Songs to make you smile

Hilda Carroll, over at the blog Living Out Loud, has started a web project to compile a top playlist of the best songs to charge you up. And I've been tagged by Joanna Young, of Coaching Wizardry. I knew instantly which songs were my must-haves but I've been searching for the lyrics.

1. Mambo Italiano. This is my nonense song but it reminds me of falling in love with Italy and all the giddy fluttery-tummy emotions that go with it. I listen to it in the car, with the windows wound down and the sun on my face. It's guaranteed to make me smile.

A girl went back to Napoli.Because she missed the scenery

The Native dances

And the charming songs

But wait a minute something's wrong

Eh-Mambo, Mambo Italiano

Eh-Mambo, Mambo Italiano

Go, go, go-you mixed up Siciliano

All you Calabrese do the mambo like-a crazy

Eh, mambo, don't want-a Tarantella

Eh, mambo, no more mozzarella

Eh, mambo, Mambo Italiano

Try an enchilada with the fish-a-baccala in it

Eh, gumba-I love-a how you dance samba

But take some advice Paisano

Learn how to mambo

If you're gonna be a square

You ain't-a gonna go nowhere till you

Eh, mambo, Mambo Italiano

Eh, mambo, Mambo Italiano

2. What a Feeling - from the Fame soundtrack. Ok, here comes my big admission. I'm a closet Fame fan which is going to somewhat upset my cool DJ brother. It's something to with watching the tv programme when I was a little girl and dreaming of becoming a ballerina and wearing leg warmers like the dancers on the show. But the words charge me up and make me believe in my dreams - and no, they no longer involve prancing around rooms in 80s legwarmers, which is probably just as well considering I'm not the most coordinated person on this planet.

Take your passion
and make it happen.
Pictures come alive, now I'm dancing through my life.

What a feeling.
What A feeling, I am music now
Bein's believin' I am rhythm now
Pictures come alive you can dance right through your life.
What a feeling, you can really have it all
What a feeling, pictures come alive when I call,
I can have it all I can really have it all
Have it all, pictures come alive when I call
Call, call, call, call, What A Feeling.
I can have it all, beins believe in
Bein's believin', take your passion
Make it happen.
Make it happen, what a feeling
What a feeling, beins believin

If you want to play along, the rules are very simple:

1. Post about the one song that makes your heart sing, and uplifts your spirit every time you hear it.  If you can provide a link to lyrics and/or audio that would be fabulous.  But it's not essential, so don't worry about it if you can't.

2.  Include a trackback to this post

3.  Tag three others and ask them to include a trackback to your post and Hilda Carroll's when they post.

In the meantime, I've tagged:

Laura Buonanno

Sognatrice

Giovanna Pasquarelli

Comments

[Joanna Young]

I love the inclusion of a nonsense song. Your description of the feeling it gives you reminds me of my first morning in Mexico last autumn: crazy Mexican band music on the radio, a woman singing along as she brushed the courtyard, early morning light streaming into the square. The same wild music I'd then go on to hear in every Mexican taxi, every bus, at the start of a journey, off for a new adventure. Music that creates that sense of energy, happiness, possibility. Total inner sunshine :)
Joanna

[Emma Bird]

Joanna

That's exactly it! Total inner sunshine and the joy that comes from nothing fancy but from living and being present in each and every moment. That's what Italians are so good at - as are southern Europeans, hispanics, and Latin Americans.

Thanks for that description. I can really see that woman now as she brushed the courtyard.

[Jay Innes]

What about Barry White?! Does anyone out there enjoy his crooning voice? I have attended many a wedding listening to his music in the background, and I was lucky enough to attend a function in Australia where he was the main act......... was fantastic, old soul...

[Emma Bird]

Jay

Mario's always talking about Barry White :-)

[sognatrice]

I love the Mambo Italiano song too--just so happy! Mine is up, btw: http://bleedingespresso-sognatrice.blogspot.com/2007/06/tapping-my-foot-and-smiling.html

[ivan]

lovely songs, but have you ever listened "voglio vivere cosi'" of Ferruccio Tavaglini?
here the lyrics:

Và... cuore mio da fiore a fior
con dolcezza e con amor
vai tu per me ...
Và... che la mia felicità
vive sol di realtà vicino a te...

Voglio vivere così
col sole in fronte
e felice canto
beatamente...
voglio vivere e goder
l'aria del monte
perchè questo incanto
non costa niente

ah , ah !!!
oggi amo ardentemente
quel ruscello impertinente
menestrello dell'amor
ah , ah !!!
la fiorita delle piante
tiene allegro sempre il cuor
sai perchè?
voglio vivere così
col sole in fronte
e felice canto
canto per me

ah , ah !!!
Oggi amo ardentemente
quel ruscello impertinente
menestrello dell'amor
ah , ah !!!
La fiorita delle piante
tiene allegro sempre il cuor
sai perchè?
voglio vivere così
col sole in fronte
e felice canto
canto per me

Voglio vivere così
col sole in fronte
e felice canto
beatamente...
voglio vivere e goder
l'aria del monte
perchè questo incanto
non costa niente

ah , ah !!!
oggi amo ardentemente
quel ruscello impertinente
menestrello dell'amor
ah , ah !!!
il fiorire delle piante
tiene infesta questo cuor
sai perchè?
voglio vivere così
col sole in fronte
e felice canto
canto per me!!!!!!

A masterpiece of italian joy of life!
i

[Jay]

Mario, clearly has great taste!

[Emma Bird]

@Jay - I shall tell Mario you said that.
@Ivan - No, I hadn't heard of this song. But thank you for posting the lyrics. They really are beautiful.

Voglio vivere così
col sole in fronte
e felice canto
beatamente...
voglio vivere e goder
l'aria del monte
perchè questo incanto
non costa niente

How did you discover them?

[Hilda]

Hi Emma,

thanks so much for playing along. I'm not a music snob, and think whatever does it for you counts, nonsense or no-nonsense! And I love "What a feeling" too - brings back great memories of dancing in my local Tops of the Teens. (and yes, I also was a big fan of Fame)

I'm just starting to go through all the posts now, and will let you know when the compilation is complete.

all the best,

Hilda.

[Emma Bird]

@ Hilda

I loved playing along. Thank you for starting the meme. I'm eagerly awaiting the final compilation. And I'm pleased that you like the Fame song, too.

@ Sognatrice

Thanks for playing along, too. I know why you like the Mambo Italiano song - it mentions your part of the world :-)

[Stephanie Colson]

Does anyone know an Italian song that has an english translation of "for want of her"? I think it would have been popular in the late 80's or early 90's. Thank you.