# Prima spara tu



## Oleg68

Spara dritto a te,
Pero prima spara tu dopo chiedi chi è
Non pensare a perdere il momento

Uranio22 by Marco Mengoni
http://bananan.org/m/marco_mengoni/uranio_22

Where it needs to lay emphasis, "prima SPARA tu" or "prima spara TU"?


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## Benzene

_*Hello Oleg68!*

Your text is incorrect.

Try "spara dritto (davanti a te) però prima spara tu dopo chiedi chi è..." = "shoot straight (in front of you) but first shoot and __after ask who is...."._
_
Bye,

*Benzene*_


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## london calling

Oleg, we only do translations here (between Italian and English and viceversa). Questions about Italian only should be posted in the Solo italiano forum:. Or do you require an English translation? If so, please post your translation attempt (forum rules).


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## Oleg68

london calling said:


> Oleg, we only do translations here (between Italian and English and viceversa). Questions about Italian only should be posted in the Solo italiano forum:



OK. Then I'd like ask the last question. We in Russia are discussing the usage the word "prima". Some people don't understand the meaning of this word here.
Can I say instead of the "prima" "in the beginning"?
"In the beginning (in primo luogo) you shoot and only after that ask question".


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## london calling

_Prima_ is in the WR Dictionary: it means 'beforehand/first ', in your context.

'Prima spara tu dopo chiedi chi è' sounds like the (bad) Italian translation of the set English expression "Shoot first, ask questions later." And yes, both sentences are in the imperative.

We wouldn't say 'in the beginning' here. _In the beginning_ comes from the Bible (Genesis I): _In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth _by the way_. _


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## Oleg68

The matter is that some people don't see the connection between two parts. I understand it as "Shoot first, ask questions later"
They understand the phrase "pero prima spara tu" as "but better YOU shoot first" (not another man) I.e. "before that man shoot at you".

Thank you very much, Benzene and london calling!


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## london calling

Oleg68 said:


> They understand the phrase "pero prima spara tu" as "but better YOU shoot first" (not another man)


That's exactly what it means: (you) shoot first and (you) ask questions later. Second person imperative.


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## Oleg68

london calling said:


> (you) shoot first



That exactly what we can't understand. Can I say initially"?

_primarily, at the beginning, at first?_


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## london calling

No. Prima  doesn't mean primarily, at the beginning, at first or initially  in this context.

_avv_ (in luogo che precede) 
before _adv_
beforehand _adv
_
A couple of examples:

_Prima impara l'inglese e poi ti faccio fare lezioni di chitarra._
Learn English first and then I'll let you have guitar lessons.

_Va' prima a destra e poi a sinistra._
First go right and then go left.

Better?


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## Oleg68

Better  For us, Russians, it means at the beginning, at first, primarily 

If you are interested
http://dic.academic.ru/searchall.php?SWord=сначала&from=en&to=ru&did=&stype=1


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## london calling

Yours must be a fascinating language.


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## Oleg68

london calling said:


> Yours must be a fascinating language.



I only can say that the Russian language is a very difficult one. Your languages are more easy.


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## elemika

Benzene said:


> _*Hello Oleg68!*
> 
> Your text is incorrect.
> 
> Try "spara dritto (davanti a te) però prima spara tu dopo chiedi chi è..." = "shoot straight (in front of you) but first shoot and __after ask who is...."._
> _
> Bye,
> 
> *Benzene*_



Ciao,
il testo non sembra  scorretto.
Marco Mengoni dice nell'intervista: "Uranio 22 tratta il bellico con leggerezza e _sarcasmo_,  è una _presa in giro_ ... anche un atto di ribellione nei confronti delle oltre 40 guerre in atto e la devastazione di questi giovani che vengono mandati al macello per motivi economici...e cosa hanno come compenso? Una medaglia d'uranio" [noto per il suo effetto cancerogeno].

Il ritornello dice :"spara dritto a te "...e anche "spara tutto a te" (qui)


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## sorry66

I don't get this at all - I don't see the connection between the two parts either.
_Spara dritto a te però 
prima spara tu dopo chiedi chi è_

Shoot straight in front of you 
but you shoot first and ask after???


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## Paulfromitaly

I'd like to remind everybody that we're talking about song lyrics which very often don't make any sense


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## london calling

Ciao Ele. Si sa, le canzoni delle volte prendono delle libertà con le parole, in questo caso con risultati non particolarmente buoni (a mio avviso). Anzi, ad un certo punto dice anche:

_Spara tutto a te però prima spara tu dopo chiedi chi è _

*Spara tutto a te* cosa mai vorrà dire?


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## Oleg68

The first part "pero prima spara tu" (but first shoot) If I say "but first shoot YOU", it will be the same? (I mean the sense of the frase)


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## AlabamaBoy

Oleg68 said:


> The first part "pero prima spara tu" (but first shoot) If I say "but first shoot YOU", it will be the same? (I mean the sense of the frase)


It is a set phrase. You can't really change it. È una frase fatta. Anche non ha senso "but shoot first you."

_Shoot straight, but *shoot first, and ask questions later.*_


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## sorry66

AlabamaBoy said:


> shoot first, and ask questions later


That's a set phrase but not the first part.


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## Oleg68

but first shoot you (pero prima spara tu)
but you shoot first

Is it the same? How it needs to say correctly?


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## Fooler

No, it's not

but first shoot you
but, *you !!* (_emphatized, stressed_) shoot first 

Example  

_Fooler, say something in Russian ! NO, ! *you!*, Oleg say something in Russian* first*, (because you are Russian): ..................*prima dì qualcosa tu in russo*......._


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## AlabamaBoy

Fooler said:


> No, it's not
> 
> but first shoot you
> but, *you !!* (_emphatized, stressed_) shoot first



If that is the meaning you want to convey, then "_Shoot straight, make make sure you're the first to shoot, and then ask who was there._" 

However, like I said, it is a set phrase, so it would be very odd to re-phrase it. I do not recommend re-phrasing it. "Shoot first" says everything - don't wait for him to shoot and don't ask questions that might get yourself shot.


