We No Speak Americano – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Yolanda Be Cool, DCUP

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language can be a vibrant and rhythmic journey, and "We No Speak Americano" is the perfect song to kickstart your Italian (specifically, the Neapolitan dialect) adventure. This global dance hit cleverly blends a classic Italian swing sample with an infectious modern beat. By listening, you'll pick up on the playful clash of languages and get a feel for the musicality of Neapolitan phrasing. It’s a fun and energetic way to dip your toes into a new language and culture, all while enjoying a track that made the world dance.

[English]

How can you understand who loves you?

If you speak in American?

When love is made under the moon

How does it come to your mind to say: "I love you!"

Pa pa the American

...

Pa pa the American

...

Pa pa the American

...

For the American

...

Pa pa the American

...

Pa pa the American

...

Pa pa the American

...

Whisky, soda and rock and roll

Whisky, soda and rock and roll

Whisky, soda and rock and roll

...

[Spanish]

Comme te po' capì chi te vò bene

Si tu le parle 'mmiezzo americano?

Quando se fa l'ammore sotto 'a luna

Come te vene 'capa e dì: "I love you!"

Pa pa l' americano

Pa pa l' americano

Pa pa l' americano

Pa l' americano

Pa pa l' americano

Pa pa l' americano

Pa pa l' americano

Whisky, soda and rock and roll

Whisky, soda and rock and roll

Whisky, soda and rock and roll

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
capì /kaˈpi/ B1	verb - to understand
bene /ˈbeːne/ A2	adverb - well
parlare /parˈlaːre/ B2	verb - to speak
americano /ameˈriːkano/ A2	noun - American adjective - American
fa /fa/ A1	verb - to do, to make
l'ammore /laˈmːore/ B1	noun - love
capa /ˈkaːpa/ B1	noun - head
vene /ˈveːne/ B1	verb - to come
love /lʌv/ A2	noun - a feeling of deep affection verb - to feel deep affection
pa /pa/ A1	preposition - for
soda /ˈsoːda/ A1	noun - soda, soft drink
whisky /ˈwɪski/ A2	noun - a distilled alcoholic beverage made from grain
rock /rɒk/ A2	noun - a genre of popular music
roll /roʊl/ A2	noun - a type of music or dance style

Key Grammar Structures

• Come te po' capì chi te vò bene

  ➔ Use of modal verb 'po'' (può) for possibility/ability in the past or present

  ➔ 'Po'' is a colloquial form derived from 'può', meaning 'can' or 'be able to'.

• Si tu le parle 'mmiezzo americano?

  ➔ Use of 'si' as a conditional conjunction meaning 'if'

  ➔ 'Si' introduces a conditional clause meaning 'if'.

• Quando se fa l'ammore sotto 'a luna

  ➔ Use of 'quando' for 'when' to introduce a temporal clause

  ➔ 'Quando' means 'when' and introduces a temporal clause describing the time of an action.

• Come te vene 'capa e dì: "I love you!"

  ➔ Use of direct speech within quotation marks

  ➔ Quotation marks enclose direct speech or a quote, indicating someone's exact words.

• Whisky, soda and rock and roll

  ➔ Use of coordinating conjunction 'and' to connect similar elements

  ➔ 'And' is a coordinating conjunction used to link words or phrases of equal grammatical rank.

• 'Whisky, soda and rock and roll'

  ➔ Repetition for rhythm and emphasis

  ➔ Repetition of phrases can create rhythm and highlight key elements in the song.