"Poppa Piccolino" was a song recorded by

Diana Decker Diana Decker (born Isabella Charlotte Diana Decker, 9 January 1925 – 4 January 2019), was a British/American actress, singer, and television personality, who was popular from the 1940s to the early 1960s. Early life Decker was born to an Americ ...

which reached number 2 on the

UK singles chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in December 1953. It was the only UK hit single for this British-based American-born singer and actress. It was later also recorded by

Petula Clark Petula Sally Olwen Clark, CBE (born 15 November 1932) is an English singer, actress, and composer. She has one of the longest serving careers of a British singer, spanning more than seven decades. Clark's professional career began during the ...

Mantovani Annunzio Paolo Mantovani (; 15 November 1905 – 29 March 1980) was an Anglo-Italian conductor, composer and light orchestra-styled entertainer with a cascading strings musical signature. The book ''British Hit Singles & Albums'' stat ...

and

David Whitfield David Whitfield (2 February 1925 – 15 January 1980) was a popular British male tenor vocalist from Hull. He became the first British artist to have a UK No.1 single in the UK and in the United States with " Cara Mia", featuring Mantovani an ...

(with the first verse of Funiculi Funicula). The original 1952 Italian lyrics had the title "" (translating to "Poppies and Ducks") and were written by

Mario Panzeri Mario Panzeri (11 October 1911 – 19 May 1991) was an Italian lyricist and composer. He is well known for his composed songs that include "Maramao perché sei morto?" "Pippo non lo sa", "Lettera a Pinocchio", and "Grazie dei fior", which won t ...

and Giuseppe Rastelli with music by Vittorio Mascheroni. The song was an Italian hit for singer

Nilla Pizzi Nilla Pizzi, stage name of Adionilla Pizzi (; 16 April 1919 – 12 March 2011), was an Italian singer and actress. Born in Sant'Agata Bolognese, she was particularly famous in Italy during the 1950s and 1960s. She won the first edition of the ...

. The cheerful lyrics hide a political satire about inequalities between rich and poor. It came in second place at the

Sanremo Music Festival The Sanremo Music Festival, officially the Italian Song Festival () and commonly known as just (), is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria. It is the longest-running annual ...

in 1952. It went on to be a worldwide hit, has been translated into forty languages, and inspired the title of a movie with

Walter Chiari Walter Annicchiarico (8 March 1924 – 20 December 1991), known as Walter Chiari , was an Italian stage and screen actor, mostly in comedy roles. Biography Walter Annicchiarico was born in Verona, Italy on 8 March 1924 to a family originally ...

.Papaveri e Papere
at L'enciclopedia di Sanremo: 55 anni di storia del festival dalla A alla Z, Gremese Editore, 2005 pages 92, 75, 116, 129, 229, 165, 154, 251, 156, 121 English lyrics were by Bob Musel and the song was published by Chappell's of London. The lyrics lose the original meaning, changing the piece into a song about a wandering musician. They tell the story of a much loved Italian

concertina A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It consists of expanding and contracting bellows, with buttons (or keys) usually on both ends, unlike accordion buttons, which are on the front. The ...

-playing vagabond who wanders from town to town with a monkey who collects money from the audience. One day he loses his concertina and becomes very sad. His little monkey finds it and joy is restored to all.

Opening verse and chorus

''All over Italy they know his concertina'' ''Poppa Piccolino, Poppa Piccolino,'' ''He plays so prettily to every signorina'' ''Poppa Piccolino from sunny Italy''

References

1953 songs 1953 singles Songs with lyrics by Robert Musel Songs written by Mario Panzeri {{1950s-single-stub