Io, mammeta e tu - Me, Little Mama and You

Ti avevo detto, dal primo appuntamento, ’e nun purtà nisciuno appriesso a te. Invece mò nu frato, na sora, na nepote… sola nun staje na vota… usciamo sempre a tre. E m’hai promesso ‹Domani, chi lo sa… vengh’io soltanto… soltanto con mammà.› Io, mammeta e tu… Passiammo pe Tuledo, nuje annanze e mammeta arreto. Io, mammeta e tu… sempe appriesso, cose ’e pazze, chesta vene pure ’o viagg’e nozze… Jamm’o cinema, a ballà; si cercammo ’e ce squaglià, comm’a nu carabbiniere, chella vene a ce afferra, a-a-ah! Ma, ’nnammurato, so’ rassignato, non reagisco più. Io, mammeta e tu. Che bella cosa questa madre sempre davanti ai piedi, aaa . . . Ma San Gennaro m’aveva fatt’a grazia: l’ata matina nun l’ha fatta aizà; teneva l’uocchie ’e freve, pareva ca schiattava, io quasi me credevo d’ascì sulo con te. Nu filo ’e voce, pero’, truvaje mammà: «Dalla bambina ve faccio accompagnà.» Io, soreta e tu… Jamm’o bar ’o Chiatamone «Vuoi cuppetta o vuoi spumone?» ‹Chello che costa ’e cchiù.› Pe ricordo ’e ’sta jurnata, dint’a villa, c’hanno fatt’a foto. Vuò ’o pallone, vuò ’o babbà, nun se fida ’e cammena’. Guardo a essa, guardo ’o mare, sto penzanno ’e ce ’a menà, a-a-ah! Ma, ’nnammurato, so’ rassignato, non reagisco più. Io, soreta e tu. Carmelina, senti Carmelina se te ne vai ti do mila lire. “Mmm, no.” Guarda Carmelina se te ne vai ti do due mille lire. “Mmhehe, nn.” Carmelina . . . “E’ inutile che mi vuoi mandare via, tanto soldi non vi lascio.” Sei una bella disgraziata. Amore mio, stai sempe coi pariente, chesta famiglia me pare una tribù. Arrivano a Milano, arrivano all’Oriente, e tutta chesta gente staje sempe attorno a me. Na vecchia zia che steva a Cefalù, venuta accà, nun se n’è andata più. Io, zieta e tu, l’uovo frisco, ’a mozzarella, camminiamo solo in carrozzella. Io, zieta e tu, poverina, è sofferente, ogni tanto nu svenimento . . . ‹aiutate me.› io, zieta e tu, Sto pavanno accà e allà, ’e denare chi m’e dà? O te lasso o, fra nu mese, sto cercanno ’a carità, a-a-ah! Tu m’he ’nguaiato, me sposo a n’ata, non vi vedo più… mammeta, soreta e tu, zieta, soreta e tu, mammeta, pateto, e tu. nonneta, zieta, pateto, frateto, soreta, mammeta ’o cane… ‹Scusate, giovinotto… Chi è? Io sono la bisnonna, son uscita proprio adesso dall’ospedale… Iatevenn’, iatevenn’ tutti quanti› "Io, mammeta e tu" © 1955 Domenico Modugno and Riccardo Pazzaglia "Io, mammeta e tu" is one of the best known of Modugno's songs and even spawned a film of the same name in 1958, in which Modugno also appeared.

I told you, from our first meeting, not to bring anyone pattering after you. Instead, now a brother, a sister, a niece . . . not once alone . . . we always go out as three. And you promised me, “Tomorrow, who knows . . . I’ll come alone . . . alone with mama.” Me, little mama, and you . . . we pass by Toledo Way, us in front and little mama behind. Me, little mama, and you . . . always following after, crazy stuff, this one comes even on the way to get married. We go to the movies, to dance; if we try to slip away, like a carabiniere this one comes and catches us! But, I’m in love, I’m resigned, I don’t react anymore. Me, little mama, and you. What a fine thing this mother always in front at the feet, aaah . . . But Saint Genaro grants me a favor: the other morning he made her not get up; she had feverish eyes, she seemed about to croak. I almost believed I could go out with you alone. A thin little voice, however, the mama did find: “By the baby girl I’ll have you accompanied.” Me, little sister, and you . . . we go to the café in Chiatamone. “Do you want a cuppetta or do you want spumone?” “Whatever costs more.” As I remember this day, inside a villa, they took a photo of us. She wants the ball, she wants a babà, she prefers not to walk. I watch her, I watch the sea, I’m thinking of throwing her in! But, I’m in love, I am resigned, I no longer react. Me, little sister, and you. Carmelina, listen Carmelina, if you go away, I’ll give you a thousand lira. “Mmm, no.” Look, Carmelina, if you go away, I’ll give you two thousand liras. “Mmhehe, nn.” Carmelina . . . “It’s useless that you wanna send me away, so much money, I’m not leaving you.“ You’re a beautiful wretch. My love, you’re always with your relatives, this family seems like a tribe to me. They arrive in Milan, they arrive in the East, and all these folks are always around me. An old aunt who comes from Cefalù, came here, she never left again. Me, auntie and you, fresh egg, mozzarella, We walk only in a wheelchair. Me, auntie and you, poor thing, she is ailing, every now and again a fainting . . . “help me,” me, auntie and you. I’m paying here and there, the money, who will give it to me? Either I leave you or, in a month, I’ll be looking for handouts! You deceived me, I’ll marry another, I won’t see y’all anymore . . . little mama, little sister and you, auntie, little sister and you, little mama, papa and you, gramma, auntie, papa, little brother, little sister, little mama, the dog . . . (Excuse me, young man . . . Who are you? I’m the great-grandmother, I came out just now from the hospital . . . Out of here, get out of here all of you!) English translation © 2023 Dennis Criteser "Io, mammeta e tu" is the B-side of the last single for the label RCA Italia, released in 1955.