We No Speak Americano
Encyclopedia
"We No Speak Americano" is a song by Australia
n duo Yolanda Be Cool
and producer DCUP
. It was released on the independent Australian label Sweat It Out on 27 February 2010. The song samples
the 1956 Italian
song - although sung in Neapolitan language
- "Tu Vuò Fà L'Americano
" by Renato Carosone
, written by Carosone and Nicola Salerno
. "We No Speak Americano" became a hit in Europe
, Australia, and Latin America
(where the song is also known as Pa-Panamericano) as well as a top 40 hit in the U.S. and Canada. It also won the 2011 ARIA award for "Best Dance Release." The song has sold over 1,000,000 digital copies in the United States as of 10 April 2011.
It has been featured in the soundtrack of 2011 film The Inbetweeners Movie and featured in the 2011 live action/CGI film Hop. It also featured in Episode 2 of the 2011 Korean drama adaptation City Hunter
and on the video game Zumba Fitness 2
.
The song is later sampled by American rapper Pitbull
for his Spanish-language tune "Bon, Bon
," crediting Yolanda Be Cool and DCUP as producers of the said song .
Blog gave the song a positive review stating:
comedies and features a Chaplinesque
Italian protagonist in New York City
, in a bid to raise some quick cash to propose to the young woman that he met earlier in the video.
covered this song for the Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked: Music from the Motion Picture
album and for the upcoming "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
" film. This version is mashed with Miami Sound Machine's "Conga
".
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entered the Singles Chart peaking at number twenty-six.
, Lady Gaga
, and other current socio-cultural events.
's speech to the United States Congress
, Noy Alooshe
spoofed it by using parts of the speech to the tune of "We No Speak Americano".
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n duo Yolanda Be Cool
Yolanda Be Cool
Yolanda Be Cool is an Australian band made up of Sylvester Martinez and Johnson "Durango Slim" Peterson. They collaborated with Australian producer DCUP to release an international single "We No Speak Americano" on the indie Australian label Sweat It Out they founded, sampling on a 1956...
and producer DCUP
DCUP
Duncan MacLennan, better known by his stage name DCUP, is an Australian music producer, DJ and remixer. He is best known for his co-operation with fellow Australian duo Yolanda Be Cool on their international hit single "We No Speak Americano", which samples Renato Carosone and Nicola Salerno's 1956...
. It was released on the independent Australian label Sweat It Out on 27 February 2010. The song samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
the 1956 Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
song - although sung in Neapolitan language
Neapolitan language
Neapolitan is the language of the city and region of Naples , and Campania. On October 14, 2008 a law by the Region of Campania stated that the Neapolitan language had to be protected....
- "Tu Vuò Fà L'Americano
Tu vuò fà l'americano
"Tu vuò fà l'americano" is a Neapolitan language song by Italian singer Renato Carosone....
" by Renato Carosone
Renato Carosone
Renato Carosone , born Renato Carusone, was among the greatest figures of Italian music scene in the second half of the 20th century. He was also a modern performer of the so-called canzone napoletana, Naples' song tradition.-Beginnings:Carosone was born in Naples...
, written by Carosone and Nicola Salerno
Nicola Salerno
Nicola Salerno, also known as Nisa was an Italian lyricist. He formed a famous songwriting duo with Renato Carosone.-Career:Nicola Salerno was born in Naples....
. "We No Speak Americano" became a hit in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Australia, and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
(where the song is also known as Pa-Panamericano) as well as a top 40 hit in the U.S. and Canada. It also won the 2011 ARIA award for "Best Dance Release." The song has sold over 1,000,000 digital copies in the United States as of 10 April 2011.
