ADD: Babbaluci / Babaluci (Lou Monte)

Subject: Lyr Req: BABBALUCI as heard on Larry Glick Show!
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jan 10 - 03:00 PM

Many years ago Larry Glick played a song on his radio show. It was called BABBALUCI. It went like (Babbalucci Babbaluci Babbaluci By The Sea .....) I am hoping that someone can help me find the lyrics or song itself as played on the Larry Glick Radio Show. I thank you in advance for any assistance. Than you! Paul E-Mail [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: BABALUCI
From: GUEST,999
Date: 26 Jan 10 - 03:07 PM

Lou Monte BABALUCI Lyrics:
(spoken)
When I was a little boy, my mother used to take me for walks along
the beach. And I remember the first time I saw these rocks all
covered with these little hard shelled creatures. And I asked her,
"Hey mom, what are those things on the rocks over there." and she
said to me, "Luigi, they are snails or parywinkles, in the old
country they used to be called ? but your grandma had a pet name for
them, she used to call them Babaluci. and this song is all about a
little snail called Babaluci." (end spoken)

I wake up in the morning, look out at the sea
Take a walk out on the beach, and set my spirit free
I hear the gulls a crying, a flying in the breeze
I see my friend the little snail, he smiles and winks at me

Babaluci, he's on the rocks making love the whole day long
In the worth of summer, all winter long
The only time he takes a break is when the tide comes in
And when it turns the other way he starts right in again

When we first met some months ago, his family number 3
He's been such a busy snail its very plain to see
You can hardly see the rock its covered side to side
the Babaluci now numbers 95

Babaluci, he's on the rocks making love the whole day long
In the worth of summer, all winter long
The only time he takes a break is when the tide comes in
And when it turns the other way he starts right in again

Maybe I should take my girl along the beach with me
Have her watch this creature making love beside the sea
It lues her imbtitions better luck then free
Then I'd be known from her alone as Babaluci

Lyrics: Babaluci, Lou Monte [end]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: BABBALUCI as heard on Larry Glick Show!
From: GUEST,999
Date: 26 Jan 10 - 03:12 PM

PS OP notified.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: BABBALUCI as heard on Larry Glick Sh
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Jan 10 - 08:17 PM

I couldn't find the Lou Monte recording anywhere. Anybody know more about it, and whether it's originally an Italian song?

There's a YouTube Video of a song that mentions "babbaluci" a lot, but I don't know if it's the same song. And here (click) is a YouTube video of the song with a lot less talking.

I think this is a job for Ferrara, to whom I have sent a personal message.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: BABBALUCI as heard on Larry Glick Show!
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 26 Jan 10 - 08:38 PM

Babaluci is the word for snails or escargot in Sicily. In other areas?

The song appears in the album Pepino Meets Babaluci, 1980s. And again in Greatest Hits Part 2.
Wikipedia)

Can't find anything about a prior source.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: BABBALUCI as heard on Larry Glick Show!
From: GUEST,999
Date: 26 Jan 10 - 11:13 PM

That is the song the fellow was looking for. Now, if there are other songs, cool.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: BABBALUCI as heard on Larry Glick Show!
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 28 Jan 10 - 01:14 PM

Maybe unrelated, but there is a film called "Babbaluci"—Here is the trailer in Italian. It seems to be a comedy.

Here is a folk rhyme. I don't know whether it's related to the song:

Viri chi danno ca fannu i babbaluci
ca cu li corna ammuttano i balati,
si unn'era lestu a darici na vuci,
viri chi dannu ca fannu i babbaluci.

Here's another version:

Viri chi dannu, chi fannu i babbaluci
nca cu li corna spincinu i balati,
su unniera liestu a ghiccarici na vuci,
viri chi dannu chi fannu i babbaluci.

Sorry, I can't translate them. Even Google Translate misses most of the words. I assume it's not standard Italian—maybe Sicilian dialect?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: BABBALUCI as heard on Larry Glick Show!
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 28 Jan 10 - 01:41 PM

youtube also has a Sicilian song "I babbaluci," but this may not be the original of the one sung (composed?) by Lou Monte. (No translation)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: BABBALUCI as heard on Larry Glick Show!
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 28 Jan 10 - 03:55 PM

Mudcat has a few other Lou Monte songs:

DOMINICK THE DONKEY
WHAT DID WASHINGTON SAY (WHEN HE CROSSED THE DELAWARE)?
PEPINO THE ITALIAN MOUSE
THE WIFE (LA MOGLIERA)

It seems they are always translations or adaptations of Italian songs, either pop or traditional. Usually he sings a verse or two in Italian (or some regional dialect) in addition to English.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: BABBALUCI as heard on Larry Glick Show!
From: GUEST,Wayne, near Baltimore
Date: 28 Jan 10 - 04:47 PM

I suppose Larry Glick is retired by now.

Subject: Lyr Add: BABALUCI (from Lou Monte)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Jan 10 - 02:59 PM

This song can be found at YouTube. Listening to it enabled me to correct several errors in the above transcription:


BABALUCI*

[SPOKEN] When I was a little boy, my mother used to take me for walks along the beach. And I remember the first time I saw these rocks all covered with these little hard-shelled creatures. And I asked her, "Hey mama, what are those things on the rocks over there?" and she said to me, "Luigi, they're snails, or periwinkles. In the old country they used to be called ciammarùche** but your grandma had a pet name for them. She used to call them babaluci." And this song is all about a little snail called Babaluche***."

1. I wake up in the mornin', look out at the sea
Take a walk along the beach, and set my spirit free.
I hear the gulls a-cryin', glidin' in the breeze.
I see my friend the little snail, he slyly winks at me.

CHORUS: Babaluci's on the rocks, makin' love the whole day long,
In the warmth of summer, all winter long.
The only time he takes a break is when the tide comes in,
And when it turns the other way, he starts right in again.

2. When we first met some months ago, his family numbered three.
He's been such a busy snail, it's very plain to see.
You can hardly see the rock. It's covered side to side.
The Babaluci family now numbers ninety-five. CHORUS.

3. Maybe I should take my girl along the beach with me,
Have her watch this creature makin' love beside the sea.
She'd lose her inhibitions, let her love run free,
Then I'd be known to her alone as Babaluci. CHORUS


* It appears that Lou Monte's albums consistently use the spelling "Babaluci." However, several credible online sources prefer the spelling "babbaluci" as the Sicilian word for snail.

** I spent way too much time trying to figure out what this word might be, even looking at several web sites about various Italian dialects—and I don't even know standard Italian! Results: There are several regional words for "snail." The longest list I could find is here. "Ciammarùche" is the word used in Molise, on the eastern coast of Italy, and seems to match what Monte says in the recording.

*** This spelling is conjecture on my part, but it seems that Monte omits the "i" sound at this point. I don't know why. Could it have something to do with the formation of singular vs. plural nouns?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: BABBALUCI as heard on Larry Glick Show!
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 30 Jan 10 - 03:58 PM

Looking down the list on the page you linked, Nomi regionali, Sicilia is listed, with several names possible, including caracola and babaluci, only one 'b' in babaluci.