As well as her Congolese roots, Daulne's cross-genre style may result from her varied past: Her father, a Belgian, was killed during the revolution while her mother was pregnant with her. The remainder of the family fled to the forests and found refuge with a tribe of pygmies. Daulne was raised primarily in Europe, but when she heard a recording of traditional pygmy music at age 20, she decided to return to Africa to learn about her heritage. She was trained in pygmy onomatopoeic vocal techniques before returning to Europe to found Zap Mama.
Vivre
Zap Mama Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
nei cinema di Bagnoli
un sogno che è in bianco e nero
tra poco sarà a colori
l'estate che passa in fretta
l'estate che torna ancora
e i giochi messi da parte
per una chitarra nuova
Viva la mamma
affezionata a quella gonna un po' lunga
così elegantemente anni cinquanta
sempre così sincera
Viva la mamma
viva le donne con i piedi per terra
le sorridenti miss del dopoguerra
pettinate come lei!
Angeli ballano il rock ora
tu non sei un sogno tu sei vera
viva la mamma perché
se ti parlo di lei, non sei gelosa
Viva la mamma
affezionata a quella gonna un po' lunga
indaffarata sempre e sempre convinta
a volte un po' severa
viva la mamma
viva la favola degli anni cinquanta
così lontana e pure così moderna
e così magica
Angeli ballano il rock ora
non è un juke-box è un orchestra vera
viva la mamma perché se ti parlo di lei
non sei gelosa
Bang bang la sveglia che suona
bang bang devi andare a scuola
bang bang soltanto un momento
per sognare ancor
Viva la mamma
affezionata a quella gonna un po' lunga
così elegantemente anni cinquanta
sempre così sincera
Viva la mamma
viva le regole e le buone maniere
quelle che non ho mai saputo imparare
forse per colpa del rock
forse per colpa del rock rock
forse per colpa del…
forse per colpa del rock
The lyrics of Zap Mama's song Vivre ("to live" in French) are a tribute to the singer's mother and to the era of the 1950s, a time of both nostalgia and optimism. The first verse describes the crowds gathering at the cinema in Bagnoli, a suburb of Naples, where a dream "in black and white" is about to turn into color. This could be a metaphor for the postwar period when Italy, and Europe in general, was recovering from the devastation of World War II and experiencing an economic boom. The second part of the verse refers to the end of summer, a bittersweet time of transition when the summer games are replaced by the "new guitar" that represents a new beginning.
The chorus celebrates the figure of the mother, whom the singer describes as elegant, sincere, and devoted to her long skirt that evokes the fashion of the 50s. The song highlights the solidarity between women, as the mother is also associated with the smiling "misses" of the postwar period who embody both tradition and modernity. The third verse reinforces the theme of the past and the present coming together, as the angels dance to the rock music that defies time and space. The singer affirms that her admiration for her mother does not imply jealousy or rivalry, but rather a shared joy for life.
In the last part of the song, the singer addresses the listener directly, using the rhythmic repetition of "bang bang" to simulate the sound of a clock ticking, and to urge them to take a moment to dream. The final lines of the song suggest that the inability to follow the rules and etiquettes of the past may be due to "the rock," a symbol of rebellion and freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
C'è folla tutte le sere
There's a crowd every night
nei cinema di Bagnoli
in Bagnoli's cinemas
un sogno che è in bianco e nero
a dream that's in black and white
tra poco sarà a colori
soon it will be in color
l'estate che passa in fretta
summer that passes by quickly
l'estate che torna ancora
summer that comes back again
e i giochi messi da parte
and games put aside
per una chitarra nuova
for a new guitar
Viva la mamma
Long live the mother
affezionata a quella gonna un po' lunga
attached to that slightly long skirt
così elegantemente anni cinquanta
so elegantly from the '50s
sempre così sincera
always so sincere
viva le donne con i piedi per terra
long live the down-to-earth women
le sorridenti miss del dopoguerra
the smiling Misses of the postwar period
pettinate come lei!
combed like her!
Angeli ballano il rock ora
Angels are dancing rock now
tu non sei un sogno tu sei vera
you are not a dream, you are real
viva la mamma perché
long live the mother because
se ti parlo di lei, non sei gelosa
if I talk about her, you're not jealous
indaffarata sempre e sempre convinta
always busy and always convinced
a volte un po' severa
sometimes a little strict
viva la favola degli anni cinquanta
long live the fairy tale of the '50s
così lontana e pure così moderna
so distant and yet so modern
e così magica
and so magical
non è un juke-box è un orchestra vera
it's not a jukebox, it's a real orchestra
Bang bang la sveglia che suona
Bang bang, the alarm is ringing
bang bang devi andare a scuola
bang bang, you have to go to school
bang bang soltanto un momento
bang bang, just a moment
per sognare ancor
to dream again
viva le regole e le buone maniere
long live the rules and good manners
quelle che non ho mai saputo imparare
those that I've never been able to learn
forse per colpa del rock
maybe because of rock
forse per colpa del rock rock
maybe because of rock, rock
forse per colpa del…
maybe because of...
Contributed by Juliana A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@user-oo3ch9en9q
砂利で踊る！から来ましたが、曲のかっこ良さで何回も聴いてます。
@sakakkiedx5052
アッア～♪
@shinomoritaka
0:09 砂利で踊る
@user-uw1dj3oj9n
砂利で踊る あっあー
アクセント最高(^○^)
@jpntechnostream505
砂利で踊る♪
出オチだったとは
@manhuntblood
砂利で踊る♪あっあー
@sejabop
This song ALWAYS makes the sun come out. In never fails.
@kumachan19852007
砂利で踊る
@shahafmashiah5608
i love the song in may hurd zap mamma i never not forget the butifull voice you have never not forget the butifull love chru i have good memoris its all wright in may hurd for ever and ever ...
@audiovisualdcjproductions
Los coros de esta canción son PERFECTOS!