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/
Icecream
Lou Bega Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now would you like to say hello to my fellow
Me and my amigos sittin' all on a bench
Somewhere down in Puerto Rico
Two cocoa honeys step by
They lookin' manefico so I
Step to 'em yeah how you doin'
I took a close second 'cause I knew that I knew 'em
I make her understand that I am still single
So honey don't you worry no way
I got a truck full of plastics here to stay
Whoop whoop just slide a little whoop whoop just ride a little
Whoop whoop baby baby get down little in the middle
Surrounded by a big round
Chocolate banana vanilla flavor
You can try any dawn thing I do you that favor
But later on you got to be here by my side
Waitin' for a saddle to ride
We gonna do a thing that's mega
I an havin' way more sex than any kiddies playin' sega
I like Noriega I an dictatin' the game
And I don't stop until you scream out my name
So honey don't you worry no way
I got a truck full of plastics here to stay
Whoop whoop just slide a little whoop whoop just ride a little
Whoop whoop baby baby get down a little in the middle
Surrounded by a big round
Whoop whoop just slide a little whoop whoop just ride a little
Whoop whoop baby baby get down little in the middle
Surrounded by a big round
The lyrics of Lou Bega's song "Icecream" tell a story about the singer who is an ice cream man and is referred to as 'mellow'. He and his friends are sitting on a bench in Puerto Rico when two attractive women walk by. He tries to impress them and approaches them while using his smooth words or 'lingo' to catch their attention. He assures them that he is still single and not to worry, as he has a truck full of plastic or money to stay.
The lyrics of the song, although catchy and upbeat, contain several implicit or explicit references to male dominance and objectification of women. The singer sees his sexual prowess as a measure of his power and masculinity. He compares himself to Noriega, the infamous Panamanian dictator, suggesting that he is in control and dictating the sexual game. The sexual act is portrayed as a conqueror's triumph, and he won't stop until he hears his name screamed. The song also promotes the idea that women are just objects to be won over with flashy material goods or lingo.
Line by Line Meaning
I am the ice cream man known as mellow
I am a cool and relaxed ice cream vendor, known for my sweet treats.
Now would you like to say hello to my fellow
Would you like to meet my friends who are enjoying the day with me?
Me and my amigos sittin' all on a bench
My friends and I are sitting together on a bench.
Somewhere down in Puerto Rico
We are currently located in Puerto Rico.
Two cocoa honeys step by
Two attractive women walk by us.
They lookin' manefico so I
They look amazing, so I approach them.
Step to 'em yeah how you doin'
I introduce myself and ask how they are doing.
I took a close second 'cause I knew that I knew 'em
I hesitated, but then realized I recognized them.
Bingo let me drop all my lingo
I start talking confidently to impress them.
I make her understand that I am still single
I assure her that I'm not taken.
So honey don't you worry no way
Don't worry, I've got this under control.
I got a truck full of plastics here to stay
I have a truck full of ice cream and I plan on staying here for a while longer.
Whoop whoop just slide a little whoop whoop just ride a little
Enjoy yourself and dance to the music.
Whoop whoop baby baby get down little in the middle
Dance with me, baby, let's have some fun.
Surrounded by a big round
We are surrounded by a group of people dancing in a circle.
Chocolate banana vanilla flavor
We have a variety of ice cream flavors to choose from.
You can try any dawn thing I do you that favor
You can try any flavor you want, I'm happy to help.
But later on you got to be here by my side
Afterwards, I hope you stay by my side.
Waitin' for a saddle to ride
We're waiting for the perfect moment to have some fun together.
We gonna do a thing that's mega
We're about to have a great time.
I an havin' way more sex than any kiddies playin' sega
I am more successful in my personal life than young children are at playing video games.
I like Noriega I an dictatin' the game
I like to be in control, like Noriega was in politics.
And I don't stop until you scream out my name
I won't stop until I've satisfied you completely.
So honey don't you worry no way
Just relax, I've got everything handled.
I got a truck full of plastics here to stay
I'm not going anywhere, I've got plenty of ice cream left.
Whoop whoop just slide a little whoop whoop just ride a little
Keep dancing, let's have some fun.
Whoop whoop baby baby get down little in the middle
Dance with me, baby, let's have a good time.
Surrounded by a big round
We're still surrounded by people dancing in a circle.
Lyrics © Roba Music Verlag GMBH, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Achim Kleist, David Lubega, Christian Pletschacher, Wolfgang Von Webenau, Steven Bolarinwa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind