We No Speak Americano Explained

We No Speak Americano
Cover:We-no-speak-americano-yolanda-be-cool-dcup.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Yolanda Be Cool and DCUP
Released:27 February 2010
Genre:
Length:
  • 4:30 (original version)
  • 2:58 (radio edit)
  • 2:11 (UK radio edit)
Label:Sweat It Out!
Producer:
  • Yolanda Be Cool
  • DCUP
Chronology:Yolanda Be Cool
Prev Title:Holy Cow
Prev Year:2009
Next Title:Le Bump
Next Year:2011

"We No Speak Americano" is a song by Australian band Yolanda Be Cool and producer DCUP. It was released on the independent Australian label Sweat It Out on 27 February 2010. The song samples the 1956 Italian song "Tu Vuò Fà L'Americano" in the Neapolitan language by Renato Carosone, written by Carosone and Nicola Salerno. "We No Speak Americano" became a hit in Europe, Australia, and South America (where the song is also known as Pa-Panamericano)[4] as well as a top 40 hit in the U.S. and Canada.[5] It also won the 2010 ARIA award for "Best Dance Release." The song had sold over 1 million digital copies in the United States [6]

The song was featured on the soundtrack of the 2011 films The Inbetweeners Movie and Hop, the 2012 film , the 2013 film The Great Beauty and the 2018 film Peter Rabbit. It also featured in Episode 2 of the 2011 Korean drama adaptation City Hunter and on the video games DanceStar Party (only in European editions) Zumba Fitness 2 and Just Dance 4. "We No Speak Americano" was later sampled by Cuban American rapper Pitbull for his Spanish-language tune "Bon, Bon", crediting Yolanda Be Cool and DCUP as producers of his song. American gymnast Gabby Douglas used the song in her gold medal-winning final floor routine at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Composition

The song is performed in the key of B minor with a tempo of 125 beats per minute in cut time. The vocals in the song span from A3 to E4.[7] [8]

Music video

The official music video for the song, directed by Andy Hylton is a take on classic silent film comedies and features a Chaplinesque Italian protagonist during 1910s New York City, in a bid to raise some quick cash to propose to the young woman that he met earlier in the video.

This music video appeared in an episode of Beavis and Butthead.

Cover versions

Credits and personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2010–2011) Peak
position
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[10] 1
Luxembourg Digital Songs (Billboard)[11] 1
Poland (Polish Airplay TV)[12] 1
Romania (Romanian Top 100)[13] 1
Russia Airplay (TopHit)[14] 11
South Korea (Gaon)[15] 40
South Korea International (Gaon)[16] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (2010)Position
Australia (ARIA)[17] 34
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[18] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[19] 3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[20] 13
Brazil (Crowley)[21] 42
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[22] 97
CIS (TopHit)[23] 65
Denmark (Tracklisten)[24] 5
France (SNEP)[25] 12
Germany (Official German Charts)[26] 5
Hungary (Dance Top 40)[27] 3
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[28] 89
Ireland (IRMA)[29] 19
Italy (FIMI)[30] 23
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[31] 11
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[32] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[33] 25
Romania (Romanian Top 100)[34] 18
Russia Airplay (TopHit)[35] 72
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[36] 3
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[37] 11
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[38] 2
UK Singles (OCC)[39] 9
Chart (2011)! scope="col"
Position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[40] 93
Hungary (Dance Top 40)[41] 51
Ukraine Airplay (TopHit)[42] 186

Other versions

Marco Calliari version

In the United Kingdom, a cover version sung by Quebec-born Italian singer-songwriter Marco Calliari entered and peaked at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart.

Russian parody

In Russia, a parody version of the track appeared in the summer 2010, with vocals in Russian by the band Трикотаж (Knit-Wear) featuring Dj Solovey. This version was entitled Подзаебало (Sick of it), with the lyrics па-падзаебало mirroring pa-parle americano of the original. The new lyrics make references to the record heat wave in Russia of summer 2010, The Twilight Saga, Lady Gaga, and other current socio-cultural events.

"Por Panamericana" and "El Chocoano"

In Argentina, various parody versions of the song were made. Among them, one resulted in very successful hit, that would even be played at discos as a companion for the original song. The best-known version is called "Por Panamericana", and the voice recorded on the record tell a story about being stopped by the police at the Panamerican Highway for speeding. Los Cantores de Chipuco (Colombia) also made their own parody of this song, called "El Chocoano".

"Bi Bi pro Americano"

After Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to the United States Congress, Noy Alooshe spoofed it by using parts of the speech to the tune of "We No Speak Americano".

Hand dance video

In July 2010, Irish dancers Suzanne Cleary and Peter Harding (who perform as the group Up and Over It) released a music video filmed by Jonny Reed. Using "We No Speak Americano" as background music, the video features Cleary and Harding performing an elaborately choreographed tabletop dance using only their hands and arms, and wearing deadpan expressions throughout the song. By July 2020 it had been watched 10.257.000 times.[43]

"We No Speak Huttese"

A parody of the song titled "We No Speak Huttese" can be found in Kinect Star Wars for the Xbox 360 Kinect peripheral. It is featured in the Galactic Dance Off mini game. The vocals are replaced with Jabba the Hutt's and the instrumentals are recreated in the style of the Max Rebo Band.

