Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría (April 7, 1922 in Havana, Cuba – February 1, 2003)… Read Full Bio ↴Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría (April 7, 1922 in Havana, Cuba – February 1, 2003) was an Afro-Cuban percussionist. He is most famous for being the composer of the jazz standard "Afro Blue", as performed by John Coltrane among others. His 1963 hit rendition of Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998. In 1950 he moved to New York where he played with Perez Prado, Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Fania All Stars, etc. He was an integral figure in the fusion of Afro-Cuban rhythms with R&B and soul, paving the way for the boogaloo era of the late 1960s.

Santamaria inspired the stage name of Japanese actor Yusuke Santamaria

Lady Marmalade
Mongo Santamaria Lyrics

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Hey sister, go sister, soul sister, go sister
Hey sister, go sister, soul sister, go sister

He met marmalade down in old new orleans
Struttin' her stuff on the street
She said "hello,
Hey joe, you wanna give it a go?" mmm, mmm

Itchi gitchi ya ya da da
Itchi gitchi ya ya here
Mocha-choca-lata ya ya
Creole lady marmalade

Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?

He sat in her boudoir while she freshened up
The boy drank all her magnolia-wine
On the black satin sheets oh I swear he started to freak

Itchi gitchi ya ya da da
Itchi gitchi ya ya here
Mocha-choca-lata ya ya
Creole lady marmalade

Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?

Hey, hey, hey
Touching her skin feelin' silky smooth
The colour of cafe au lait
Made the savage beast inside
Roar until it cried, more, more, more

Now he's back home doing nine to five
Living his grey flannel life
But when he turns off to sleep
Old memories creep, more, more, more

Itchi gitchi ya ya da da da
Itchi gitchi ya ya here
Mocha-choco-lata ya ya
Creole lady marmalade

Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
Voulez-vous couchez avec moi ce soir?
Creole lady marmalade

Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
Voulez-vous couchez avec moi ce soir?
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
Voulez-vous couchez avec moi ce soir?
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
Voulez-vous couchez avec moi ce soir?
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?

Itchi gitchi ya ya da da
Itchi gitchi ya ya here

Mocha-choco-lata ya ya
Itchi gitchi ya ya here

Overall Meaning

"Lady Marmalade" is a song by the Cuban percussionist Mongo Santamaria that was later adapted by Labelle, a group consisting of Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash. The lyrics speak of the sexual encounter between a man and a Creole woman named Marmalade in New Orleans. The song is told from the perspective of the man, who meets Marmalade on the street and follows her back to her boudoir. The chorus repeats the phrase "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?" which translates to "Do you want to sleep with me tonight?" in French. The lyrics are risqué and convey a sense of sexual tension and desire.

The verses of the song describe the initial encounter between the man and Marmalade, with her inviting him to her boudoir and offering him the opportunity to "give it a go." The chorus then follows, with Marmalade singing in French about her desire for the man. The second verse describes the man's experience in Marmalade's boudoir, with him drinking her wine and experiencing her silky skin. The bridge of the song then follows with the man describing how memories of Marmalade still haunt him despite his mundane life back home.

Interestingly, the song was originally written and performed in French in the 1950s by a Belgian songwriter named Louiguy. It wasn't until the 1970s that the song was adapted into English and performed by Labelle. The song became a hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and winning a Grammy Award. It has since been covered by several other artists, including Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, and Pink for the soundtrack of the 2001 film Moulin Rouge!.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey sister, go sister, soul sister, go sister
Encouragement for a woman to express herself and act confidently

He met marmalade down in old new orleans Struttin' her stuff on the street She said "hello, Hey joe, you wanna give it a go?" mmm, mmm
A man meets a confident and alluring woman in New Orleans who propositioned him for a romantic encounter

Itchi gitchi ya ya da da Itchi gitchi ya ya here Mocha-choca-lata ya ya Creole lady marmalade
A playful and flirtatious phrase expressing admiration for the Creole lady's beauty and culture

Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
Repeating a French phrase asking if the listener wants to sleep with the artist tonight

He sat in her boudoir while she freshened up The boy drank all her magnolia-wine On the black satin sheets oh I swear he started to freak
The man enters the woman's room and drinks her wine, becoming aroused by the experience

Hey, hey, hey Touching her skin feelin' silky smooth The colour of cafe au lait Made the savage beast inside Roar until it cried, more, more, more
The man passionately touches the woman's smooth skin and is driven wild by her beauty and sensuality

Now he's back home doing nine to five Living his grey flannel life But when he turns off to sleep Old memories creep, more, more, more
The man returns to his mundane life but cannot forget the excitement of the encounter with the Creole lady

Itchi gitchi ya ya da da da Itchi gitchi ya ya here Mocha-choco-lata ya ya Creole lady marmalade
Repeating the playful phrase expressing attraction to the Creole lady

Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? Voulez-vous couchez avec moi ce soir? Creole lady marmalade
Repeating the French phrase asking the listener to sleep with the artist tonight, directed towards the Creole lady

Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? Voulez-vous couchez avec moi ce soir? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? Voulez-vous couchez avec moi ce soir? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? Voulez-vous couchez avec moi ce soir? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
Repeating the French phrase asking the listener to sleep with the artist tonight multiple times

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kenny Nolan, Robert Crewe

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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