MARK CHAPMAN Lyrics in English by Måneskin
Incubo translates to "nightmare". It's a powerful, evocative word you don't hear in songs every day, and it perfectly captures the dark energy of Måneskin.
In the song, the band describes an obsessive stalker as being "Vestito come un incubo" (Dressed like a nightmare). This striking image isn't just about clothing; it suggests the person themselves is the embodiment of fear and a bad dream come to life, making it a very memorable and chilling line.
Italian rock band Måneskin pulls zero punches in "MARK CHAPMAN", named straight after the man who stalked and murdered John Lennon. The track tackles the terrifying reality of toxic obsession and celebrity stalking from the inside out. The narrator describes a stalker hiding in plain sight: "Nascosto fra la gente, senza un'identità" ("Hidden among the people, without an identity"), chanting false devotion with "Dice che mi ama ma lo so che mente" ("He says he loves me but I know he's lying"). It is paranoid, fast-paced, and hits right in the chest.
What makes the song so creepy is how it pins down the stalker's extreme entitlement. In the chorus, they chant "Si muove a piede libero, vestito come un incubo / Vuole tu sia in pericolo, però ti chiama idolo" ("He walks around free, dressed like a nightmare / He wants you to be in danger, but calls you an idol"). Here, the Italian idiom "a piede libero" literally means "on free foot," which means being out on the loose or not behind bars. The tension peaks when simple rejection turns violent: "E puoi trovarlo sotto casa con un coltello in mano perché non hai risposto a un suo messaggio" ("And you can find him under your house with a knife in hand because you didn't reply to his text"). The song exposes someone who doesn't just want to copy their hero—"non gli interessa assomigliarti vuole essere te" ("he doesn't care about looking like you, he wants to be you").