"Angry (We No Speak Americano)"

Korean idol group LPG covered the song in 2011.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Electro Swing Music: A Guide to the Sounds of Electro Swing - 2021 - MasterClass . www.masterclass.com . 30 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210709184734/https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-electro-swing . 9 July 2021 . dead.
  2. Web site: Global presents Yolanda Be Cool | Nightlife in Kuala Lumpur. Time Out Kuala Lumpur.
  3. Web site: Yolanda Be Cool - Biography & History - AllMusic. AllMusic. 26 August 2017.
  4. Web site: We No Speak Americano: conozca a los autores de la canción del momento | RPP NOTICIAS . 26 September 2010 . Rpp.com.pe . 9 January 2011.
  5. Web site: Yolanda Be Cool featuring DCUP, "We No Speak Americano". Billboard.com. 22 October 2010. 10 May 2022.
  6. Web site: Grein . Paul . Week Ending April 10, 2011. Songs: It's Katy's World | Chart Watch - Yahoo! Music . New.music.yahoo.com . 13 April 2011 . 14 March 2012.
  7. Web site: Yolanda Be Cool "We No Speak Americano" Sheet Music in Bb Minor (transposable) - Download & Print. Renato. Carosone. Musicnotes.com. 25 October 2010. 6 May 2017.
  8. Web site: We No Speak Americano - Original Version - Yolanda Be Cool, DCup - Spot on Track. www.spotontrack.com. en. 6 May 2017.
  9. Web site: PureFocus Mastering: Summer 2010 Be Cool. www.purefocus.ca.
  10. Hits of the World: European Hot 100 Singles. Billboard. 122. 37. 75. 18 September 2010.
  11. Luxembourg Digital Songs - August 7, 2010. Billboard.
  12. Web site: Top 5 Airplay TV. ZPAV. . 9 February 2017.
  13. Web site: 3.08.2010 . 13 September 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100806121211/http://www.rt100.ro/ . 6 August 2010.
  14. Web site: Top Radio Hits Russia Weekly Chart: Jul 29, 2010. TopHit. 30 April 2024.
  15. Web site: Digital Chart – Week 8 of 2011. Gaon Digital Chart. ko. 9 September 2019.
  16. Web site: GAON International Chart 1.1.2011. 11 April 2011.
  17. Web site: ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 2010. Australian Recording Industry Association. 8 January 2011.
  18. Web site: Jahreshitparade 2010 . austriancharts.at . de . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110227055450/http://austriancharts.at/2010_single.asp . 27 February 2011 .
  19. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2010. Ultratop. 3 December 2019.
  20. Web site: Rapports annuels 2010 - Singles . Ultratop . fr . 26 December 2010.
  21. Web site: Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 2010. April 3, 2018. Crowley Broadcast Analysis. January 30, 2022.
  22. Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2010. Billboard. 2 January 2013. 2 April 2020.
  23. Web site: Airplay Detection Tophit 200 Yearly – 2010 . TopHhit . 9 August 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110408025531/http://www.tophitru.com/airplay_year.shtml . 8 April 2011.
  24. Web site: Track 2010 Top-50 . . . da . 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101123205923/http://hitlisterne.dk/yearlist.asp?list=download%2050 . 23 November 2010 . dead .
  25. Web site: Top de l'année Top Singles 2010. SNEP. fr. 17 July 2020.
  26. Web site: Musik-Jahrescharts: "Sanfter Riese" und der Graf setzen sich durch . 4 January 2011 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110107110045/http://www.gfk-entertainment.com/news/musik-jahrescharts-sanfter-riese-und-der-graf-setzen-sich-durch.html . 7 January 2011 .
  27. Web site: Dance Top 100 - 2010. 2 April 2020. Mahasz.
  28. Web site: MAHASZ Rádiós TOP 100 2010. Mahasz . hu . 10 March 2011.
  29. Web site: IRMA - best of singles (2010). Irish Recorded Music Association. September 24, 2022.
  30. Web site: FIMI - Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana - Ricerche e dati di mercato . Fimi.it . 14 March 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110121160735/http://www.fimi.it/dett_ddmercato.php?id=73 . 21 January 2011 .
  31. Web site: Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2010. Dutch Top 40. 2 April 2020.
  32. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Single 2010. MegaCharts. nl. 2 April 2020.
  33. Web site: Top Selling Singles of 2010. Recorded Music New Zealand Limited. September 24, 2022.
  34. News: Topul celor mai difuzate piese în România în 2010 . . ro . 21 January 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110106055506/http://www.romanialibera.ro/arte/muzica/exclusiv-topul-celor-mai-difuzate-piese-in-romania-in-2010-211604.html . 6 January 2011 .
  35. Web site: Top Radio Hits Russia Annual Chart: 2010. TopHit. 30 April 2024. 28 April 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240428163200/https://tophit.com/chart/top/radio/hits/ru/annual/2010. live.
  36. Web site: Top 50 Canciones Anual 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20110703120450/http://www.promusicae.es/files/listasanuales/canciones/Top%2050%20Canciones%20Anual%20%28PUBLICAR%29%202010.pdf . 10 May 2022. 3 July 2011 .
  37. Web site: Årslista Singlar – År 2010. Sverigetopplistan. sv. 3 December 2019.
  38. Web site: 2010 Year End Swiss Singles Chart. 2011. 12 January 2011. Swiss Music Charts.
  39. Web site: 2010 Year-end UK Singles. BBC (BBC Online). 26 December 2010. 26 December 2010.
  40. Canadian Hot 100: Year End 2011. Billboard. 14 August 2019.
  41. Web site: Dance Top 100 - 2011. 2 April 2020. Mahasz.
  42. Web site: Top Radio Hits Ukraine Annual Chart 2011. TopHit. ru. 24 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230316095835/https://tophit.com/ru/chart/top/radio/hits/ukraine/annual/2011-01-01. 16 March 2023.
  43. Web site: We No Speak Americano ft. Cleary & Harding . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/iANRO3I30nM . 2021-12-15 . live. YouTube . 25 July 2010 . 14 March 2012.