Wordsmith Talk |
About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us | |||
Register Log In Wordsmith.org Forums General Topics Miscellany Tu Vuo' Fa l'Americano
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
OP Does anybody know the translation to the Italian lyrics of that upbeat song from the film "The Talented Mr. Ripley"? (The song is called "Tu Vuo' Fa l'Americano"; it's one of the numbers performed by the jazz band in the bar.) I have that CD, and I love that song. I'm constantly wondering what it is saying. Any help out there?
I stole this from http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/fullmonty/282/1-00.html, but decided to post it originally since the page was very slow in downloading and it was buried deep in the document.
"You want to play the American?"
You wear your trousers with a coat of arms on the behind.........
a small coppola (typical Sicilian cap) with its peak lifted up
you go swinging for Tuleto(it must be a place, I guess..) as a bully,since
you want people to notice you !
you want to play the American, the American...
listen to me, what's the use of it?
you want to live fashionably, but if you drink "whisky and Soda", then you
feel dizzy
you dance "rock'n' roll"; you play" baseball".but the money for Camel,who's
gonna give it to you??
Mamma's bag...
You want to play the American,American,but you were born in Italy!!!
listen to me there's nothing to do...Okay Neapolitan
you want to play the American
you want to play the American
How can you know the one who loves you
if you speak with her half American??
when you're making love under the moon,how can it cross your mind and say"I
love you"???
you want to play the American
you want to play the American
OP Thanks!
Tuleto
The correct spelling is Toledo - it is a place in Naples, in which it was usual - even now, I believe - to walk with the girlfriend.
I don't know if you realized that the song is in the dialect of Naples.
There is another popular song about Toledo, interesting because it shows which was the culture in Italy :
Io mammeta e tu
passeggiamme pe' Tuledo
nuie avanti e mammeta arretro
Io tu e tua madre
were walking in Toledo,
we ahead end your mother back
The mother was following and checking the behaviour of her daughter.
Grazie, emanuela!
It didn't look like standard Italian to me... thanks for showing us it is the Napoli (Neapolitan) dialect -- and I loved the bit about mama walking behind.
OP Ironically, just last night on AMC there was a movie on called "It Happened In Naples," starring Clark Gable and Sophia Loren. It featured the same song "Tu Vuo' Fa l'Americano," but I tuned in just as the song was ending.
And where was the irony? Or is this another example of the fashionable extension of the word to mean just funnily enough or coincidentally?![]()
Bingley
Bingley
And where was the irony....
....Bingley inquires, ever socratically....
OP In reply to:And where was the irony? Or is this another example of the fashionable extension of the word to mean just funnily enough or coincidentally?
I am guilty as charged. I confess I own stock in irony and was deliberate trying to inflate its usage. And I would've gotten away with it too if wasn't for you meddling kids and your stupid dog!
Moderated by Jackie
Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics Forums16Topics13,913Posts229,409Members9,182 Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members Ineffable, ddrinnan, TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV
9,182 Registered Users
Who's Online Now 0 members (), 837 guests, and 2 robots. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days) A C Bowden 30
Top Posters wwh 13,858Faldage 13,803Jackie 11,613wofahulicodoc 10,582tsuwm 10,542LukeJavan8 9,922Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210AnnaStrophic 6,511Wordwind 6,296of troy 5,400
Forum Rules · Mark All Read Contact Us · Forum Help · Wordsmith.org