It has been featured in the soundtrack of 2011 film The Inbetweeners Movie and featured in the 2011 live action/CGI film Hop. It also featured in Episode 2 of the 2011 Korean drama adaptation City Hunter
City Hunter (TV series)
City Hunter is a South Korean television drama series starring Lee Min Ho, Park Min Young, Lee Joon Hyuk, Hwang Sun Hee, Goo Hara and Lee Kwang Soo. It premiered on May 25, 2011 on SBS and finished broadcasting on July 28, 2011. The show reached number one in its time slot in Korea, reaching 18%...
and on the video game Zumba Fitness 2
Zumba Fitness 2
Zumba Fitness 2 is a video game currently being developed by Zoë Mode and will be published by Majesco Entertainment based on the Zumba program. It is a sequel to Zumba Fitness...
.
The song is later sampled by American rapper Pitbull
Pitbull (rapper)
Armando Christian Pérez , better known by his stage name Pitbull, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. His first recorded performance was from the Lil Jon album Kings of Crunk in 2002, after which he released his debut album in 2004 titled M.I.A.M.I. under TVT Records...
for his Spanish-language tune "Bon, Bon
Bon, Bon (Pitbull song)
"Bon, Bon" is a song by American rapper Pitbull from his fifth studio album, Armando. It was released as the album's third official single on October 25, 2010. The single peaked at #61 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the Billboard Top Latin Songs...
," crediting Yolanda Be Cool and DCUP as producers of the said song .
Critical reception
Nick Levine of Digital SpyDigital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
Blog gave the song a positive review stating:
"We No Speak Americano" is a club smash built around a socking great sample from an old Italian language hit from the 1950s - to which the knob-twiddling trio have added beats as bouncy and eager-to-please as a Labrador pup at din-dins time. The result is far from unappealing but roughly as repetitive as the musings of a drunken depressive, so enjoy it now before that mate of a mate with a fondness for novelty ringtones gets hold of it. .
Music video
The official music video for the song, directed by Andy Hylton is a take on classic silent filmSilent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
comedies and features a Chaplinesque
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
Italian protagonist in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, in a bid to raise some quick cash to propose to the young woman that he met earlier in the video.
Cover versions
The ChipettesThe Chipettes
The Chipettes are a fictional group of anthropomorphic chipmunk singers first appearing on the cartoon series Alvin and the Chipmunks in 1983. In this and related materials, the Chipettes served as female featured characters in their own right, starring in numerous episodes...
covered this song for the Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked: Music from the Motion Picture
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked: Music from the Motion Picture
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked: Music from the Motion Picture is the licensed soundtrack based on the 2011 film Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked...
album and for the upcoming "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked is an upcoming 2011 American comedy film. The film stars Jason Lee. It is to be distributed by 20th Century Fox, and produced by Regency Enterprises and Bagdasarian Productions...
" film. This version is mashed with Miami Sound Machine's "Conga
Conga (song)
"Conga" is the first single released by the American band Miami Sound Machine led by Gloria Estefan on their second English language album, and ninth overall, Primitive Love.-Song history:...
".
Credits and personnel
- Lead vocals — Yolanda Be Cool
- LyricsLyricsLyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
— Johnson Peterson, Sylvester MartinezYolanda Be CoolYolanda Be Cool is an Australian band made up of Sylvester Martinez and Johnson "Durango Slim" Peterson. They collaborated with Australian producer DCUP to release an international single "We No Speak Americano" on the indie Australian label Sweat It Out they founded, sampling on a 1956...
, Duncan MaclennanDCUPDuncan MacLennan, better known by his stage name DCUP, is an Australian music producer, DJ and remixer. He is best known for his co-operation with fellow Australian duo Yolanda Be Cool on their international hit single "We No Speak Americano", which samples Renato Carosone and Nicola Salerno's 1956...
, Renato CarosoneRenato CarosoneRenato Carosone , born Renato Carusone, was among the greatest figures of Italian music scene in the second half of the 20th century. He was also a modern performer of the so-called canzone napoletana, Naples' song tradition.-Beginnings:Carosone was born in Naples...
