Another classic from Fred Buscaglione ( the Italian version of this wikipedia bio is much better)
Continue reading Learn Italian in Song: Che Bambola!
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Learn Italian in Song: Eri Piccola Cosi’
You Were Small, Like This
music by Fred Buscaglione, lyrics written by/with Chiosso
Fred Buscaglione ( the Italian version of this wikipedia bio is much better). Buscaglione invented a stage persona drawn from Damon Runyon, Mickey Spillane, et al – the cigarette-puffing, whiskey-drinking tough with a weakness for bad women, as in this example.
| T’ho veduta. | I saw you. | |
| T’ho seguita. | I followed you. | |
| T’ho fermata. | I stopped you. | |
| T’ho baciata. | I kissed you. | |
| eri piccola, piccola, piccola, | You were small, small, small | |
| così! | Like this! | |
| M’hai guardato. | You looked at me. | |
| Hai taciuto. | You didn’t speak. | |
| ho pensato: | I thought: | |
| “Beh, son piaciuto”. | Well, I was liked [she liked me] | |
| Eri piccola… | ||
| Poi, | Then | |
| é nato il nostro folle amore, | Our crazy love was born, | |
| che, | That | |
| ripenso ancora con terrore. | I still remember with terror. | |
| M’hai stregato. | You bewitched me. | |
| T’ho creduta. | I believed you. | |
| L’hai voluto. | You wanted it. | |
| T’ho sposata. | I married you. | |
| Eri piccola… | ||
| T’ho viziata, coccolata, | I spoiled you, coddled [you] | |
| latte, burro, marmellata. | Milk, butter, Jam. | |
| Eri piccola… | ||
| E cretino sono stato, | And I was stupid | |
| anche il gatto m’hai venduto. | You even sold my cat. | |
| Ma eri piccola,
eh gia’, piccola, piccola, |
But you were little, yeah, little… | |
| Tu, fumavi mille sigarette. |
You smoked thousands of cigarettes | |
| Io, facevo il grano col tresette. |
I made money with Three-Seven [card game] | |
| Poi un giorno | Then one day | |
| m’hai piantato | You left me | |
| per un tipo spappolato [svaporato?] | For a mushy / stale guy | |
| T’ho cercato, | I looked for you | |
| l’ho scovato, | I found him | |
| l’ho guardato, | I looked at you | |
| s’é squagliato. | He legged it. | |
| Quattro schiaffi t’ho servito, | I gave you four slaps | |
| Tu mi hai detto:”Disgraziato!”. | You said to me: “Wretch!” | |
| La pistola m’hai puntato, eh, | You pointed the pistol at me, eh | |
| ed un colpo m’hai sparato. | And fired a shot at me | |
| E sì | Ah, yes | |
| Spara (bang). | Shoot | |
| Spara (bang), | ||
| e spara (bang) | ||
| khoff, khoff , khoff, khoff , (colpi di tosse) | [coughing] | |
| E pensare che eri piccola, | And to think that you were little | |
| ma piccola, | But little | |
| tanto piccola, | So little | |
| così! | Like this! | |
Some years ago my daughter Rossella and her friends began making their own video of the song:
