In the Chicago song, “Does Anyone Know What Time It Is?”, what is the translation of the Italian lyrics when a man selling ice cream is singing Italian songs? - Jinx
Jinx, first of all the song you’re thinking about is “Saturday in the Park.”
I’m fairly good with Italian, and all the lyricsites I’ve been looking at only have the Italian spelled phonetically, and I can’t translate it. It looks like Italian-sounding ad-lib, basically.
I’ll get back to you on this.
Ah! Graci, Nocturne! I couldn’t recall which Chicago song it was!
- Jinx
I remember the album it was on. The sleeve listed all the lyrics, except for that line, which was: “?” That led me to believe it’s just gibberish.
One site had this:
which I believe transtlates as, “Various Ice Cream, it’s balls”.
Dear God, I’ll never be able to listen to that song again.
Thanks a lot, Ethilrist.
Are those similar to Chef’s “Salty Chocolate Balls”?
“Say everybody have you seen my balls, they’re big and salty and brown. If you ever need a fix just pick me up and stick my balls in your mouth. Ooooooh suck on my chocolate salty balls (put em in your mouth) put em in your mouth and suckem and suckem.”
I’m not sure how to spell it correctly but I recognize the first two words as “Hey, gumbare…”
OK, I heard the song my my way home tonight and remembered this thread.
The translation is something like, “Hey, mister, it is if…” but I still can’t figure out the rest.
What words, Jeff? I know the song well, and I’m not hearing the words for “Hey mister, it is if…”
I was so confused when first I read this thread. I didn’t remember this song from the movie at all. I even convinced myself it must have been in the stage version but was one oft he songs cut from the mvoie.
The OP requested an English translation of the Italian verse. I’ve worked out the Italian as Hey, gumbare, è se… but I can’t figure out the rest. I plugged è se into Babelfish and got “it is if”; I think gumbare (or however that’s spelled) is slang for “mister”.
Closest I can get with Babelfish so far is è se arde - “it as if it burns.”
Typo. Should’ve been “it is if it burns.”
Perhaps it’s e se arde - “…and if it burns”?
Gumbaree is indeed slang for mister, but I believe that’s more “Americanized” Italian. So no wonder I didn’t know it.
“E se arde,” “and if it burns,” makes a little more sense.
Okay, the ice cream man is supposed to be singing Italian songs. Either there’s really a song with a verse like that or it’s simply a throwaway line that sounded good.
I found another possibility - Hey, gumbaree, e se something dee. “Hey, mister, and if (something) goddesses.”
I think I got it! Hey, gumbaree, e se la dee. “Hey, mister, and if the goddesses.” Now this at least sounds like it could be from a real Italian song but it’s still probably just a throwaway line.
I think I got it! Hey, gumbaree, e se la dee. “Hey, mister, and if the goddesses.” Now this at least sounds like it could be from a real Italian song but it’s still probably just a throwaway line.