Caterina Valente (born January 14, 1931 in Paris) is an Italian-born singer… Read Full Bio ↴Caterina Valente (born January 14, 1931 in Paris) is an Italian-born singer, dancer, and actress. She comes from an Italian artist family; her father Giuseppe was a well-known accordion player, her mother, Maria Valente, a musical clown. She had three siblings, of whom Silvio Francesco was also active in show business.

In 1952 she married juggler Erik van Aro (Gerd Eric Horst Scholz). He recognized her talent and accompanied her in her initial years of worldwide success, although they later divorced. In 1953, she made her first recordings with Kurt Edelhagen. Soon afterwards she achieved great success with songs like "Malagueña", "The Breeze and I", and "Dreh dich nicht um" with the Werner Müller orchestra. In 1955 she was featured on the "Colgate Comedy Hour" with Gordon MacRae. Between 1966 and 1972 she was a frequent guest on the Dean Martin Show. In 1972, she married the British pianist Roy Budd; they had a son, Alexander, but they divorced in 1979.

In Germany she was a major performer of Schlager music. There she recorded Cole Porter's "I love Paris" i.e. "Ganz Paris träumt von der Liebe", which sold more than 500,000 copies in (1954.) Like in other countries where she was popular, some in Germany mistakenly consider her a German singer.

Over the years, she has recorded or performed with many international stars, including Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald, Woody Herman, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Buddy Rich, Sy Oliver, Claus Ogerman, and Chet Baker.

In 2001, she released a new album Girltalk with harpist Catherine Michel. She is also the mother of singer Eric van Aro, Jr.

I've Got You Under My Skin
Caterina Valente Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've got you under my skin.
I've got you deep in the heart of me.
So deep in my heart that you're really a part of me.
I've got you under my skin.
I'd tried so not to give in.
I said to myself, this affair never will go so well.
But why should I try to resist when, baby, I know down well
I've got you under my skin?

I'd sacrifice anything come what might
For the sake of havin' you near
In spite of a warnin' voice that comes in the night
And repeats, repeats in my ear,
Don't you know, you fool, you never can win?
Use your mentality, wake up to reality.
But each time that I do just the thought of you
Makes me stop before I begin
Cause I've got you under my skin.

I would sacrifice anything come what might
For the sake of havin' you near
In spite of the warning voice that comes in the night
And repeats, how it yells in my ear,
Don't you know, you fool, ain't no chance to win
Why not use your mentality, get up, wake up to reality?
And each time I do just the thought of you
Makes me stop just before I begin

Cause I've got you under my skin.
And I like you under my skin.

Overall Meaning

In "I've Got You Under My Skin," Caterina Valente sings about someone who has become ingrained in her being. The lyrics use the metaphor of being under someone's skin to describe how deeply they are a part of the singer. While she admits that she tried not to give into her feelings for this person, she cannot deny that they are a part of her. The singer describes sacrificing anything for this person because she wants them near her. She even acknowledges that a "warning voice" reminds her that she cannot win, but she cannot resist her strong feelings.

Line by Line Meaning

I've got you under my skin.
You are deeply ingrained in my thoughts and emotions.

I've got you deep in the heart of me.
Your presence is felt deeply in my heart and soul.

So deep in my heart that you're really a part of me.
You have become an essential part of me and my identity.

I'd tried so not to give in.
I attempted to resist or avoid my feelings towards you.

I said to myself, this affair never will go so well.
I believed that pursuing a relationship with you is not going to end well.

But why should I try to resist when, baby, I know down well I've got you under my skin?
What is the point of fighting these emotions when I am already deeply in love with you?

I'd sacrifice anything come what might For the sake of havin' you near
I am willing to give up anything to have you close to me, regardless of the consequences.

In spite of a warnin' voice that comes in the night And repeats, repeats in my ear, Don't you know, you fool, you never can win?
Despite the internal warnings and doubts, I cannot help but pursue my desire for you.

Use your mentality, wake up to reality.
I should use reason and common sense to understand that this love may not be rational or practical.

But each time that I do just the thought of you Makes me stop before I begin
Thinking of you makes me pause and reconsider, but I cannot help but be drawn to you again and again.

And I like you under my skin.
Despite any challenges or doubts, I embrace the idea of you being a part of me and my life.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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