Tuesday 29 May 2018

Americano Song

Hey, remember this crazy video from a few years ago?



Today's post is all about the wonderful Italian swing/jazz song featured in it, which I just adore! The song is known by various names, typically "Pa Para Americano," "Pa Pa Americano," or "We No Speak Americano."

According to Wikipedia, however, its actual name is "Tu Vuò Fà L'Americano" ("You Want to Be American") and it dates from the mid-1950s. Written by Nicola Salerno (words) and Renato Carosone (music), it was a huge hit for Carosone and his band. Wikipedia further notes that the lyrics:

. . . are about an Italian who affects a contemporary American lifestyle, drinking whisky and soda, dancing to rock 'n roll, playing baseball and smoking Camel cigarettes, but who still depends on his parents for money. The song is generally considered to be a satire of the Americanization that occurred [in Italy] in the early years after World War II, when southern Italy was still a rural, traditional society.

Here's a video of Carosone and his band performing the song, with English lyrics superimposed by someone who is unaware of the difference between "your" and "you're" (but let's not be picky about that even though it irks me to no end) --



Around 10 years ago, the song's English lyrics were significantly updated by Lou Bega, the German latin/pop star, so that the satire about how Europeans see Americans is much more modern and pointed. It's a fun remake!



And finally, here's a fab 2015 version of the original song by Hetty & the Jazzato Band! Love that clarinet!



42 comments:

Marie Smith said...

Love the last one best. The clarinet sold it!

mxtodis123 said...

Hate to say it, but I don't remember any of them. I have to agree with Marie, though. I love the last one. Those are some special women.

Bob said...

It's got a great beat and it's easy to dance to.

Moving with Mitchell said...

I love this song. I even did a blog post about it myself (well, about Jerry's take on it). Check it out: https://mitchellismoving.blogspot.com.es/2016/06/whiskey-and-soda-and-rock-and-roll.html

And I LOVE Hetty & the Jazzato Band. Pure cool!

Anonymous said...

love it!!

Martha said...

How did I miss this? This is the first time I hear of this. And I love it! I'm particular to the first one with its fun beat. And I really like the clarinet in the last one.

The misuse of "your, you're", “they’re, their, there” and “too, two, to” irks me. But what pushes me over the edge the most is when I see “should of, could of, would of”! AHHHHH

Frank said...

What ever possessed you to research this song? It was fun to listen/watch. I actually have Renato Carosone's version in my Italian playlist. Very thick dialect and difficult to understand. I like the Hetty and Jazzato version too.

Reminded me of when I was an Americano student in Italy....but those are stories for another time ..... "Quelli Erano Giorni" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekV5H-l1LFo


Or my version: "Those Were The Days" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlY0lcdTaQo

Rosemary said...

Yes, for me too, Hetty & the Jazzato Band are great - happy, jolly, and swinging.

DEZMOND said...

I wonder where is Lou Bega know... he kinda disappeared after Mambo Number Five :) I do love me German singers sometimes. My current fave are Nico Sanchez with Rooftops and Goodbye to Love and Rea Garvey with Is It Love.

^.^ said...

Awesome post, friend D ... thank you for making me smile 2day ... https://www.youtube.com/embed/7E9Ed9DUQoQ?rel=0&controls=0&showinfo=0 ... hope you can open that link ... Love, cat.

MrsDuncanMahogany said...

I had to go and call it up on YouTube to give it another listen. Such a catchy tune!! Love it!

Kirk said...

Love that couple's blank expression as they do their synchronized performance.

Barbara said...

What a scream. I have never seen/heard this before. We Americans have to laugh at ourselves and not be stuffy. Interesting how it was presented in all the different ways.

LL Cool Joe said...

Haha, I loved the first one, although that woman could do with smiling every so often. :D And I'm not saying that in a "you should smile more often love" kind of way.

Leanna said...

I loved the last one. That singer was great.

Winter Moon Books said...

I don't remember the first one and have never heard any of them, but they're wonderful! Very hard to sit still. xx

Debra She Who Seeks said...

