Italian satire | Countries Beginning with I

“Gino the Chicken” was a phenomenon in Italy a few years ago. Today a reader comment on my translation of Tu Vuo’ Fa’ L’Americano directed me to YouTube, where I ran across Gino’s version of the song, directed at Osama bin Laden:

You Want to Be a Taliban

Tienni la barba longa chiu’ d’un metro,		You wear your beard longer than a meter
nu turbantiello e ‘na casacca usata,		a little turban and a used cassock
passi spiritato su Al Jazeera		you appear possessed on Al Jazeera
comme ‘nu ‘uappo pe’ te fa’ guarda’:		like a Mafioso to get yourself looked ad

Tu vuo’ fa ‘o talebano, talebano, talebano,		You want to be a Taliban
siente a me, chi t’o fa fa’?		Listen to me, who forces you to?
Hai i precetti del Corano,		You have the precepts of the Koran
ma poi schianti l’aeroplano,		But then you crash airplanes
tutto il mondo vuo’ disfa’.		You want to undo the whole world

Tu skif’ ‘o rock’n roll,		You find rock ‘n’ roll disgusting
tu skif’ ‘o baseball,		You find baseball disgusting
ma i sordi p’a jihad		But the money for jihad
chi te li da’ ?		Who gives it to you?
U petrolio di papa’ ?		Daddy’s oil?
Tu vuo’ fa ‘o talebano, talebano, talebano,		You want to be a Taliban
ma si’ nato in Arabia:		but you were born in Arabia
Sient’ a me, non ce sta nient ‘a fa’,		Listen to me, there’s nothing to be done
capisc Osama’ , tu vuo’ fa’ ‘o taleba’,		Understand, Osama, you want to be a Taleban
Bin Laden ‘o taleba’.		Bin Laden the Taliban.

Ai maomettani parli comme a un prete,		To the Muslims you talk like a priest
ca si tu si’ mullah i’ so’ cinese,		But if you’re a mullah, I’m Chinese
e lieggi ‘nata vota ‘stu Curano,		Go read the Koran for once
lasciaci ‘n pace e vattene co’ Omar!		Leave us alone or go away with Omar

Tu vuo’ fa ‘o talebano, talebano, talebano,		You want to be a Taliban
attent’ a te, chi t’o fa fa’?		Look out, who makes you do it?
Spacci oppio co’ l’afgano		You push opium with the Afghans
dal confine pakistano,		from the Pakistan border
ce lo porti fino a qua.		you bring it to us all the way here

Tu skif’ ‘o rock’n roll,		You find rock ‘n’ roll disgusting
tu skif’ ‘o baseball,		You find baseball disgusting
ma i sordi p’a jihad		But the money for jihad
chi te li da’ ?		Who gives it to you?
L’eroina afganista’?		Afghan heroin?
Tu vuo’ fa ‘o talebano, talebano, talebano,		You want to be a Taliban
ma si’ nato in Arabia:		but you were born in Arabia
Sient’ a me, non ce sta nient ‘a fa’,		Listen to me, there’s nothing to be done
Capisc OsamÃ , tu vuo’ fa’ ‘o taleba’,		Understand, Osama, you want to be a Taleban
Bin Laden ‘o taleba’.		Bin Laden the Taliban.
Collin Pauell, Giorg’ Bush…		Colin Powell, George Bush…

USA for Italy Produced in 1985 by the satirical music group Squallor, this song now appears uncomfortably prophetic.
Caro Michael Jackson, tu che mandi i soldi in Africa, Perché la speranza torni a vivere, Ricordati di noi che stiamo a Napoli E un disco faccelo anche per noiE poi, mandaci i danari Tanti danari e siamo pari E se tu vuoi mandali anche a Bari E a tutti i meridionali for ItalyFacci una canzone col compare Steve Wonder E poi mandala a Sanremo o al Festivalbar Pero’ Pero’ mandaci i danari Che vanno male gli affari for Italy Caro Bob Dylan Tu che canti in casa Reagan Quando c’é Gromiko oppure Gorbaciov I soldi di quattro teste nucleari, falli mandare qui for Italy Appena puoi mandaci i danari Perché senza danari son cazzi amari E allora tu mandaci i danari Anche i tuoi personali e di Diana Ross Concludendo Mike Dillo pure a Berlusconi Facci fare dei milioni come a J.R. E in riva la mar dollari in contanti Perché l’Africa canti for Italy E poi mandaci i danari Ma proprio tanti danari e siamo pari E se tu vuoi mandali anche a Bari E a tutti i meridionali for Italy [ USA For Italy Lyrics on http://www.lyricsmania.com/ ]		Dear Michael Jackson, you who send money to Africa So that hope can return to live Remember us who are in Naples And make a record for us, too.And then, send us money Lots of money, and we’ll call it even And if you want, send some to Bari as well And to all the [Italian] southerners, for ItalyMake us a song with your buddy Stevie Wonder And then send it to Sanremo or Festivalbar* But, but send us the money Because things are going badly for Italy Dear Bob Dylan, you who sing at Reagan’s house when Gromyko or Gorbachev is present The money for four nuclear warheads, have it sent here for Italy As soon as you can, send us the money because without money, it’s bad news So now send us the money Even your own, and Diana Ross’. To finish, Mike, say it to Berlusconi as well Let us make milllions like J.R. [Ewing] And by the seaside [?] cash money so that Africa sings for Italy And then, send us money Lots of money, and we’ll call it even And if you want, send some to Bari as well And to all the [Italian] southerners, for Italy

Sanremo is a pop music festival/competition (NB: widely believed to be rigged) which takes place annually in the seaside resort town of San Remo. It used to be a very big deal in the Italian music scene, not so much anymore – every year the media wax nostalgia about declines in the TV audience. Bringing in big American stars (including some who have little or nothing to do with music) has done nothing to reverse this. Festivalbar is a summer TV concert series.

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

Countries Beginning with I

Tag Archives: Italian satire

Learn Italian in Song: Tu Vuo’ Fa’ o’ Talebano

You Want to Be a Taliban

Learn Italian in Song: USA for Italy

USA for Italy

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

You Want to Be a Taliban

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