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.
New York New York
Caterina Valente Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And everything in New York ain't always what it seems
You might get fooled if you come from out of town
But I'm down by law and I know my way around, too much
Ah too many people, too much -- a ha hah
Too much, too many people, too much, rrrrrrrah!
A castle in the sky, one mile high
Rows of eyes, disguised as windows
Lookin DOWN on the poor and the needy
Miles of people, marchin up the avenue
Doin what they gotta do, just to get by
I'm livin in the land of plenty and many
But I'm damn sure poor and I don't know why
Too much, ah too many people, too much
Too much, too many people, too much!
A man's on a ledge, says he's gonna jump
People gather round, said, "He won't he's just a chump"
Cause he lost his job, then he got robbed
His mortgage is due and his marriage is through
He says he ain't gonna pay no child support
Because the bitch left him without a second thought
He got nothin to eat, no shoes on his feet
She even left his clothes, out in the street
He keeps hearin noises when he's at home
He always hears voices when he's all alone
His wife took the kids, the car and the crib
In this man's world, so much for women's lib
New York New York big city of dreams
But everything in New York ain't always what it seems
You might get fooled if you come from out of town
But I'm down by law, and I know my way around
Down in the Village, you might think I'm silly
but you can't tell the women from the men sometimes
They're sugar and spice and everything nice
But when you get em home ain't no tellin what you find
Right next door is a little old man
I seen him eatin dog food out of a can
He says, "I got to eat, when I can't afford meat
I barely can stand, on my own two feet"
I got a bad habit and I just can't break it
Somethin's on my mind and I just can't shake it
I need some time, and I want some space
I gotta get away from the human race
Too much, ah too many people, too much... a-ha hah
Too much, ah too many people, too much! Rrrrrrrah!
Stand at a skyscraper reachin into heaven
When over in the ghetto I'm livin in hell
Just play ball or be an entertainer
cause niggaz like me can't read too well
Nobody loves me, nobody cares
I dreamed about a life but I'm livin in a nightmare
Paranoid schitzo, set back, snowbound
Bad news psycho, heart attack, breakdown!
Caterina Valente's song, New York New York, is a reflective portrayal of the city of New York. The song highlights the contrast between the city's glamorous façade with the harsh reality of living in the city. The first three lines of the song, "Ah New York New York big city of dreams, And everything in New York ain't always what it seems. You might get fooled if you come from out of town," set the tone for the rest of the song. The song is a depiction of the city's social, economic, and political reality that contrasts with the image that outsiders may have of the city.
The song references social issues such as the wealth divide between the rich and greedy living in skyscrapers and the poor and needy in the city's streets. The man on the ledge who lost his job, got robbed, and his marriage ended illustrates the mental health problems that some residents face. The song also touches on the issue of gender identity with the line, "Down in the Village, you might think I'm silly, but you can't tell the women from the men sometimes."
Moreover, the song reveals the reality of living in a city dominated by the entertainment industry. The words, "Just play ball or be an entertainer," highlight the discourse of the American Dream and how outsiders can get caught up in trying to achieve it while ignoring the challenges of daily life.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah New York New York big city of dreams
New York is often thought of as a city where dreams can come true
And everything in New York ain't always what it seems
Things are often not as they appear in this city
You might get fooled if you come from out of town
Visitors to the city may not be prepared for what they encounter
But I'm down by law and I know my way around, too much
The singer is a seasoned resident who knows how to navigate the city
Ah too many people, too much -- a ha hah
There are simply too many people in New York
Too much, too many people, too much, rrrrrrrah!
The singer is overwhelmed by the sheer number of people in the city
A castle in the sky, one mile high
Skyscrapers in New York can feel like fantasy structures
Built to shelter the rich and greedy
Many of these tall buildings house corporations and wealthy individuals
Rows of eyes, disguised as windows
Windows on high-rise buildings can seem like eyes staring down on the streets below
Lookin DOWN on the poor and the needy
The singer sees the city's wealthy as indifferent to the struggles of those less fortunate
Miles of people, marchin up the avenue
The crowds of people in New York can seem endless
Doin what they gotta do, just to get by
Many people in the city are just trying to survive
I'm livin in the land of plenty and many
Although there is great wealth in the city, many people still struggle to get by
But I'm damn sure poor and I don't know why
The singer is among those who are struggling to make ends meet in the city
A man's on a ledge, says he's gonna jump
The pressures of life in the city can lead to extreme despair
People gather round, said, "He won't he's just a chump"
Some people in the city lack empathy for those who are struggling
Cause he lost his job, then he got robbed
The man on the ledge has faced a series of setbacks and traumas
His mortgage is due and his marriage is through
The man is experiencing a range of personal and financial crises
He says he ain't gonna pay no child support
The man is so overwhelmed that he is unwilling to fulfill his parental responsibilities
Because the bitch left him without a second thought
The man's bitterness towards his ex-wife is palpable
He got nothin to eat, no shoes on his feet
The man is experiencing extreme poverty
She even left his clothes, out in the street
The singer is emphasizing the cruelty of the man's ex-wife
He keeps hearin noises when he's at home
The man is experiencing paranoia and fear
He always hears voices when he's all alone
The man is likely struggling with mental illness
His wife took the kids, the car and the crib
The man has lost everything he once held dear
In this man's world, so much for women's lib
The man feels personally victimized by the struggles of women
Down in the Village, you might think I'm silly
Greenwich Village may seem like a harmless neighborhood
but you can't tell the women from the men sometimes
The singer is referring to the androgyny of some inhabitants of the Village
They're sugar and spice and everything nice
The singer is referencing a popular nursery rhyme, implying that appearances can be deceiving
But when you get em home ain't no tellin what you find
The singer is suggesting that people in the Village have hidden secrets and surprises
Right next door is a little old man
The singer is drawing attention to the close quarters in which people live in parts of the city
I seen him eatin dog food out of a can
The man is so impoverished that he is reduced to eating pet food
He says, "I got to eat, when I can't afford meat
The old man is matter-of-fact about his dire situation
I barely can stand, on my own two feet"
The old man is frail and weak due to his age and poverty
I got a bad habit and I just can't break it
The singer has a personal habit that he struggles to control
Somethin's on my mind and I just can't shake it
The singer is preoccupied or worried about something
I need some time, and I want some space
The singer is feeling overwhelmed and in need of some solitude
I gotta get away from the human race
The singer desires to escape from the pressures and struggles of life in the city
Stand at a skyscraper reachin into heaven
Skyscrapers can be awe-inspiring and seem to defy the laws of physics
When over in the ghetto I'm livin in hell
The singer is drawing attention to the contrast between the wealthy areas of the city and the poor areas
Just play ball or be an entertainer
The singer is suggesting that upward mobility in society may be limited to those who can become sports stars or entertainers
cause niggaz like me can't read too well
The singer is highlighting the racial barriers to upward mobility in the city
Nobody loves me, nobody cares
The singer feels lonely and unloved
I dreamed about a life but I'm livin in a nightmare
The singer has unfulfilled aspirations and feels trapped in an unpleasant reality
Paranoid schitzo, set back, snowbound
The singer is experiencing a range of psychological symptoms
Bad news psycho, heart attack, breakdown!
The singer is suggesting that he is close to a mental and emotional collapse
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ADOLPH GREEN, BETTY COMDEN, LEONARD BERNSTEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Staless74
on Cambia O Lasciami
Please correct the highlighted verse to: "Che diritti hai su di me?". Thanks.