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Si avisse fatto a n'ato chello ch'e fatto a mme st'ommo t'avesse acciso, tu vuò sapé pecché? Pecché 'ncopp'a sta terra femmene comme a te non ce hanna sta pé n'ommo onesto comme a me!... Femmena Tu si na malafemmena Chist'uocchie 'e fatto chiagnere... Lacreme e 'nfamità. Femmena, Si tu peggio 'e na vipera, m'e 'ntussecata l'anema, nun pozzo cchiù campà. Femmena Si ddoce comme 'o zucchero però sta faccia d'angelo te serve pe 'ngannà... Femmena, tu si 'a cchiù bella femmena, te voglio bene e t'odio nun te pozzo scurdà... Te voglio ancora bene Ma tu nun saie pecchè pecchè l'unico ammore si stata tu pe me... E tu pe nu capriccio tutto 'e distrutto,ojnè, Ma Dio nun t'o perdone chello ch'e fatto a mme!... Femmena Si ddoce comme 'o zucchero però sta faccia d'angelo te serve pe 'ngannà... Femmena, tu si 'a cchiù bella femmena, te voglio bene e t'odio nun te pozzo scurdà... Totò (Antonio de Curtis) - 1951 "Malafemmena" is an iconic Neapolitan song written by Totò, an actor, comedian, screenwriter, dramatist, poet, and singer known as the Prince of Laughter. He dedicated this song to his wife Diana, who left him in 1950. Though husband and wife were estranged, they had agreed to live together until their daughter reached the age of 18. This arrangement put Diana into a position where she had to endure Totò's many infidelities, which she finally tired of and broke their agreement, leaving to marry another man. |
If you had done to someone else what you did to me This man would have killed you, you wanna know why? Because in this world women like you Shouldn’t exist for an honest man like me Woman, you are one bad woman You’ve made these eyes cry Tears of disgrace Woman, you are worse than a viper You’ve intoxicated my soul I can no longer live Woman, you’re as sweet as sugar But this face of an angel Only serves to deceive Woman, you are the most beautiful of women I love you and I hate you I can’t get you out of my mind I still love you, but you don’t know why Because the only love for me was you And you on a whim destroyed everything, oh my But Lord, I can’t forgive you for what you did to me Woman, you’re as sweet as sugar But this face of an angel Only serves to deceive Woman, you are the most beautiful of women I love you and I hate you I can’t get you out of my mind English translation © 2018 Dennis Criteser Canzone napoletana piccola enciclopedia ("Neapolitan Song Tiny Encyclopedia") was published in 2015, collecting into six CDs 80 tracks of traditional Neapolitan songs that Massimo Ranieri recorded in collaboration with producer Mauro Pagani. The arrangements are fresh with a contemporary appeal and Ranieri's voice is, as always, passionate and full of life. Pagani is a multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of the influential progressive rock band PFM, and is also well-known for producing Creuza de mä, Fabrizio De André's 1983 world fusion masterpiece. The Neapolitan Song tradition dates back centuries, but the classic period began in the 1830s. |
I began exploring Italian popular songs as part of learning Italian. Here are my translations for some of my favorite "canzoni" by Italian singers, songwriters, and bands whose work I admire. It's a work in progress that can serve as a curated introduction to Italian popular music, with an emphasis on the 1950s through the 1990s. If you speak Italian, send me a message if you see lyrics I've misunderstood.