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## Fooler

I agree AB.

I just wanted to clear the _prima tu_ matter


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## sorry66

AlabamaBoy said:


> Shoot straight


You seem to be forgetting the 'a te' which changes everything.


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## Oleg68

I'll try to explain what I want. In Italian there is other order of the words. 
"pero prima spara tu" 
In English you translate it as "but you shoot first"
Maybe because it's a song lyrics?


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## sorry66

Yes, there's a different word order in English.


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## Fooler

Nothing to do with lyrics

You can say: _però spara tu per primo_ *or* _però prima spara tu _

Just the English version has _first _at the end to stress the action of the subject who will shoot

I rephrase, if I am right (forgive me, English folks ): _you are the first, then shoot ! Shoot! (in order to be the) first ! (before the others)_

My version


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## sorry66

Fooler said:


> I rephrase, if I am right (forgive me, English folks ): _you are the first, then shoot ! Shoot! (as you are the) first ! (before the others)_


Sorry, I don't think this helps, Fooler!


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## Fooler

sorry66 said:


> Sorry, I don't think this helps, Fooler!



I agree....maybe I'm thinking about the translation _per primo_, sorry !


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## london calling

AlabamaBoy said:


> It is a set phrase. You can't really change it. È una frase fatta. Anche non ha senso "but shoot first you."
> 
> _Shoot straight, but *shoot first, and ask questions later.*_


I said just that in my post 5.

But what about other  line I quoted above, people?

_Spara tutto a te però prima spara tu dopo chiedi chi è 

 ....prima spara tu dopo chiedi chi è _is obviously_ Shoot first, ask questions later, _but what does _Spara tutto a te... _mean? I mean, it's totally meaningless. I give up.


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## Oleg68

sorry66 said:


> Yes, there's a different word order in English.



But I hope the sense is the same.


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## sorry66

So Marco is saying, ' (I) shoot straight ahead (in front of you = ahead) '
then he says, ' (I) shoot all (I have) at you'.
Isn't Marco doing the shooting here and then saying 'but you shoot first...' like, 'you get to me first every time'?


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## london calling

Oleg68 said:


> But I hope the sense is the same.


It is. Shoot first.....


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## Pietruzzo

Oleg68 said:


> Spara dritto a te,
> Per*ò* prima spara tu dopo chiedi chi è


As far as I can understand it means "He's shooting straight at you but you shoot first, then ask questions".


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## sorry66

@Pietruzzo So 'he' is another person and 'you' is the singer or yet another person ?!


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## Pietruzzo

sorry66 said:


> @Pietruzzo So 'he' is another person and 'you' is the singer or yet another person ?!


They are soldiers. That's about war and how war is cruel and meaningless. Someone shoots at you and you shoot at him(being the first,hopefully). The singer should be "I", I guess.


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## sorry66

Ok, it's about war, thanks.
I think the word 'spara' repeated twice caused confusion. 
Some people thought they were both for the same person. I thought the first 'spara' was for the 'I'. Both these ideas are wrong.
So the 'tu' and the 'te' is basically the singer (the 'I') in the role of a soldier confronted by an enemy pointing a gun at him.
Spara dritto a te, - He's shooting at me
Pero prima spara tu dopo chiedi chi è - I shoot back at him without thinking (and try to get him first)

Spara tutto a te = He's shooting his full barrel at me?


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## Pietruzzo

sorry66 said:


> Ok, it's about war, thanks.
> I think the word 'spara' repeated twice caused confusion.
> Some people thought they were both for the same person. I thought the first 'spara' was for the 'I'. Both these ideas are wrong.
> So the 'tu' and the 'te' is basically the singer (the 'I') in the role of a soldier confronted by an enemy pointing a gun at him.
> Spara dritto a te, - He's shooting at me
> Pero prima spara tu dopo chiedi chi è - I shoot back at him without thinking (and try to get him first)
> 
> Spara tutto a te = He's shooting his full barrel at me?


I don't quite follow you. The singer is singing. He isn't shooting. He addresses an hypothetical soldier and says"they're shooting at you! be the first to shoot. That's how war works. If you are lucky you'll get an uranium medal."
Ti sta sparando addosso(il nemico), ma spara tu per primo(soldato); non perdere tempo a capire chi è


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## sorry66

That's what I wanted to get clear!
'tu', 'te' refers to the hypothetical soldier
and the first 'spara' refers to his (the hypothetical soldier's)  enemy shooting at him.
Thanks.


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## Mary49

I don't agree with Pietruzzo's version, in my opinion "Spara dritto a te" refers to the soldier, not to the enemy. See the last lines: "
Spara dritto a te,
E più forte spara che siamo tutti con te
Spara tu che noi siamo tutti con te".


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## Pietruzzo

Mary49 said:


> I don't agree with Pietruzzo's version, in my opinion "Spara dritto a te" refers to the soldier, not to the enemy. See the last lines: "
> Spara dritto a te,
> E più forte spara che siamo tutti con te
> Spara tu che noi siamo tutti con te".


If so, Mengoni is to blame. My wrong version makes more sense than the right one.


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## sorry66

Spara dritto a te,
Pero prima spara tu dopo chiedi chi è

So all these exhortations are for the soldier.

I suggest the following:

Shoot straight ahead,
(But) shoot first, ask questions later.
or
Shoot first (though), ask questions later.

It would make more sense to say 'always' instead of 'pero'.


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