Mambo Italiano (song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Mambo Italiano" is a popular song arranged by Bob Merrill in 1954. The song itself had been a traditional, danceable folk-like song in Italy for ages (no one knows who had actually written it and there were many versions of the song, including some different lyrics and types of music), but it was Merrill who put it on paper and made the song popular worldwide. The biggest-selling version, recorded by Rosemary Clooney, charted in 1954, in the francophone world it was popularised as a translation by Dario Moreno. Another version was recorded by Dean Martin. In the United Kingdom, the song was recorded by Alma Cogan in 1955. Bette Midler also recorded a version of this song.
The disk jockey Martin Block, then broadcasting on New York City radio station WABC, refused to play the song as he deemed it objectionable and inappropriate - since the song can be seen as about the mambo or sexual intercourse.
In the 1960 film It Started in Naples, Sophia Loren performs a burlesque show version of Mambo Italiano.
In 2000 it was remixed and re-released by Shaft, reaching #12 on the UK singles chart. The bands Groove Armada and Basement Jaxx have each recorded their own electronic music versions of the song.
Because of the several Italian lyrics in this song, many words are frequently misspelled in English. The correctly spelled lyrics, as sung by Dean Martin, are shown below:
A boy went back to Napoli
Because he missed the scenery;
The native dances and the charming songs;
But wait a minute, something's wrong!
Because it's
Hey mambo! Mambo Italiano.
Hey mambo! Mambo Italiano.
Go, go, go, you mixed up Siciliano;
All you Calabresi
Do the mambo like-a crazy.
Hey mambo! Don't wanna tarantella;
Hey mambo! No more mozzarella;
Hey mambo! Mambo Italiano;
Try an enchilada with the fish e baccalà;
Hey cumpà, I love-a how you dance the rumba;
But take-a some advice paesano, learn-a how to mambo;
If you gonna be a square
You ain't-a gonna go nowhere;
Hey mambo! Mambo Italiano.
Hey mambo! Mambo Italiano.
Go Go Joe! Shake like a tiavanna;
E lo che se dice, you get happy in the feets-a when you
Mambo Italiano.
Hey cadriolo, you don't-a have to go the school
Just to make it with a big bambino
It's-a like vino;
Kid you good-a lookin'
but you don't-a know what's cookin'
'til you
Hey mambo! Mambo Italiano.
Hey mambo! Mambo Italiano.
Oh, oh, oh, you mixed up Siciliano.
E lo che se dice, you get happy in the feets-a when you
Mambo Italiano!
The Rosemary Clooney version of the song has longer, somewhat different lyrics. Notably, the song begins with "A girl went back" rather than "A boy..."