@ Frank -- Hey, I really enjoyed your "down gay memory lane" video! And "Those were the days, my friends" is the PERFECT background music for it!

I did a post on this song because not too long ago I saw the Hetty & the Jazzato Band video on another blogger's site and loved it! Then it made me think of the "hand dance" video and I wondered where the song had originated. The Lou Bega version was pure bonus! I have it on his Greatest Hits CD and never made the connection until now.

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

How do they do that hand dance and, moreover, make it look so easy? You did get me bopping and hopping and clapping and other stuff I won't go into here.

Happy Tuesday, Debra.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

@ Cat -- Yes, thanks for that link -- I love that video too -- that's the version of this song used in the "hand dance" video as well. And it's such a cute homage to early silent slapstick movies, especially with its own "little tramp" character!

Debra She Who Seeks said...

@ LL Cool Joe -- Your second sentence anticipated the objection I was going to make to your first sentence, LOL! I once tore a strip a mile wide off some random guy in the street who told me to "c'mon, smile for me!" -- I went up one side of him and down the other. The poor schmuck never even knew what hit him. Ah, memories.

Jenn said...

I didn't know that about this song, but I always liked the beat of the current We no SPeak Americano.

e said...

Oh, my gosh, these are all great versions! I've long loved the song but seeing the videos is new to me (some of the versions, too.) Thanks for the fun of that catchy tune... which will be stuck in my head for a bit, no doubt!

Joanne Noragon said...

Fun, and that is some great clarinet.

Jono said...

Never seen any of them, but I really like them. Those people are fairly amazing. I must be on the dark side of this planet.

Magaly Guerrero said...

Love the latest version! Must share it with the Little Princess, whom I'm sure will go nuts over the clarinet.

Jill said...

I remember when it was popular and my daughter playing it all the time, lol... now the beat is stuck in my head again :-) Have a great week!

blessings,
Jill

Bill Lisleman said...

synchronized hand dancing - now that might a dance I might find an interest.

Marcia B. said...

wow thank you for sharing the history behind this popular song! http://marciabcreative.blogspot.com/2018/05/my-zaful-summer-wishlist.html

Kay G. said...

Your great to show us this!

Ha, ha...you know I would never say "your" for "you're". So I had to do it there just to mess with ya! We are sisters! LOL!

Guillaume said...

I LOVE Tu Vuo' Fa' l'Americano, which I discovered in The Talented Mr Ripley, where it was used to great effect. But I'd rather do like the Italians myself.

Linda d said...

How did I ever miss that first one? I love it. The others are fun too :)

Anonymous said...

I had forgotten all about this song. Who knew there were so many versions of it? Not this Americano! I love that everyone thinks we all love baseball. I can't stand it. And that everything is open 24 hours a day. Sure, lots of places, but when I want something 24 hours, it's not there. Wah!! Where's my milkshake at 2:00 a.m.? Oh wait, I'll go to McDonald's. Nevermind. It is 24/7 here. :)


Elsie

This N That said...

I remember it ell..Thanks for the trip down memory lane!! Feel good music!! Fun!!

Sandy said...

The first is amazing. Can't believe how creative they were and how they kept totally together on that without laughing. Very cool.

Sandy's Space

Professor Chaos said...

Wow, I had never seen that original video. Its hypnotic! I think I may be in a trance. I'm going to blame this video if I tweet something racist tonight.

Magic Love Crow said...

Debra, you come up with the coolest things to blog about! I have never heard of this song, or seen any of the videos before, even the hand one. Really enjoyed them all, but the last one with the clarinet was my favourite! Big Hugs!

Magic Love Crow said...

Were you a teacher? I always thought that.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

@ Magic Love Crow -- Oh no, I was never a teacher. But thanks for the compliment, Stacy!

Magic Love Crow said...

You're welcome. I just find you know so many things, that you had to be some kind of teacher! LOL! I guess you are naturally smart :)

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

Such fun - you find the best things to post about!!!! I really enjoyed this!

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

I keep on sneaking back for the hand dance.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

@ SmitoniusAndSonata -- Ha ha, yes, it's crazy addictive, isn't it? Or perhaps mesmerizing is the better term.