Eh, Cumpari!; Julius La Rosa

“‘Eh, Cumpari!’ is a novelty song. It was adapted from a traditional Italian song by Julius La Rosa and Archie Bleyer in 1953, and sung by La Rosa with Bleyer’s orchestra as backing on a recording that year.

“The song reached #1 on the Cash Box charts and #2 on the Billboard charts in 1953. As a result, the song was also featured in a performance by Dennis Day on The Jack Benny Program on CBS Radio.

“Another popular version was recorded by The Gaylords, in middle of which a comical letter from someone in ‘the old country’ is read, culminating with a joke about Alitalia Airlines.

“The song also appeared in Francis Ford Coppola’s film The Godfather III as sung by Talia Shire, who played Connie Corleone, the sister of Michael Corleone.

“The song is a cumulative song, in which each verse contains all of the previous verse as well.

“It is sung in Southern Calabrian dialect.

“The song is about the sounds of musical instruments.”*

Julius La Rosa was born on January 2, 1930, Brooklin, NY. According his own website “he grew up listening to Frank Sinatra (...), Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller”. Currently, he’s still performing in public today.

Eh Compare, ci vo suonare
Chi si suona? Un friscaletto.
E come si suona un friscaletto?
(*whistle*) un friscaletto tipiti tipiti tam.

Eh compare, ci vo suonare.
Chi si suona? Un sasofona,
E come si suona un sasofona?
Tu tu tu tu un sasofona
(*whistle*) un friscalette, tipiti tipiti tam.

Eh compare, ci vo suonare.
Chi si suona? Un mandolino.
e come si suona un mandolino?
a plig a plin, un mandolino,
tu tu tu tu un sasofona
(*whistle*) un friscalette, tipiti tipiti tam.

E compare, ci vo suonare?
Chi si suona? u violino.
E come si suona un violino?
A zing a zing, un violino,
a pling a pling, un mandolino
tu tu tu tu un sasofona
(*whistle*) un friscalette, tipiti tipiti tam.

E compare, ci vo suonare?
Chi si suona? a la trumbetta.
Ma come si suona a la trombetta?
Papapapa a la trumbetta,
A zing a zing, un violino,
a pling a pling, un mandolino
tu tu tu tu un sasofona
(*whistle*) un friscalette, tipiti tipiti tam.

E compare, ci vo suonari?
Chi si suona? a la trombona.
Ma come si suona a la trombona.
A fumma a fumma a la trombona,
Papapapa a la trumbetta,
A zing a zing, un violino,
a pling a pling, un mandolino,
tu tu tu tu un sasofona
(*whistle*) un friscalette, tipiti tipiti tam.