The lyrics also reference (“The bad intension…” what’s up?) to the iconically cringe moment at last year’s Sanremo Festival, which led to Morgan and Bugo’s shock disqualification from the competition.

“Mai dire mai (La locura)” lyrics — Willie Peyote (Sanremo 2021)

Written and Composed by: W. Peyote, C. Cavalieri D’Oro, D. Bestonzo and G. Petrelli

Italian text

English translation

“Questa è l’Italia del futuro, un paese di musichette mentre fuori c’è la morte”

Ora che sanno che questo è il trend tutti ‘sti rapper c’hanno la band
Anche quando parlano l’autotune, tutti in costume come gli X-men
Gridi allo scandalo, sembrano Marilyn Manson nel 2020
Nuovi punk vecchi adolescenti, tingo i capelli e sto al passo coi tempi

C’è il coatto che parla alla pancia ma l’intellettuale è più snob
In base al tuo pubblico scegliti un bel personaggio, l’Italia è una grande sit-com
Sta roba che cinque anni fa era già vecchia ora sembra avanguardia e la chiamano It-pop
Le major ti fanno un contratto se azzecchi il balletto e fai boom su Tik-tok

Siamo giovani affamati, siamo schiavi dell’hype
Non si vendono più i dischi tanto c’è Spotify
Riapriamo gli stadi ma non teatri né live
Magari faccio due palleggi, mai dire mai

Siamo giovani affermati, siamo schiavi dell’hype
Non ti servono i programmi se il consenso ce l’hai
Riapriamo gli stadi ma non teatri né live
Magari faccio due palleggi, mai dire mai

Mai dire mai, mai dire mai
Mai dire, mai dire, mai dire, mai dire mai

Ora che sanno che questo è il trend tutti che vendono il culo a un brand
Tutti ‘sti bomber non fanno goal ma tanto ora conta se fanno il cash
Pompano il trash in nome del LOL e poi vi stupite degli Exit poll?
Vince la merda se a forza di ridere riesce a sembrare credibile

Cosa ci vuole a decidere “tutta ‘sta roba c’ha rotto i coglioni?”
Questi piazzisti, impostori e cialtroni a me fanno schifo ‘sti cazzi i milioni
“le brutte intenzioni…” che succede? Mi sono sbagliato
Non ho capito in che modo twerkare vuol dire lottare contro il patriarcato

Siamo giovani affamati, siamo schiavi dell’hype
Non si vendono più i dischi tanto c’è Spotify
Riapriamo gli stadi ma non teatri né live
Magari faccio due palleggi, mai dire mai

Siamo giovani affermati, siamo schiavi dell’hype
Non ti servono i programmi se il consenso ce l’hai
Riapriamo gli stadi ma non teatri né live
Magari faccio due palleggi, mai dire mai

Non so se mi piego, non so se mi spezzo
Non so se mi spiego, dipende dal prezzo
Lo chiami futuro ma è solo progresso
Sembra il Medioevo più smart e più fashion

Se è vero che il fine giustifica il mezzo
Non dico il buongusto ma almeno il buonsenso
Ho visto di meglio, ho fatto di peggio
Ecco, tu dì un’altra palla se riesco palleggio

Siamo giovani affamati, siamo schiavi dell’hype
Non si vendono più i dischi tanto c’è Spotify
Riapriamo gli stadi ma non teatri né live
Magari faccio due palleggi, mai dire mai

Siamo giovani affermati, siamo schiavi dell’hype
Non ti servono i programmi se il consenso ce l’hai
Riapriamo gli stadi ma non teatri né live
Magari faccio due palleggi, mai dire mai

Mai dire mai, mai dire mai
Mai dire, mai dire, mai dire, mai dire mai
Mai dire mai, mai dire mai
Mai dire, mai dire, mai dire, mai dire mai

“This is the Italy of the future, a country of music while outside there is death”.

