"Mambo Italiano" is a popular song written by Bob Merrill in 1954 and recorded by Rosemary Clooney. Merrill wrote it on deadline, scribbled hastily on a paper napkin in an Italian restaurant in New York, United States, using the wall pay-phone to dictate the melody, rhythm and lyrics to the recording studio pianist, under the aegis of conductor Mitch Miller.
Other versions of "Mambo Italiano" have been recorded by Dean Martin, Bette Midler, Gérard Darmon, Alma Cogan (1955) and Renato Carosone, and in French Dario Moreno and Finnish Olavi Virta.
In 2011, Lady Gaga sampled the opening melody for Born This Way album, on her song "Americano".
Lyrics[]
Dean Martin version[]
INTRO
(A boy went back to Napoli,
because he missed the scenery,
the native dances and
the charming songs,
but wait a minute...
somethings wrong!
'cause now it's...)
Hey, Mambo, Mambo Italiano,
Hey, hey, Mambo Mambo Italiano,
Go, go, go, you mixed up Siciliano,
All you Calabrese do the Mambo
like a crazy with the "Hey, Mambo",
don't wanna tarantella,
Hey, Mambo, no more mozzarella,
Hey, Mambo, Mambo Italiano.
Try an enchilada with a fish baccala
and then hey gumba,
I love how you dance the rumba,
but take a some advice pisano
learn how to Mambo
if you're gonna be a square,
you ain't a gonna go nowhere
Hey. Mambo, Mambo Italiano,
Hey, Hey, Mambo, Mambo Italiano
Go, go Joe shake like a Giovanna,
E lo che se dice you get happy
in the pizza when you,
Mambo Italiano
Hey, chadrool, you don't a have
to go to the school
Just make it with a big
bambino it's like vino.
Kid you good a looking, but you
don't a know what's cooking 'til you
Hey, Mambo, Mambo Italiano,
Hey, Hey, Mambo, Mambo Italiano,
Ho-ho-ho you mixed up Siciliano
E lo che se dice you get happy
in the pizza when you
Mambo Italiano