Bega had a multicultural upbringing as his mother is Sicilian and his father is from Uganda. Bega spent time in Miami during his teenage years.
"Mambo No. 5" became an instant worldwide hit, charting in the top 5 across Europe and in the USA, where it became a popular stadium anthem at sports events. It was also used by the British television broadcaster, Channel 4 for their coverage of Test Match cricket between 1999 and 2005. Interestingly, the original version by Perez Prado was also featured in a popular Guinness commercial of that year.
In 1999 he released the album A Little Bit Of Mambo which included Mambo No. 5 and the hits "1+1=2", "I Got a Girl" and "Tricky". On December 13, 1999, this album was certified triple platinum by the RIAA. To date, he has sold almost 4 million copies in the U.S. alone. He followed this up in 2001 with Ladies And Gentlemen.
He recorded the song "Baby Keep Smiling" with Compay Segundo.
In the video game Tropico, Lou Bega is one of the characters a player can choose as his dictator persona. He was included as part of a licensing deal that also saw one of Bega's songs integrated into the German release of Tropico.
His third studio album, Lounatic, was released in late 2005. The first music video released was "You wanna be Americano" followed by "Bachata".
Official Homepage: http://www.lou-bega.com/
1+1=2
Lou Bega Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i don't give a damn cause i entertain 'em
i gotta mic in my left hand and a honey on my right
and that is enough to make the vibes feel tight
i feel feel feel feel feel so godd
to bring my swing into your neihbourhood
oh so so so so swing the vibe
funky as i am anit't no other tonight
Baby show me 1+1=2
show me all the things that you can do
show me that you need me show me that you love me
baby show me 1+1=2
baby show me 1+1=2
show me all the things that you can do
show me that you breathe me show me that you hug me
baby show me that 1+1=2
babe i count on you so would you count on me
be my beauty on tv so get out and set me free
i make you understand you are my woman i am your man
and if it takes it all i do all what i can
you are my my my number one
and not my my my number five
so please baby please baby please baby come
please baby come and get into my life
baby show me that 1+1=2
show me all the things that you can do
show me that you need me that you love me
baby show me that 1+1=2
baby show me that 1+1=2
show me all the things that you can do
show me that you breathe me show me that you hug me
baby show me that 1+1=2
The lyrics of Lou Bega's song "1+1=2" are focused on a man on stage who is feeling excited to perform for the audience. He has a microphone on his left hand and a beautiful woman on his right and together with that, he creates a great vibe. He emphasizes how good it feels to spread his swing genre to the neighborhood and make people come alive with his music. The man addresses his partner playfully, requesting her to prove that 1+1 equals two metaphorically by showing him how much she needs and loves him. He expresses his desire for his partner and sees her as his number one priority.
The song, on the other hand, has a deeper meaning than expressing love and fun. The lyrics are about the simplicity of love and how it's all about two people coming together as one. Love isn't complicated, it is a simple formula that only requires "1+1=2." Additionally, the lyrics talk about the idea of freedom and how one partner should empower the other to be the best that they can be. Lastly, the song highlights how men, particularly artists, view women as the number one priority in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
back on stage baby here i am
I am back on stage to perform for my fans.
i don't give a damn cause i entertain 'em
I am focused on entertaining my audience, and I don't care what anyone else thinks.
i gotta mic in my left hand and a honey on my right
I am holding a microphone in my left hand and I have a beautiful woman by my side to add to the performance.
and that is enough to make the vibes feel tight
Having a mic in one hand and a woman by my side creates an awesome atmosphere for the performance.
i feel feel feel feel feel so good
I am feeling great and alive.
to bring my swing into your neighbourhood
I am bringing my unique style of music to your neighbourhood.
oh so so so so swing the vibe
Let the good vibes flow.
funky as i am anit't no other tonight
My funkiness sets me apart from everyone else tonight.
baby show me 1+1=2
Prove to me that we are the perfect couple, that 1+1=2.
show me all the things that you can do
Show me all the ways that you can impress me.
show me that you need me show me that you love me
Demonstrate to me that you need and love me just as much as I need and love you.
baby show me 1+1=2
Reiterate that we belong together.
babe i count on you so would you count on me
I am relying on you, and I hope you can rely on me too.
be my beauty on tv so get out and set me free
Be my muse and inspiration, appearing on TV with me, and let's create something amazing together.
i make you understand you are my woman i am your man
I want to make sure you know that we belong together, and I am committed to being your man.
and if it takes it all i do all what i can
I will do whatever it takes to make our relationship work.
you are my my my number one
You are the most important person in my life.
and not my my my number five
I don't have other women competing for my affection. You are my one and only.
so please baby please baby please baby come
Come to me so we can be together and make beautiful music together.
please baby come and get into my life
Join me in my life and together we can create something great.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID LUBEGA, CHRISTIAN PLETSCHACHER, WOLFGANG WEBENAU VON, ACHIM KLEIST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind