Track 5 - Mamma Mia Dammi Cento Lire

Here are the two songs that inspired the original arrangement…

These two songs are about the massive amounts of emigration that was widespread in Italy. In some cases, even entire towns would move to America for better opportunity. The first song, Mamma Mia Dammi Cento Lire, is about a girl asking her mother to give her 100 lire (the currency in Italy at the time that the song was being sung) so that she can go to America. The second song that we mixed with it is called, Io Parto Per L’America [I’m going to America], and is a story of someone that is saying goodbye to Italy because they are moving away. The song ends with a recapitulation of the original melody, but this time it is a little bit darker because the “warning” of the Mamma from the beginning (that if her daughter tries to go to America, her boat will sink) came true.

LYRICS:
"Mamma Mia Dammi Cento Lire"-1:
Mamma mia dammi cento lire che in'America voglio andar e voglio andar
Mamma mia dammi cento lire che in'america vo che in'america voglio andar e voglio andar

Cento lire sì te li do ma in america no e poi no ---- e no poi no (repeats as above)

I fratelli alla finestra mamma mia lascèla'anda ---- lasscèla anda

Cento lire sì te li do ma nel mare a prefondar ---- a prefondar

"Io Parto Per L'America":
Io parto per l'America sul lungo bastimento parto col cuor contento per non vederti più
Ma prima di partire faró un giro'in piazza, Veder se c'è qual' ragazza che piangerá per me
Ragazze non vi sono c'è solo la villana addio bell'italiana non ti vedrò mai piu addio bell'italiana non ti vedrò mai piu

"Mamma Mia Dammi Cento Lire"-2:
Pena giunto in mezz' al mare il bastimento si defondo ---- si defondò Le parole della mamma son venute la veritá ---- la veritá

TRANSLATION:
"Mother, Give Me 100 Lire"-1:
Mother give me a hundred lire because I want to go to America ---- I want to go I'll give you a hundred lire, but to America you can't go, no ---- you can't go, no.

Her brothers at the window: "Mother let her go ---- let her go"

I will give you a hundred lire, but to go and drown in the sea ---- to go and drown in the sea

"I'm leaving for America":
I'm leaving for America on the steamship, I'm leaving with my heart glad, never to see you again

But before I go I'll take a stroll in the piazza to see if there's a girl there who will weep for me.

There aren't any girls there, there's just the country girl. Goodbye lovely Italian girl. I'll never see you again.

"Mother, Give Me 100 Lire"-2:
When it reached the middle of the ocean the steamship it went down ---- it went down The words of the mother became the truth ---- became the truth.