Bollicine literally means "small bubbles" or "fizz". While it can refer to literal bubbles, in Italian culture, it often alludes to sparkling wine or champagne, evoking a sense of celebration or lightheartedness.
In the song, Marco Mengoni sings, "E ci bastavano due bollicine per fottere la nostalgia" (And two bubbles were enough for us to screw nostalgia). Here, "due bollicine" metaphorically represents a simple pleasure or a small amount of alcohol that helps them escape or overcome feelings of nostalgia, highlighting a bittersweet and relatable sentiment.
Marco Mengoni sings to someone who has already left, comparing this new emptiness to no one else in the world. He notices the small, familiar signs of her — the same sad eyes, the strange sadness that shows up even on a sunny day — and admits he cannot let the memory go.
The chorus turns the loss into something almost matter-of-fact: when you try to kill time to get over someone, time just flies by anyway, and both of you already know this chapter of the relationship is over — it is simply another story now.
Between the verses, he pictures her walking away until she disappears, wishes he could chase after her, and knows she will not let him. The song closes by replaying that same chorus, letting the phrase 'un'altra storia' ('another story') sit as the final, resigned word on the relationship.
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.