Kelly was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style, his good looks and the likeable characters that he played on screen.
Although he is known today for his performances in An American in Paris (1951) and Singin' in the Rain (1952), he was a dominant force in Hollywood musical films from the mid-1940s until this art form fell out of fashion in the late 1950s. His many innovations transformed the Hollywood musical film, and he is credited with almost single-handedly making the ballet form commercially acceptable to film audiences.
Kelly was the recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 1952 for his career achievements. He later received lifetime achievement awards in the Kennedy Center Honors (1982), and from the Screen Actors Guild and American Film Institute; in 1999, the American Film Institute also numbered him 15th in their Greatest Male Stars of All Time list.
Better known as a dancer and movie star than a singer, Gene Kelly nevertheless turned in memorable vocal performances in the context of his movies, the MGM musicals of the 1940s and 1950s.
Kelly rose to fame on Broadway before making his Hollywood debut with "For Me and My Gal" in 1942. Kelly's light, high vocals are distinctive, and he acted even as he sang, sometimes letting his voice crack at a pivotal moment (as in his vocal for the title number in "Singin' in the Rain"). In addition to reinterpreting classics by the likes of George Gershwin, Kelly introduced a few standards, including "Be a Clown" from the film "The Pirate" and "Long Ago and Far Away" from "Cover Girl." He also performed duets with such luminaries as Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra.
Nina
Gene Kelly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know, that's right... Soy Speedy
Mackie Rank y Raga
Sonando, sonando
Sonando diferente, Looney Tunes y Noriega.
Checka papi, you know.
Niña, no se porque tanta prisa me da amarte
Los pelos se me erizan yo al mirarte
No se porque no se niña no se
Porque tanta prisa me da amarte
Los pelos se me erizan yo al mirarte
Tu piel ya me excita yo al tocarte.
Yo te conozco desde niña
Mamita todo llega con calma, tus besos me consumen el alma.
No vayas deprisa quiero disfrutarte mi morena, tranquila mulata.
Mi nena, me acuerdo cuando eras chiquita, que simpatica y
muchas caderas.
Te pasabas sola en la escuela, todos te admiraban pero era yo
quien te gustaba y a tu casa te acompanaba y...
Besito a besito, poquito a poquito se llega bastante no muy rapidito
Te invito, vamos a empezar suavecito, te acaricio el pelo y te beso
el cuellito.
Sin prisa, mami pa' que valga la pena, tranquila nena no hay problema.
Vas muy rapidito cuidado si te quemas, tranquila nena
tu eres candela.
Besito a besito, poquito a poquito se llega bastante no muy rapidito
Te invito vamos a empezar suavecito, te acaricio el pelo y te beso
el cuellito.
Niña no se porque tanta prisa me da amarte
Los pelso se me erizan yo al mirarte
Tu piel ya me excita yo al tocarte
No se porque no se niña no se
Porque tanta prisa me da amarte
Los pelos se me erizan yo al mirarte
Tu piel ya me excita yo al tocarte
No se porque no se nina
Yo te conozco mulata, mi morena(tranquila nena)
Yo te conozco desde nina morena (cuidado si te quemas)
Yo te conozco (te invito)
Mulata, yo te conozco mulata (tranquila nena)
Yo te conozco mulata, mi morena (tranquila nena)
Yo te conozco desde niña (cuidado si te quemas)
Yo te conozco morena, mulata (tranquila nena)
Niñaaaa, ahhhhhhhh, ehhhhhh, ahhhhh
Ninaaaa, ahhhhhhhh, ehhhhhh, ahhhhh
Hey, hey, you know? (you know) Soy Speedy (that's right)
Por mi madre que yo soy familia de Sammy Sosa o Roberto Clemente
Por todito lo que meto (por todos los palos que estoy dando)
Mackie Rank y Yaga
you know, soy Speedy (that's right)
Looney Tunes y Noriega
yo yo, you know
Soy Speedy
The song "Nina" by Gene Kelly is a classic love song about a man who is in a rush to love a woman. He expresses his excitement about being with her and how she makes him feel just by looking at her. The lyrics of the song convey a sense of urgency and passion, as the man cannot wait to fully explore his feelings for her. He remembers her from when she was a child and expresses his joy at being able to finally express his love to her. The song speaks about the beauty of taking things slow and allowing a relationship to develop naturally.
Line by Line Meaning
Heyyy
The singer greets his audience in a friendly manner.
You know, that's right... Soy Speedy
The singer introduces himself as ‘Speedy’ with confidence.
Mackie Rank y Raga
The singer mentions his associates which could mean his friends or co-workers.
Sonando, sonando
Sonando diferente, Looney Tunes y Noriega
The singer talks about his unique sound, that differs from his colleagues Looney Tunes and Noriega.
Checka papi, you know.
The singer encourages the listener to pay attention or listen carefully.
Niña, no se porque tanta prisa me da amarte
Los pelos se me erizan yo al mirarte
Tu piel ya me excita yo al tocarte
No se porque no se niña no se
Porque tanta prisa me da amarte
The singer expresses his love for someone and how he's attracted to them physically, but is confused by the urgency he feels.
Yo te conozco desde niña
Mamita todo llega con calma, tus besos me consumen el alma.
No vayas deprisa quiero disfrutarte mi morena, tranquila mulata.
The singer suggests that he knows the person he's in love with for a long time, and advises her to slow things down so that they can enjoy their time together. He also calls her 'my morena, (tranquila mulata)' which can be interpreted as an endearing term.
Mi nena, me acuerdo cuando eras chiquita, que simpatica y
muchas caderas.
Te pasabas sola en la escuela, todos te admiraban pero era yo
quien te gustaba y a tu casa te acompanaba y...
The singer recalls when the person he's in love with was younger and how much he liked her even then. He mentions that he used to accompany her home.
Besito a besito, poquito a poquito se llega bastante no muy rapidito
Te invito, vamos a empezar suavecito, te acaricio el pelo y te beso
el cuellito.
Sin prisa, mami pa' que valga la pena, tranquila nena no hay problema.
Vas muy rapidito cuidado si te quemas, tranquila nena
tu eres candela.
Besito a besito, poquito a poquito se llega bastante no muy rapidito
Te invito vamos a empezar suavecito, te acaricio el pelo y te beso
el cuellito.
The singer advises the person he's in love with to take things slowly and enjoy the moment. He invites her to take it easy as they get to know each other. He also warns her not to move too fast, with the popular phrase 'vas muy rapidito cuidado si te quemas' and reminds her that she's 'candela' (a strong and passionate person). He suggests easing into things with 'besito a besito, poquito a poquito'.
Niña no se porque tanta prisa me da amarte
Los pelso se me erizan yo al mirarte
Tu piel ya me excita yo al tocarte
No se porque no se niña no se
Porque tanta prisa me da amarte
Los pelos se me erizan yo al mirarte
Tu piel ya me excita yo al tocarte
No se porque no se nina
The singer once again expresses his confusion with the urgency he feels towards his loved one. He admits that he's stimulated by her physical appearance but is unsure why he gets so worked up.
Yo te conozco mulata, mi morena(tranquila nena)
Yo te conozco desde nina morena (cuidado si te quemas)
Yo te conozco (te invito)
Mulata, yo te conozco mulata (tranquila nena)
Yo te conozco mulata, mi morena (tranquila nena)
Yo te conozco desde niña (cuidado si te quemas)
Yo te conozco morena, mulata (tranquila nena)
The singer reiterates that he knows the person he's in love with since she was young with caring tones. He affectionately calls her ‘my morena (tranquila nena)’ and ‘mulata’. He also advises her to be careful 'cuidado si te quemas' and reminds her that he knows her 'desde nina'.
Niñaaaa, ahhhhhhhh, ehhhhhh, ahhhhh
Ninaaaa, ahhhhhhhh, ehhhhhh, ahhhhh
The singer repeats his loved one's name in an affectionate way in this part of the song.
Writer(s): Cole Porter Copyright: Chappell & Co. Inc.
Contributed by Mia G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.