Lou Monte, born Louis Scaglione on (April 2, 1917 – June 12, 1989), was an … Read Full Bio ↴Lou Monte, born Louis Scaglione on (April 2, 1917 – June 12, 1989), was an Italian-American singer best known for a number of best-selling, Italian-themed novelty records which he recorded for both RCA Records and Reprise Records in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Monte's first big hit came in 1954, with the release of his version of "Darktown Strutters' Ball." In 1962, Monte would release his first million-seller, "Pepino, the Italian Mouse." Sung in a pastiche of both Neapolitan and English, "Pepino" tells the humorous tale of a mischievous mouse who lives within the walls of a man's kitchen and who comes out at night to eat cheese, drink wine, frighten Lou's girlfriend when she comes over and befriends the cat, sent out to catch him.

The "flip side" of the single featured another Italian-American hybrid novelty song called "What Did Washington Say (When He Crossed The Delaware?)." The song presumes that George Washington was cold, tired, hungry and without a change of underwear on his famous trip. At one point in the song, "Washington" complains that the pizzas his wife Martha baked were as "cold as ice." His solution? "Sell them to the Indians for only half the price." He then asks his boatsmen to row faster because "tonight I'm posing for my picture on the dollar bill."

Monte's other famous novelty records include 'Dominick the Donkey', a holiday staple in many Italian-American households and "Pasquale, the Italian Pussycat," the sequel to "Pepino."

After his death his son continued to sing his songs in concert for some time.

He contributed to the founding of the Lou Monte, Jr. leukemia laboratory at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in memory of his son who died of the disease at age 21.

Skinny Lena
Lou Monte Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

E si voi venì te port a Brookalina
Ti faro verdè i vorn e Musolina

E gir', e gir", e gir' la-ri-la-la
Mannagg' u' chooch e sodera
La femmina se' fatte pe' mangia'
E uomo so' fatte pe' gettare' lu sangue a fatica'

Magga portat' a lu' movina picha per se fare diverti'
M'ha chiamata " sonamongona " e m'ha fatt' scompari'

E gir', e gir", e gir' la-ri-la-la
Mannagg' u scarps' 'e padera
Li femmina so' fatte per mangia'
E l'omme so fatte per gettare' lu sangue a fatica'

I love you, my skinny Lena
But people stop and stare
You look just like a broomstick
With a great big mop of hair

When I take you to a party
You should look just like a dream
But oh, my little cagootsa
You look like Halloween

Oh why, oh why
Do people stop and stare
There must be something missing
A little here, a little there

Magga portat' a lu' sona vare per se fare diverti'
M'ha comma se briaggada m'ha fatta scompari'

E gir', e gir", e gir' la-ri-la-la
Mannagg' a pancia momada

Li femmina so' fatte per mangia'
E l'omme so fatte per gettare' lu sangue a fatica'

Overall Meaning

The song "Skinny Lena" by Lou Monte is a humorous and light-hearted observation on physical appearances and societal expectations. The song is in Italian with a few lines in broken English. The opening lines talk about how the singer will take Lena to Brookalina and treat her with green wine and Musolina, which could be a reference to staying out all night and drinking. The following lines present the idea that women are built to eat while men are made to shed and spill blood with hard work. The next verse talks about the singer's experience of going to a party with Lena, where people stare at her bony body and wild hair, calling her a "cagootsa" which is a slang word of Italian-American origin that refers to a person who is unattractive or unappealing. The chorus repeats this observation of how Lena looks like Halloween and asks why people stare because something must be missing. The final verse narrates the incident of the couple going to Sonny Vare's party where Lena is called "briaggada" which means drunk.

The song is an entertaining commentary on society's beauty standards and how physical appearances can determine a person's worth. The lyrics also reflect on the immigrant experience of living in America and the pressure to conform to a new societal norm. The broken English in some lines adds to the authenticity of the song and it gives an insight into how Italian-Americans spoke at the time.

Line by Line Meaning

E si voi venì te port a Brookalina
If you want to come, I'll take you to Brooklyn

Ti faro verdè i vorn e Musolina
I'll make the wine and Muscatel flow for you

E gir', e gir', e gir' la-ri-la-la
And turn, and turn, and turn with a happy tune

Mannagg' u' chooch e sodera
Darn the railway and the streetcar

La femmina se' fatte pe' mangia'
Women are made for eating

E uomo so' fatte pe' gettare' lu sangue a fatica'
And men are made to shed blood with effort

Magga portat' a lu' movina picha per se fare diverti'
I brought her to the movies to have fun

M'ha chiamata ' sonamongona ' e m'ha fatt' scompari'
She called me a fool and made me disappear

I love you, my skinny Lena
I love you, even if you're thin

But people stop and stare
But people stare at you

You look just like a broomstick
You look very thin