Now I like the way that in Naples you can find a song about pretty much everything, and the one about the sugar in the bottom of the coffee cup is one of my favourites.
Like many Neapolitan songs, its jaunty music comes with a set of humorous but cynical lyrics, comparing a young woman’s disdain for an admirer with the bitter taste of coffee.
But as ever with unrequited love, the admirer hopes that she will eventually warm to him and that transformation will be like tasting the sugar at the bottom of the coffee cup.
And so in the words of the song,
"I'd really like to know why every time you see me
you always look so annoyed
but you, the more you try to look ugly,
the more you look beautiful to my eyes.
Now, I don't know if you've noticed that.
But with these manners, oh brigida
you seem a cup of coffee
there's sugar at the bottom
and above you are bitter.
But I am determined to stir
and stir so much
that the sugar at the bottom of the cup
will finally be tasted in my mouth".
It was also a favourite of Simone and Rosa who are from Naples, and is one that they often sing, along with many which are more romantic.
This one was written by Roberto Murolo, who was born in 1912 and had a long career as a musician, sportsman, and actor as well as a songwriter.
Alongside his own songs he released LP’s of traditional Neapolitan songs dating back to the 12th century and performed at concerts in to his 80’s.
But for me it is "À tazza è cafè" which always brings a smile to my face and takes me back to Naples, reminding of other wonderful bitter sweet Neapolitan songs
Of these my favourite is "Tu vuò fà l'americano" or “You Want to Be American".
It was written in 1956, and savages those young Italians who wanted all things American, from Rock an Roll to whisky and soda, baseball and Camel cigarettes but relied on their Italian parents to fund their adopted lifestyle.
It is a joyful, fast moving song with the same cynical take on things as À tazza è cafè and Tina and her dad sing it with gusto smiling as they reach the line asking who pays for it all ....... "Chi te li da? La borsetta di mamma'" which translates, "Who gives you them? Mamma's handbag”.
And that is it.
Location; Naples
Pictures; from the collection of Andrew Simpson
But as ever with unrequited love, the admirer hopes that she will eventually warm to him and that transformation will be like tasting the sugar at the bottom of the coffee cup.
And so in the words of the song,
"I'd really like to know why every time you see me
you always look so annoyed
but you, the more you try to look ugly,
the more you look beautiful to my eyes.
Now, I don't know if you've noticed that.
But with these manners, oh brigida
you seem a cup of coffee
there's sugar at the bottom
and above you are bitter.
and stir so much
that the sugar at the bottom of the cup
will finally be tasted in my mouth".
It was also a favourite of Simone and Rosa who are from Naples, and is one that they often sing, along with many which are more romantic.
This one was written by Roberto Murolo, who was born in 1912 and had a long career as a musician, sportsman, and actor as well as a songwriter.
Alongside his own songs he released LP’s of traditional Neapolitan songs dating back to the 12th century and performed at concerts in to his 80’s.
But for me it is "À tazza è cafè" which always brings a smile to my face and takes me back to Naples, reminding of other wonderful bitter sweet Neapolitan songs
Of these my favourite is "Tu vuò fà l'americano" or “You Want to Be American".
It was written in 1956, and savages those young Italians who wanted all things American, from Rock an Roll to whisky and soda, baseball and Camel cigarettes but relied on their Italian parents to fund their adopted lifestyle.
It is a joyful, fast moving song with the same cynical take on things as À tazza è cafè and Tina and her dad sing it with gusto smiling as they reach the line asking who pays for it all ....... "Chi te li da? La borsetta di mamma'" which translates, "Who gives you them? Mamma's handbag”.
And that is it.
Location; Naples
Pictures; from the collection of Andrew Simpson
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