“The man who plays the mandolino”

Why are sad songs so popular sometimes?  We also love happy songs, but sad songs somehow have a special little niche in our souls.

“The man who plays the mandolino”, a Neapolitan song written by Giuseppe Fanculli and translated by Bergman, was released in 1956, sung by Dean Martin.  This song, a kind of character sketch, still touches me after all these years and I find it interesting that, even though I was dizzy about rock ‘n roll at the time, this sad song meant a lot to me as a child.

It is worth looking up the lyrics and, on You Tube, finding the version sung by Dean Martin.  Both lyric and the melody make this a memorable song.

He seems like such a happy man,

The man who plays the mandolino

He sings a song of sweet romance

To lovers as they dance

But all he’s holding in his arms

Is just a little mandolino

He has no woman of his own

So every night he walks alone.

                  

With his little mandoline            

and a twinkle in his eye

     Signoritas he can win

     Always for another guy

Will

www.willwilltravel.wordpress.com

Bridgewater, Somerset West

May, 2023

My graphics, published by RotsWolk Publishers

How does your list of sad songs compare?

• Miss Otis regrets (Cole Porter)
• Autumn Leaves (Kosma)
• Al le die berge nog so blou (Koos du Plessis)
• House of the Rising Sun (Animals)
• And I love her, I’ll be back, Eleanor Rigby, to mention some (Beatles)
• Melancholy Man (Moody Blues)
• The day before you came (ABBA)
• Lake Placid Blues (Tony Joe White)

This list does go on.