Now that they know that this is the trend, all these rappers have a band
Even when they speak autotune, they’re all dressed up like the X-men
Kick up a fuss, they look like Marilyn Manson in 2020
New punks old teens, I dye my hair to keep up with the times

There’s the chav who appeals to the worst instincts of people but the intellectual is more snobby
According to your audience choose a nice character, Italy is a great sit-com
This stuff that five years ago was already old now seems avant-garde and they call it It-pop
The majors make you a contract if you get the dance right and you go boom on Tik-tok

We’re hungry young people, we’re slaves to hype
We don’t sell records anymore, there is Spotify anyway
We’re reopening stadiums but not theaters or live performances
Maybe I’ll do a bit of dribbling, never say never

We are young and established, we are slaves of hype
You don’t need programs if you have consensus
We’re reopening stadiums but not theaters or live shows
Maybe I’ll hit a few balls, never say never

Never say never, never say never
Never say, never say, never say, never say never

Now that they know that this is the trend everyone sells their ass to a brand
All these strikers don’t score goals but now it only matters if they make cash
They pump the trash in the name of LOL and then you’re surprised by the exit polls?
Shit wins if by dint of laughing it manages to seem credible

What does it take to decide “all this stuff has broken our balls”?
These salesmen, phonies, and charlatans make me sick.
“The bad intentions…” what’s up? I was wrong
I didn’t understand in what way twerking means to fight against patriarchy

We are hungry young people, we are slaves of hype
We don’t sell records anymore, there is Spotify anyway
We reopen stadiums but not theaters or live performances
Maybe I’ll hit a few balls, never say never

We are young and established, we are slaves of hype
You don’t need programs if you have consensus
We’re reopening stadiums but not theaters or live shows
Maybe I’ll hit a few balls, never say never

I don’t know if I bend, I don’t know if I break
I don’t know if I make myself clear, it depends on the price
You call it future but it’s just progress
Looks like the Middle Ages, but smarter and more fashionable

If it’s true that the end justifies the means
I’m not saying good taste but at least common sense
I’ve seen better, I’ve done worse
Here, you say another bullshit, if I can, I’ll hit a few balls

We are hungry young people, we are slaves to hype
We don’t sell records anymore, there is Spotify anyway
We’re reopening stadiums but not theaters or live shows
Maybe I’ll hit a few balls, never say never

We are young and established, we are slaves of hype
You don’t need programs if you have consensus
We’re reopening stadiums but not theaters or live shows
Maybe I’ll hit a few balls, never say never

Never say never, never say never
Never say, never say, never say, never say never
Never say never say never say never
Never say, never say, never say, never say never

What do you think of “Mai dire mai (La locura)” could it win Sanremo? Would it work at Eurovision? Comment below.

Follow all of our Italy Eurovision 2021 news.

8 Comments
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Fast Food Music Lover
Fast Food Music Lover
3 years ago

I already love the song and the lyrics make it more enjoyable. Impressive how Sanremo allows a song like this to compete. Kudos to the producer!

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
3 years ago

This is actually really cool. I like his song and I like that he’s not afraid to give his opinion about all of these things. More surprised it’s doing so well, but not unpleasantly surprised.

Anne Marie
Anne Marie
3 years ago

Wow, he really is writing an essay here. As much I understand his criticism about the capitalistic aspects of modern music and artists selling out, it still is too harsh towards the trend of current music. It’s just a change of production and music genres. I remember reading that people hated The Beatles at the beginning of their career because they played rock and rock was seen as something horrible and vulgar at that time. It’s easy to judge trends without understanding that there is just a general shift in music that happens in every decade.

Last edited 3 years ago by Anne Marie
Nora
Nora
3 years ago

My second place after Irama

Cacao
Cacao
3 years ago

I love this song and totally disagree with the comments. You can have a bad opinion of TikTok, Phone addicts and twerk without being and old guy considering that all young people are idiots. Good luck to him at Sanremo !!!

Grft
Grft
3 years ago

Ok boomer

Ashton Schier
Ashton Schier
3 years ago

I rly like this song but these lyrics are aggressively 50-year-old-cant-understand-the-current-generation-and-doesnt-like-that-he-doesnt.

Kosey
Kosey
3 years ago

Sounds like he’s having a midlife crisis.