Codardi translates to "cowards". It's a strong and somewhat uncommon word in everyday conversation, making it stand out in the lyrics.
In the song, Marco Mengoni advises, "E diffidare sempre dei codardi" (And always distrust cowards). This line offers a piece of life wisdom, suggesting a cautious approach to those who lack courage or conviction. Its directness and moral implication make it an interesting and memorable word.
"Appunto 5: Non Sono Questo" ("Note 5: I'm Not This") is one of Marco Mengoni's diary-style "Appunto" songs, written as a private confession rather than a performance.
The verses list everything the narrator knows he should do: keep fewer vices, come home early, trust carefully, stay away from cowards, resist envy, look in the mirror and actually like what he sees, stand at the edge of temptation and not give in. Each line reads like a rule for being a better person.
Then the chorus breaks the list open: "Sorry, but I can't do it. My back weighs too much. I know it would be right. Forgive me, I'm not like this." He isn't defending his mistakes, he's naming the gap between the person he's describing and the person he actually is.
The second verse turns from self-talk to a specific relationship: asking someone not to get angry, admitting it might have been better if they'd never gotten attached to him, and owning that his own disappointment hurts them both. He promises he's trying and growing, then immediately admits he keeps falling into the same mistakes.
The song's honesty is its point. It doesn't resolve the tension between wanting to change and repeating the same patterns. It just states it plainly, which is what makes it feel like a real note to himself rather than a finished apology.
Marco Mengoni is an Italian singer-songwriter born on December 25, 1988, in Ronciglione, Italy. He rose to fame in 2009 after winning the third season of "X Factor Italy," and became one of Italy's most celebrated pop and soul artists in the years that followed.
Mengoni has won the Sanremo Music Festival twice, in 2013 with "L'Essenziale" and again in 2023 with "Due Vite," which also represented Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest. Known for his powerful, soulful voice and emotionally direct lyrics, he has released multiple platinum-certified albums and remains one of the most streamed Italian artists both at home and internationally.