, Nicola SalernoNicola SalernoNicola Salerno, also known as Nisa was an Italian lyricist. He formed a famous songwriting duo with Renato Carosone.-Career:Nicola Salerno was born in Naples.... - Producer — Johnson Peterson, Sylvester Martinez, Duncan Maclennan
- Mastering Engineer — Robin Petras (PureFocus Mastering)
- LabelRecord labelIn the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
: Sweat It Out - AlbumAlbumAn album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
: Knot
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Poland (ZPAV) | 2 |
| Polish Dance Chart (ZPAV Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... ) |
1 |
| Romania (Romanian Top 100 Romanian Top 100 The Romanian Top 100 is the national airplay-based singles chart of Romania. It is weekly and it started running in 1996. It is recognized as an official chart by the European division of Billboard, Music & Media.... ) |
1 |
| South Korea (GAON Gaon Chart The Gaon Chart is a national record chart of South Korea. It is complied by the Korea Music Content Industry Association and sponsored by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism; with an aim to create a national chart for Korea similar to the Billboard charts and Oricon charts... ) |
1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 34 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia) | 13 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
97 |
| Danish Singles Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
5 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 1 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 7 |
| German Singles Chart | 5 |
| Hungarian Airplay Chart | 89 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 23 |
| Romanian Top 100 Romanian Top 100 The Romanian Top 100 is the national airplay-based singles chart of Romania. It is weekly and it started running in 1996. It is recognized as an official chart by the European division of Billboard, Music & Media.... |
18 |
| Spanish Singles Charts PROMUSICAE Spanish Music Producers is a trade group representing the Spanish recording industry... |
3 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 2 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
9 |
Certifications
| Country | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... |
|---|---|
| Australia | Platinum |
| Austria | Platinum |
| Belgium | Gold |
| Denmark | Platinum |
| Germany | 2× Platinum |
| Italy | Platinum |
| Spain | 3× Platinum |
| Sweden | 3× Platinum |
| Switzerland | Platinum |
| United Kingdom | Platinum |
| United States | Platinum |
Chart procession and succession
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Marco Calliari version
In the UK, a cover version sung by Quebec-born Italian singer-songwriter Marco CalliariMarco Calliari
Marco Calliari is a singer-songwriter based in Quebec, originally from Italy. He began his career in 1989 in forming the thrash metal group Anonymus alongside Carlos Araya and brothers Daniel and Oscar Souto...
entered the Singles Chart peaking at number twenty-six.
Трикотаж version
In Russia, a parody version of the track appeared in the summer 2010, with vocals in Russian by the band Трикотаж (Knit-Wear) featuring Dj Solovey. This version was entitled Подзаебало (Sick of it), with the lyrics па-падзаебало mirroring pa-parle americano of the original. The new lyrics make references to the record heat wave in Russia of summer 2010, The Twilight SagaThe Twilight Saga (film series)
The Twilight Saga is a series of supernatural romance fantasy films from Summit Entertainment based on the four Twilight series novels by the American author Stephenie Meyer. The films star Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner. The series has grossed over $2 billion in worldwide...
, Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
, and other current socio-cultural events.
"Por Panamericana" and "El Chocoano"
In Argentina, various parody versions of the song were made. Among them, one resulted in very successful hit, that would even be played at discos as a companion for the original song. The best known version is called "Por Panamericana", and the voice recorded on the record tell a story about being stopped by the police at the Panamerican Highway for speeding. Los Cantores de Chipuco (Colombia) also made their own parody of this song, called "El Chocoano"."Bi Bi pro Americano"
After Benjamin NetanyahuBenjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.Netanyahu is the first and, to...
's speech to the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, Noy Alooshe
Noy Alooshe
Noy Alooshe is a 31 year-old "Israeli journalist, musician and Internet buff" of Tunisian Jewish descent best known outside Israel for his Zenga Zenga-spoof song on Muammar Gaddafi...
spoofed it by using parts of the speech to the tune of "We No Speak Americano".