by Joseph Martin Cunningham
Eet ees greata contree, deesa land,
But ees pretta hard for ondrastand
As many time I theenk, my frand —
Notta lika Napoli.
Do not mistaka what I say —
I lova deesa U S A
Long before I come away
From Napoli.
Leesen here, I tal you, frand,
Justa why des beega land
Ees more hard for ondrastand
Dan Napoli.
For many longa year ago
I leeva w’ere da grappa grow —
W’ere cold weenda don’ta blow —
By Napoli.
My father maka gooda wine,
An’ heesa father mak’ eet fine,
An’ by gosh! I maka mine
By Napoli.
An’ my people dreenk eet too
Lika most Italian do —
But dey don’ta gett “stew”
Een Napoli.
– 2 –
But now I leeva ovra here
For many longa happy year,
An’ hard I work as janiteer
At da Ceeta Hall.
I knowa all da beega man —
Mosta all Republican —
Da Mayor, Judge, da Aldraman
At da Ceeta Hall.
I maka sometime leetla “kale”
Just by run queeck and feel da pail
Weeth ice for cool da geengra ale
At da Ceeta Hall.
Da Mayor ees lika bes’ da geen,
An’ da Judge ees lika more begeen
On da Scotch da Sherreef breeng een
At da Ceeta Hall.
Da Sherreef bettra lika rum
From da boat dat sometime come
On darka beach for senda some
To da Ceeta Hall.
– 3 –
Small time ago, da othra day,
I getta home, my son he say
Hees mama Carla’s go away
To Napoli.
I no can b’lieve dees theeng I hear,
For we been happy many year,
An’ leetla dream mia Carla dear
Of Napoli.
“Da’sa greata beega lie!”
I tal my Beppo, an’ he cry.
Den I was verra sorry — I —
For leetla Beppo.
Petta soon eet ees more clear
Why my wifa’s notta here
An’ notta even verra near
To Napoli.
She ees no go to Napoli —
Ees lika dees, my frand, you see,
She onla maka wine for me
Lika Napoli.
Da Sherreef ees find da wine she maka,
So he ees come along an’ taka
All da wine, an’ Goodness saka!
Da wifa Carla too!
I verra sure I notta fail
For getta Carla from da jail —
But da Judge he say, “W’ere ees da bail?
Een Napoli?”
For help da Mayor ees no good —
He only say, “I weesh I could”,
But he don’ta say he would
Geeva help for Carla.
Da Sherreef ees moocha drunk for good,
Se he ees nevra ondrastood
W’en I ask heem eef he could
Free mia Carla.
He onla say, “You dirta wop!
You looka see dat I’m da cop —
My beesnees eet ees for da stop
Da break da law!”
– 4 –
Ees hard for see da wiffa stay
Lock up een jail for many day
Just becos’ een kinda way
She maka wine for me.
– 5 –
Oh, yes, my frand dees beega land
Ees verr hard for ondrastand,
But I love eet mooch, my frand —
Almos’ lika Napoli.