I don't know what face he had, nor even what his name was
With what voice he spoke, with what voice he then sang
How many years he had seen then, what color his hair was
But in my imagination, I have his image
Heroes are all young and beautiful
Heroes are all young and beautiful
Heroes are all young and beautiful

Instead, I know the era of the events, what his job was
The early years of the century, machinist, railwayman
The times when the holy war of the poor began
The train itself seemed like a myth of progress
Launched across the continents
Launched across the continents
Launched across the continents

And the locomotive seemed like a strange monster
That man dominated with thought and hand
Roaring, it left behind distances that seemed infinite
It seemed to have a tremendous power inside
The same force as dynamite
The same force as dynamite
The same force as dynamite

But another great force was spreading its wings then
Words that said: "All men are equal"
And against kings and tyrants, it exploded in the streets
The proletarian bomb illuminated the air
The torch of anarchy
The torch of anarchy
The torch of anarchy

A train passed through his station every day
A luxury train, distant destination
He saw revered people, thought of those velvets, the golds
He thought of the lean day of his people around
He thought of a train full of gentlemen
He thought of a train full of gentlemen
He thought of a train full of gentlemen

I don't know what happened, why he made the decision
Maybe an ancient rage, generations without a name
That screamed for revenge, blinded his heart
He forgot pity, forgot his kindness
His bomb was the steam engine
His bomb was the steam engine
His bomb was the steam engine

And on the track stood the locomotive
The pulsating machine seemed like a living thing
It seemed like a young colt that, just freed from the brake
Bit the rail with steel muscles
With the blind force of lightning
With the blind force of lightning
With the blind force of lightning

And one day like any other, but perhaps with more rage inside
He thought he had a way to right some wrongs
He climbed on the sleeping monster, tried to drive away his fear
And before thinking about what he was doing
The monster devoured the plain
The monster devoured the plain
The monster devoured the plain

The other train ran unaware and almost without hurry
No one imagined they were heading towards revenge
But at the Bologna station, the news arrived in a flash
Emergency news, act urgently
A madman has launched himself against the train
A madman has launched himself against the train
A madman has launched himself against the train

But meanwhile, the locomotive runs, runs, runs
And the steam hisses and it almost seems like a living thing
And it seems to say to the bent farmers, the whistle spreading in the air
Brother, do not fear, for I run to my duty
Let proletarian justice triumph
Let proletarian justice triumph
Let proletarian justice triumph

And meanwhile, it runs, runs, runs ever faster
And it runs, runs, runs, runs towards death
And nothing can now hold back the immense destructive force
It only awaits the crash and then the arrival of the mantle
Of the great comforter
Of the great comforter
Of the great comforter

History tells us how the race ended
The machine diverted along a dead-end track
With its last animal cry, the machine erupted sparks and lava,
It exploded against the sky, then the smoke spread the veil
They picked him up still breathing
They picked him up still breathing
They picked him up still breathing

But we like to think of him still behind the engine
While he makes the steam engine run away
And that one day the news will reach us again
Of a locomotive, like a living thing
Launched like a bomb against injustice
Launched like a bomb against injustice
Launched like a bomb against injustice

CONSULTER LES PAROLES ORIGINALES