Countries Beginning with I

You Want to Act American

Renato Carosone

This is a tricky translation; the original is more or less in Neapolitan dialect, which I don’t know much of. I hope some qualified readers will jump in to help out!

na cuppulella cu ‘a visiera aizata…
passa scampanianno pe’ Tuleto
comm’a nuguappo, pe’ se fa’ guarda’…

Tu vuo’ fa’ l’americano
mericano, mericano…
sient’a mme chi t’ ‘o ffa fa’?

tu vuoi vivere alla moda,
ma se bevi "whisky and soda"
po’ te siente ‘e disturba’…

Tu abball’ o’ rocchenroll
tu giochi a baisiboll…

ma e solde p’ e’ Ccamel
chi te li da
la borsetta di mamma

Tu vuo’ fa’ l’americano
mericano, mericano…
ma si’ nato in Italy!

sient’ a mme: nun ce sta niente ‘a fa’
ok, napulitan!
tu vuo’ fa’ l’american
tu vuo’ fa’ l’american!

Come te po’ capi’ chi te vo’ bbene

si tu lle parle miezo americano?
quanno se fa ll’ammore sott’ ‘a luna
comme te vene ‘ncapa ‘e di’ "I love you"?

Tu vuo’ fa’ l’americano
mericano, mericano…

sient’a mme chi t’ ‘o ffa fa’?
tu vuoi vivere alla moda,
ma se bevi "whisky and soda"
po’ te siente ‘e disturba’…
Tu abball’ o’ rocchenroll
tu giochi a baisiboll…

ma e solde p’ e’ Ccamel
chi te li da
la borsetta di mamma

Tu vuo’ fa’ l’americano
mericano, mericano…
ma si’ nato in Italy!

sient’ a mme: nun ce sta niente ‘a fa’
ok, napulitan!
tu vuo’ fa’ l’america
tu vuo’ fa’ l’america
tu vuo’ fa’ l’america!

You wear trousers with… [?]

and a cap with the visor raised
you walk…
like a [something] to get yourself looked at

You want to act American,
American, American
listen to me, who forces you to do it?
You want to be fashionable
but if you drink
"whisky and soda"

you will feel "a disturbance" [gastric]
You dance rock ‘n’ roll
you play baseball
but the money for the Camels
who gives it to you?

Mamma’s purse.

You want to act American,
American, American,
but you were born in Italy!
Listen to me, there’s nothing to do

OK, Neapolitan!

You want to act American,
You want to act American!

How can you understand that I care about you
if you speak [?] American?
When we make love beneath the moon

How are you capable of saying "I love you"?

etc.

don’t miss the Sophia Loren version: