He is considered one of the most original personalities in Italian music from the 1970s to now. Battiato's songs are dreamy, controversial collages of images and sensations, very experimental and convoluted, rich of esoteric, philosophical and East Asian religious themes.
His collaborations (from 1994 onward) with the nihilistic-cynical philosopher Manlio Sgalambro have added further depth to his apparently nonsensical lyrics, with references to Emil Cioran, Friedrich Nietzsche and other anarchistic and problematic thinkers.
Shock In My Town
Franco Battiato Lyrics
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Velvet Underground
Ho sentito (ho sentito, shock in my town) urla di furore
Di generazioni, senza più passato (Velvet Underground)
Di neo-primitivi
Rozzi cibernetici, signori degli anelli
Orgoglio dei manicomi
Shock in my town (shock in my town)
Velvet Underground
Ho incontrato (allucinazioni, shock in my town) allucinazioni
Stiamo diventando come degli insetti, simili agli insetti
Nelle mie orbite si scontrano tribù di sub-urbani
Di aminoacidi (di aminoacidi)
Latenti shock (shock addizionali, shock addizionali)
Sveglia Kundalini (sveglia Kundalini, sveglia Kundalini)
Per scappare via dalla paranoia
Mescalina (come dopo un viaggio con la mescalina che finisce male)
Nel ritorno
Shock in my town (shock in my town)
Velvet Underground
Shock in my town (shock in my town)
Latenti shock (shock addizionali, shock addizionali)
Sveglia Kundalini (sveglia Kundalini, sveglia Kundalini)
Per scappare via dalla paranoia
Mescalina (come dopo un viaggio con la mescalina che finisce male)
Nel ritorno (nel ritorno, torno, nel ritorno)
In "Shock in My Town," Franco Battiato delves into the impact of societal changes and technology on individuals, as well as the emergence of countercultural movements, framed by references to the Velvet Underground. He starts off by discussing the frustration and chaos that is being experienced by the younger generation who feels like they have lost touch with their heritage and instead are experiencing a radical shift in their identity. They now see themselves as neo-primitive, rough, and unrefined cybernetic creatures who take pride in their outcast status. Such individuals are like the rulers of mental institutions, where they conform to their desires irrespective of the actual state of their mentality. The reference to the Velvet Underground suggests that the song is making a commentary on the emergence of a countercultural rap and rock music that serves as a voice for the outcasts.
The song mentions how the experience of the singer is informed by the emergence of hallucinations that suggest the singer is becoming more insignificant, primitive, and insect-like in his experience. He sees a conflict between the sub-urban tribes' values, and the contradiction of their lifestyle is manifested in his biological makeup. Reminiscent of a psychedelic experience, the singer chants about latent shocks and the awakening of the Kundalini, which could help him be freed from his disillusionment and confusion that has resulted in paranoia. Mescaline, a hallucinogenic drug, is mentioned and represents the singer's means of returning to the present while trying to escape the confusion caused by his existential crisis.
Line by Line Meaning
Shock in my town (shock in my town)
A sudden feeling of confusion and distress in my hometown
Velvet Underground
A reference to the American rock band of the same name, known for their experimental and avant-garde music
Ho sentito (ho sentito, shock in my town) urla di furore
I have heard screams of fury
Di generazioni, senza più passato (Velvet Underground)
Of a generation without a past, inspired by the Velvet Underground's unconventional approach to music
Di neo-primitivi
People who embrace a primitive way of life in a modern world
Rozzi cibernetici, signori degli anelli
Rough and unkempt people who are obsessed with technology and are the rulers of a certain social circle
Orgoglio dei manicomi
The pride of insane asylums, referring to people who may be considered mentally unstable
Ho incontrato (allucinazioni, shock in my town) allucinazioni
I have had hallucinations
Stiamo diventando come degli insetti, simili agli insetti
We are becoming like insects, similar to insects in their behavior or mentality
Nelle mie orbite si scontrano tribù di sub-urbani
Different groups of suburban people collide in my world
Di aminoacidi (di aminoacidi)
Of amino acids, possibly referring to the chemical basis of life
Latenti shock (shock addizionali, shock addizionali)
Potential shocks, additional shocks
Sveglia Kundalini (sveglia Kundalini, sveglia Kundalini)
The Kundalini awakening, a spiritual concept in Indian religions that involves the rising of an energy from the base of the spine to the top of the head
Per scappare via dalla paranoia
To escape from paranoia, a mental condition characterized by excessive anxiety or fear
Mescalina (come dopo un viaggio con la mescalina che finisce male)
Mescaline, a psychedelic drug that can cause a bad trip
Nel ritorno (nel ritorno, torno, nel ritorno)
In the return, I come back
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Francesco Battiato, Manlio Sgalambro
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind