Holly and the Italians were a short-lived American power-pop band that form… Read Full Bio ↴Holly and the Italians were a short-lived American power-pop band that formed Los Angeles, California in 1978 by Chicago born singer and guitarist Holly Beth Vincent, bassist Mark Sidgwick, and drummer Steve Young.

Unable to garner much attention in Los Angeles, the band flew to London shortly after forming in hopes of securing a record deal and possibly gaining an audience in the New Wave and post-punk scene that was quite popular in Britain at the time. After playing on the pub circuit extensivley, they came to prominence as the opening act for fellow Americans Blondie, and were signed to disc jockey Charlie Gillett's record label, Opal.

The 1979 release of the single "Tell That Girl To Shut Up" garnered the band a recording contract with Virgin Records. While the single wasn't a very big hit for Holly and the Italians, it would be in 1988 when covered by Transvision Vamp. The band recorded their only album, The Right To Be Italian, produced by Richard Gottehrer. Their next two singles, "Youth Coup" and "Miles Away," (the latter written by bassist Mark Henry), failed to chart and the group disbanded at the end of 1981.

In 1982 Holly Beth Vincent issued a solo album entitled Holly and the Italians even though the band was now defunct and the album was solely credited to Vincent. The album featured a minor hit with the completely overhauled cover of Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth," and the subsequent video gained some airtime on MTV. Later that year Vincent recorded a cover of Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe" with Ramones frontman Joey Ramone.

After a brief period replacing Patty Donahue in The Waitresses, she appeared in a combo called the Wild Things with Anthony Thistlethwaite of The Waterboys, and in 1995 teamed up with Concrete Blonde singer Johnette Napolitano for a musical side project entitled Vowel Movement.

Do You Say Love
Holly and the Italians Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You broke my heart 'cause I couldn't dance,
You didn't even want me around.
And now I'm back to let you know I can really shake 'em down.

Do you love me?
(I can really move, )
Do you love me?
(I'm in the groove.)

Now do you love me?
(Do you love me now that I can dance?)
Watch me, now.
(Work, work)
Ah,work it out baby.
(work, work)
Well, you're drivin' me crazy.
(work, work)
With just a little bit of soul, now
(work!)
Now I can mash potatoes, I can do the twist,
Tell me, baby, do you like it like this?
Tell me,
(Tell me,)
Tell me.

Do you love me?
(I can really move, )
Do you love me?
(I'm in the groove.)
Now do you love me?
(Do you love me now that I can dance?)
Watch me, now.
(Work, work)
Ah,work it out baby.
(work, work)
Well, you're drivin' me crazy.
(work, work)
With just a little bit of soul, now
(work!)
Now I can mash potatoes, I can do the twist,
Tell me, baby, do you like it like this?

Tell me,
(Tell me,)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song "Do You Say Love" by Holly and the Italians describe a narrative of unrequited love where the singer's heart was broken because they couldn't dance. The person they loved didn't even want them around because of this. However, the singer has returned to show that they can really "shake 'em down" and dance now. The rest of the song is a question to this person they love, asking if they love them now that they can dance. The song is full of energy and soulful vocals, encouraging the recipient of the message to watch the singer dance and see their new moves.

It can be interpreted that the song is a metaphor about personal transformation and growth. The singer's newfound ability to dance represents personal development and growth, and they are asking their love interest if they appreciate this growth and transformation in their life. The song conveys a message of self-improvement and encourages listeners to pursue their goals and aspirations, regardless of the opinions of others.

Line by Line Meaning

You broke my heart 'cause I couldn't dance,
You caused me emotional pain because I was not capable of dancing.

You didn't even want me around.
You did not desire my company.

And now I'm back to let you know I can really shake 'em down.
I am back to demonstrate my ability to dance exceptionally well.

Do you love me?
Do you have romantic feelings for me?

(I can really move, )
(I am an exceptional dancer,)

Do you love me?
Do you have romantic feelings for me?

(I'm in the groove.)
(I am fully immersed in the rhythm and enjoying it.)

Now do you love me?
Now that I am capable of dancing, do you have romantic feelings for me?

(Do you love me now that I can dance?)
(Are you attracted to me now that I have demonstrated my ability to dance?)

Watch me, now.
Observe my dancing ability.

(Work, work)
(Put in effort and get to work)