Ti Voglio Bene/Be Italian Lyrics - Nine Soundtrack

Sarraghina (echoed by Guido & Boys; sings) You never say “I
love you,” it’s too English.
Don’t love like the inglesi. (not the inglesi)
And never say “je t’aime,” it’s too pretty.
It’s good for the francesi. (for the francesi)
In Dutch they say “ick liebe”, they can keep it
With all the hollandesi. (the hollandesi)
But now I teach you three words,
You will learn them
And drive your women crazy:
“Ti voglio bene” you will say,
It means “I want you every day”
“Ti voglio bene.” (Ti voglio bene)
“Ti voglio bene” you will learn
Means “every night for you I burn”
“Ti voglio bene.” (Ti voglio bene)
Now when you grow to be a man,
You follow Sarraghina’s plan:
“Ti voglio bene.” (Ti voglio bene)
Remember how I taught you first
These words of love that we rehearsed:
“Ti voglio bene.” (Ti voglio bene)
But love is more than speaking,
When your speaking is all through
Come here a little closer,
I will tell you what to do ...

The Boys edge closer. She holds one, then speaks.

You close your eyes. And if you want to make a woman
happy, you rely on what you were born with. Because it
is in your blood.

She puts the Boy on her lap and sings to him.

Be Italian, be Italian,
Take a chance and try to steal a fiery kiss.
Be Italian, you rapscallion.
When you hold me, don’t just hold me
But hold this!

She puts his hand on her breast. The Boys all giggle. She
sings to Little Guido

Please be gentle, sentimental,
Go ahead and try to give my cheek a pat.

Little Guido pats her cheek; she embraces him.

But be daring and uncaring.
When you pinch me, try to pinch me where there’s
fat.

She pinches his bottom. He runs, turns to listen. Echoed by
Boys:

Be a singer! (Be a singer)
Be a lover! (Be a lover)
Pick the flower now before the chance is past.
(Before the chance is past)
Be Italian, (Be Italian)
You rapscallion! (You rapscallion)
Live today as if it may become your last!

She catches a tambourine thrown from the orchestra pit, and
shaking it, leads the Boys across “the beach”, cheered by
the people on stage.

Bambini! Ascoltate! Adesso vincerete la tarantella-
la danza la piu bella del moudo! La danza the risveglia
la passione e 1’amore! A posto, bambini! Siete pronti?
Attenti! Via! (English translation: Kids! Listen up!
Now you’ll learn the tarantella-the most beautiful
dance in the world! The dance that awakens passion and
love! To your places! Ready? Set! Go!)

Sitting on Guido’s box, she teaches them a tambourine
“dance, “ in which she uses the tambourine to slap various
parts of her body-an earthy anatomy lesson. The boys,
seated on surrounding boxes, join one by one, building to a
wild, infectious climax. Then All break into song. Echoed
by All:

Be a singer! (Be a singer)
Be a lover! (Be a lover)
Pick the flower now before the chance is passed.
(Ahhhhh)
Be Italian, (Be Italian)
You rapscallion! (You rapscallion)
Live today as if it may become your last!

The Boys embrace Sarraghina, then run back to the hole in
the fence, where their Nun reprimands them for running off
to Sarraghina. During this, Guido’s Mother has been
speaking.

Guido’s Mother I still don’t know how it could have hap
pened-nine years old! My son goes to see a woman like
that! Father Manfredi told me lots of the boys from St.
Sebastian’s went to see her. Father Manfredi said she
was the Devil!
Little Guido (receiving smack from Nun) I didn’t know! I
didn’t know!

During the following music, Carla, still dressed as a nun,
ushers the Boys back on stage, where they clasp their hands
in prayer. Carla moves to Sarraghina’s box and prays there,
having assumed the posture of a nun; Sarraghina moves to
Carla’s box, sits, and waits.