Jerry Vale's beautiful high-tenor voice graced many of the most enchanting … Read Full Bio ↴Jerry Vale's beautiful high-tenor voice graced many of the most enchanting pop songs of the '50s and '60s, including a parade of Italian-American favorites like "Innamorata (Sweetheart)," "Volare," "Amore, Scusami," and his signature song, "Al Di La." Vale, born Genaro Louis Vitaliano in 1932, learned the Italian repertoire from an early age; his mother often sang around the house and trotted out the old songs at extended-family gatherings. While shining shoes at a local barber shop at the age of 11, young Vitaliano began singing popular songs for customers while he worked. He was soon sent to a vocal coach, where he learned piano as well as voice. Over the course of just four years, he'd progressed from school productions to paying gigs to residencies at supper clubs around New York City.

After Guy Mitchell caught his set at one club, Jerry Vale began recording demonstration discs for Columbia. When A&R supremo Mitch Miller heard his excellent voice, however, he signed Vale to his own contract. Vale first hit the charts in 1953 with "You Can Never Give Me Back My Heart" (arranged by Percy Faith), and continued during the mid '50s with "Two Purple Shadows," "I Live Each Day," and his biggest hit, "You Don't Know Me." Though his first explicitly Italian recording, "Innamorata (Sweetheart)," finally appeared in 1956, it wasn't until 1962 that Vale convinced the notoriously conservative Miller to record a full album of Italian songs. "I Have But One Heart" proved a big seller and was followed one year later by "Arrivederci, Roma" and a continental LP, "The Language of Love," both of which placed even higher than the first on the album charts.

Though the mid '60s were a trying time for traditional pop singers, Vale continued to be successful, with singles like "Have You Looked Into Your Heart" and "For Mama," and Top 40 LPs like "There Goes My Heart" and "It's Magic." Even after his albums began failing to make the charts in the early '70s, Vale remained a popular name in clubs and on television throughout the '70s and '80s. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

Mona Lisa
Jerry Vale Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa, men have named you
You're so like the lady with the mystic smile
Is it only 'cause you're lonely they have blamed you?
For that Mona Lisa strangeness in your smile?

Do you smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa?
Or is this your way to hide a broken heart?
Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep

They just lie there and they die there
Are you warm, are you real, Mona Lisa?
Or just a cold and lonely lovely work of art?

Do you smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa?
Or is this your way to hide a broken heart?
Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep
They just lie there and they die there
Are you warm, are you real, Mona Lisa?
Or just a cold and lonely lovely work of art?

Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa

Overall Meaning

, a masterpiece painted by Leonardo da Vinci, is one of the most iconic paintings in the world. Jerry Vale's song speaks about her unique and mysterious smile and how it has become a source of fascination for many. The lyrics ask if her smile is a way to seduce a potential lover or if it's simply a way to hide a broken heart. The singer also questions whether Mona Lisa is a real person with feelings and emotions or simply a perfectly crafted but emotionless work of art.

The song's lyrics suggest that Mona Lisa is a lonely figure who has been misunderstood and wrongly judged. Vale posits that people have called her strange because of the enigmatic quality of her smile, but it's unclear if this is the truth. The singer wonders if her smile is an invitation to love or armor against heartbreak. The song creates a poignant and reflective mood, as the singer contemplates the complex and human emotions that lie behind the famous painting.

Line by Line Meaning

Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa, men have named you
The name 'Mona Lisa' is a creation of men, given to describe the image of the woman in a painting

You're so like the lady with the mystic smile
The woman in the painting has a unique and mysterious smile, similar to that of a lady with mystic qualities

Is it only 'cause you're lonely they have blamed you?
Some people believe that the strangeness in her smile is due to loneliness or sadness, and they blame her for it

For that Mona Lisa strangeness in your smile?
The unusual quality in her smile has become famous and is associated with the painting, known as the 'Mona Lisa'

Do you smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa?
Is the woman in the painting teasing a potential lover with her smile?

Or is this your way to hide a broken heart?
Alternatively, the woman's smile may be a cover-up for the pain of a broken heart

Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep
Countless people have been inspired by the painting and are drawn to it

They just lie there and they die there
However, many of these dreams are never fulfilled and end up being unfulfilled wishes

Are you warm, are you real, Mona Lisa?
There is speculation about the reality and warmth of the woman in the painting, and whether or not she is a real person

Or just a cold and lonely lovely work of art?
The possibility exists that the woman is merely a depiction, and not a living, breathing human being

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Ray Evans, Jay Livingston

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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