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/
Mambo Number 5
Lou Bega Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One, two, three, four, five
Everybody in the car, so come on, let's ride
To the liquor store around the corner
The boys say they want some gin and juice
But I really don't wanna
Beer bust like I had last week
I like Angela, Pamela, Sandra and Rita
And as I continue you know they getting sweeter
So what can I do? I really beg you, my Lord
To me is flirting it's just like sport, anything fly
It's all good, let me dump it, please set in the trumpet
A little bit of Monica in my life
A little bit of Erica by my side
A little bit of Rita is all I need
A little bit of Tina is what I see
A little bit of Sandra in the sun
A little bit of Mary all night long
A little bit of Jessica, here I am
A little bit of you makes me your man
Mambo Number Five
Jump up and down and move it all around
Shake your head to the sound
Put your hand on the ground
Take one step left and one step right
One to the front and one to the side
Clap your hand once and clap your hands twice
And if it looks like this then you doing it right
A little bit of Monica in my life
A little bit of Erica by my side
A little bit of Rita is all I need
A little bit of Tina is what I see
A little bit of Sandra in the sun
A little bit of Mary all night long
A little bit of Jessica, here I am
A little bit of you makes me your man
Trumpet, the trumpet
Mambo Number Five
A little bit of Monica in my life
A little bit of Erica by my side
A little bit of Rita is all I need
A little bit of Tina is what I see
A little bit of Sandra in the sun
A little bit of Mary all night long
A little bit of Jessica, here I am
A little bit of you makes me your man
I do all to fall in love with a girl like you
'Cause you can't run and you can't hide
You and me gonna touch the sky
Mambo Number Five
The lyrics of Lou Bega's song Mambo No 5 narrate the experience of a man who is riding with his friends on their way to a liquor store. The singer mentions the various women that he likes - Angela, Pamela, Sandra and Rita, and how they are getting sweeter as he continues. He requests the Lord to let him be able to flirt freely, and compares it to sports. He then proceeds to name various women in his life, including Monica, Erica, Rita, Tina, Sandra, Mary, Jessica, and the listener. He asks everyone to jump, dance and move around and instructs them on how to do it right. The song ends with the singer expressing his desire to fall in love with a girl like the listener, as they touch the sky together.
The song Mambo No 5 was released by Lou Bega in 1999 and became an international hit, topping the charts in Germany, France, Australia, and in many other countries. The song was a remake of a 1949 instrumental song by Cuban musician Perez Prado. However, Lou Bega added his own lyrics to the song and the horn arrangement was not original to the instrumental version. The song's title is a reference to the Mambo musical style that originated in Cuba in the 1940s.
Line by Line Meaning
Ladies and gentlemen, this is Mambo Number Five
I would like to introduce you to my song, Mambo Number Five.
One, two, three, four, five
Counting the beat before starting the music.
Everybody in the car, so come on, let's ride
Let's embark on a journey all together.
To the liquor store around the corner
We're headed to the nearby liquor store.
The boys say they want some gin and juice
My male friends are thirsty and want some gin and juice.
But I really don't wanna
I'm not really in the mood for it.
Beer bust like I had last week
I had too much beer last week and don't want a repeat.
I must stay deep because talk is cheap
I need to stay level-headed because talking about something is easy, but doing it is not.
I like Angela, Pamela, Sandra and Rita
I'm romantically interested in Angela, Pamela, Sandra and Rita.
And as I continue you know they getting sweeter
As I get to know these women better, I am becoming more attracted to them.
So what can I do? I really beg you, my Lord
I'm unsure what to do, so I'm asking for divine guidance.
To me is flirting it's just like sport, anything fly
Flirting is like a game to me, and I'll try anything to win.
It's all good, let me dump it, please set in the trumpet
Everything is fine, let's continue the song and bring in the trumpet.
A little bit of Monica in my life
Monica is one of the women I'm interested in, and I want her in my life.
A little bit of Erica by my side
Erica is another woman I like, and I want her to be by my side.
A little bit of Rita is all I need
Rita is yet another woman I'm attracted to, and I only need a little of her attention.
A little bit of Tina is what I see
I have my eye on Tina, and I only need a little bit of her affection.
A little bit of Sandra in the sun
Sandra is attractive to me, and I want to see her in the sun.
A little bit of Mary all night long
I want Mary's company for the entire night.
A little bit of Jessica, here I am
I'm here for Jessica and want to be with her too.
A little bit of you makes me your man
If you give me a chance, I can be the man you want.
Jump up and down and move it all around
Let's dance and move together.
Shake your head to the sound
Move your head to the rhythm of the music.
Put your hand on the ground
Bend down and touch the ground with your hand.
Take one step left and one step right
Step to the left and then to the right.
One to the front and one to the side
Step forward and then to the side.
Clap your hand once and clap your hands twice
Clap your hands once and then twice.
And if it looks like this then you doing it right
If you follow these moves, you're doing it correctly.
Trumpet, the trumpet
The trumpet is about to take over the song.
I do all to fall in love with a girl like you
I'll do anything to fall in love with a girl like you.
'Cause you can't run and you can't hide
You may try to avoid love, but it will find you eventually.
You and me gonna touch the sky
We can accomplish great things together.
Mambo Number Five
This is the song's title and chorus.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Damaso Perez Prado, Lou Bega, Zippy Davids
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@EarthyMGD
Let’s take a moment of silence for the people who haven’t found this song yet
@milky694
I listened to this as a toddler ...
@midoriaomori6685
@@milky694 I thought everyone did as a toddler 😶
@frogyisdope9200
wait i thought everyone has known this song since their childhood lmao
@yulia.t
That was me back in the days that i couldn't find this at all and then one day this song was in my tv and i fucking jumped from happiness that i finally found this song
@mohammedal-mukhtar2426
😂😂👌
@krispyboi2519
Everybody gangsta until Mambo No. 6 drops as the 2020 finale
@cavalierliberty6838
I would love that.
@keomarahmat
There will be mambo no 6 ?
@cavalierliberty6838
@@keomarahmat the highly awaited sequel