The great American tenor of Italian origin, Mario Lanza sings “Mamma Mia, Che Vò Sapé?”, a beautiful Neapolitan song written by the Italian composer Emanuele Nutile (1862-1932) in 1900, with lyrics by his fellow Neapolitan Ferdinando Russo (November 25, 1866 – January 30, 1927). Video from the 1949 Technicolor American musical romance film “That Midnight Kiss” starring Mario Lanza (in his first leading role) and Kathryn Grayson.
“Mamma mia, che vo’ sapè”, became a standard in the Neapolitan repertory that has been recorded by virtually every tenor since Enrico Caruso.
Mamma mia, che vo’ sapè Lyrics
Mamma Mia, Che Vò Sapé?
Quanno ‘a notte se ne scenne
p’abbruciá chist’uocchie stanche,
quann’io veglio e tu mme manche,
sento ‘a smánia ‘e te vasá
E te chiammo, e schiara juorno,
ma è pe’ ll’ate stu chiarore.
Tengo ‘a notte dint”o core
e nun pòzzo arrepusá.
Ah, nun mme fá murí!
Tu, che ne vuó’ da me?
Mamma mia mme vène a dí pecché
chesta smánia nun mme vò’ lassá.
Ah, nun mme fá murí!
Tu che ne vuó’ da me?
Mamma mia che vò sapé?
Mamma mia ch’ha da appurá?
Nun mme fido d”a vasá.
Ah! Ah!
Mamma mia ch’ha da appurá?
Ah! Ah!
Mamma mia ch’ha da appurá?
What Do You Want to Know, Mama?
When night falls
(and comes) to burn these weary eyes of mine
When I stay up and miss you
I feel the need to kiss you.
And I call for you, and (then) day becomes bright
But this brightness is for others (not for me)
I hold the night inside my heart
And I can’t repose
Ah, don’t make me die!
You, what do you want from me?
Mama asks me why
this longing can’t leave me (in peace)
Ah, Don’t make me die!
What do you want from me?
What do you want to know, Mama?
What do you want to clarify, Mama?
I don’t have the heart to kiss her
Ah! Ah!
What do you want to clarify, Mama?
Ah! Ah!
What do you want to clarify, Mama?
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