Learn Italian in Song: Balla Linda

Another classic from Lucio Battisti.

Dance Linda

ritornello        refrain
Balla Linda balla come sai        Dance, Linda, dance as you know how
Balla Linda, non fermarti        Dance, Linda, don’t stop
Balla Linda, balla come sai        Dance, Linda, dance as you know how

Occhi azzurri belli come i suoi        Blue eyes like hers
Linda forse non li hai        Linda maybe you don’t have
Ridi sempre, non parli mai d’amore        You always laugh, you never speak of love
Pero’ non sai mentire mai.        But you never know how to lie
Mh Mh        Hmm hmm
Bella sempre, dolce come lei        Always beautiful, sweet as she
Linda forse tu non sei        Linda perhaps you aren’t
Tu non dici che resti insieme a me        You never say you’ll stay with me
Per non mi abbandoni mai        But you never abandon me
Tu non mi lasci mai        You never leave me
Ti cerco e tu, e tu ci sei        I look for you, and there you are
Ti cerco e tu mi dai quel che puoi        I look for you, and you give me what you can
Non fai come lei, no non fai come lei        You don’t do like her, no you don’t do like her
Tu non prendi tutto quello che vuoi.        You don’t take everything you can.

(repeat)

Chelsea Bluegrass

On our way to St. Barth’s, Ross and I stayed overnight with my classmate Sarah and her husband Dave, who met playing music. They treated us to a mini bluegrass concert in their Chelsea home, which Ross captured on my digital still camera.

You can see Sarah and Dave at the Bluegrass and Beyond Jam, held on the 1st, 3rd and the occasional 5th Monday of each month at Paddy Reilly’s Pub (519 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10016 — SW corner of 2nd Ave and 29th street) in Manhattan.

Deirdré Straughan on Italy, India, the Internet, the world, and now Australia