The following is taken from the "Behind the Hits" web site. - Rita

The correct lyrics for the hit version must be gotten directly from the Lou Monte record. This presents still another problem. Monte's regional pronunciation differs radically from the dialectical spelling. As he sings the words:
c is pronounced like g
t is pronounced like d
p is pronounced like b, sometimes soft almost like v
f is pronounced like v
s is pronounced like z

Here then, for the first time on the Web, are the correct words and phonetic pronunciation as actually sung by Lou Monte:

LAZY MARY (Luna Mezzo Mare)
by Paolo Citorello, English lyrics by Lou Monte

C'è 'na luna mezz'u mare
CHEH-nah LOO-nah MEN-zoo MAH-reh

Mamma mia m'a maritare
MAH-mah MEE-ah mah mah-ree-DAH-ray

Figlia mia a cu te dare
FIH-lee-ah MEE-ah GOO-deh DAH-ray

Mamma mia pensace tu
MAH-mah MEE-ah ben-ZATCH-eh-doo

Se te piglio lu pesciaiole
zeh teh BILL-yoo-oh bee-shigh-YOH-lah

Isse vai isse vene
IH-soo VAH-eh IH-soo VEH-neh

Sempe lu pesce mane tene
ZEHM-peh loh BAY-sheh MAH-neh DAY-neh

Se ce 'ncappa la fantasia
zay ching-GAHP-pah-lah vahn-dah-ZEE-ah

Te pesculia figghiuzza mia
day beh-shoo-LEE-ah vee-GYOOTS-zah meeah

Là lariulà pesce fritt'e baccalà
lah lah-REE-oo-lah BEH-sheh VREET-teh bah-kah-LAH

Uei cumpà no calamare c'eggi'accattà
way goom-BAH noh gah-lah-MAH-leh jeh-jah-kah-TAH

(Second stanza)

C'è 'na luna mezz'u mare
CHEH-neh LOO-neh MEN-zoo MAH-reh

Mamma mia m'a maritare
MAH-mah MEE-ah mah mah-ree-DAH-ray

Figlia mia a cu te dare
FIH-lee-ah MEE-ah GOO-dah-DAH-ray

Mamma mia pensace tu
MAH-mah MEE-ah ben-ZATCH-eh-doo

Se te piglio lu pulezia
zeh-teh BILL-yoo-oh boo-luht-ZEE-ah

Isse vai isse vene
IH-soo VAH-eh IH-soo VEH-neh

Semp'a scuppetta mane tene
ZEHM-peh shkoop-PEHT-tah MAH-neh DAY-neh

Se ce 'ncappa la fantasia
zee ching-GAHP-pah-lah vahn-dah-ZEE-ah

Te scuppettea figghiuzza mia
day shkoop-peh-TEE-ah vee-GYOOTS-zah meeah

Là lariulà pesce fritt'e baccalà
lah lah-REE-oo-lah BEH-sheh VREET-teh bah-kah-LAH

Uei cumpà 'na scuppetta c'eggi'accattà
way goom-BAH nah shkoo-PEHT-tah jeh-jah-kah-TAH

(And now for you nice ladies and gentlemen out there who don't understand the Eyetalian language, I'd like to do two choruses in British)

Lazy Mary you better get up
She answered back I am not able
Lazy Mary you better get up
We need the sheets for the table

Lazy Mary you smoke in bed
There's only one man you should marry
My advice to you would be
Is to pay attention to me

You'd better marry a fireman
He'll come and go, go and come

Sempe la pompa mane tene
ZEHM-beh lah BUHM-bah MAH-neh DAY-neh

Se ce 'ncappa la fantasia
zay ching-GAH-pah-lah vahn-dah-ZEE-ah

Te pomperia figghiuzza mia
deh bohm-BEH-ree-ah vee-GYOOTS-zah meeah

Là lariulà pesce fritt'e baccalà
lah lah-REE-oo-lah BEH-sheh VREET-teh bah-kah-LAH

Uei cumpà 'na pompina c'eggi'accattà
way goom-BAH nah bohm-BEE-nah jeh-jah-kah-TAH

0 cummà ca me voglio marità
oh goom-MAH gah meh VOHL-yee-oh mah-ree-DAH

Trovame 'na uagliotta
troh-VAH-meh nah while-YOHT-tah

Ca me voglio marità
gah meh VOHL-yee-oh mah-ree-DAH

Trovame 'na uagliotta
troh-VAH-meh nah while-YOHT-tah

Ca me voglio marità
gah meh VOHL-yee-oh mah-ree-DAH

Trovame 'na uagliotta
troh-VAH-meh nah while-YOHT-tah

Ca me voglio marità
gah meh VOHL-yee-oh mah-ree-DAH

Hey!

---
[Still quoting & added some line breaks:]

THE STORY:This is a very risque song. In it a girl tells her mother that the moon over the sea (luna mezz'u mare) makes her want to get married. Her mother asks, who can we give you to? (a cu te dare) The daughter replies, "Mother, what do you think?" (Mamma mia pensace tu). The mother then considers different occupations of men.

In various versions of the original longer tune, they are numerous, including the Butcher, the Baker, the Shoemaker, the Farmer, the Carpenter and the Gardener. Lou's version features the Fisherman, the Policeman, and the Fireman.

For each type she considers, the mother uses a variation on a theme–for example: If I pick for you the fisherman (Se te piglio lu pesciaiole), he'll go, he'll come (isse vai isse vene), he'll always have his fish in his hand (sempe lu pesce mane tene). If he gets an idea in his head (Se ce 'ncappa la fantasia) he'll "fish" you (te pesculia). She repeats this theme for each choice, changing the double entendre of what each has in his hand and what he'll do with it.

Although he sings of the policeman with his rifle in his hand (a scuppetta mane tene) Monte left out the more naughty images of the butcher with his sausage in his hand and the gardener with his cucumber. Most of his English (or as he says,"British") version has nothing to do with the Italian song. There's no mention in the original of anyone named Mary, lazy or otherwise, needing the sheets for the table, etc. But Monte does tie the two together with the ending of the English lyrics segueing back to (as he calls it) "Eyetalian": "you'd better marry a fireman, he'll come and go, go and come...sempe la pompa mane tene (always with his pump in his hand)... te scuppettea (he'll pump you)". The song ends with the exasperated daughter pleading to find her a GIRL to marry (trovame 'na uagliotta* ca me voglio marità)!

*uagliotta variously spelled guagliotta or vagliotta is slang for girl (ragazza or giovinetta in Standard Italian)

[Boys were called "guaglione," at least in Naples.- Rita]