Lyrics - "Matto, Caldo, Soldi, Morto..." by Ennio Morricone

Question

Every few months, this song gets stuck in my head. (I just finally found the YouTube link today by accident.)

ENNIO MORRICONE/ EDDA DELL'ORSO -"Matto, Caldo, Soldi, Morto... Girotondo" (1969)

Are there official lyrics? The closest I can come is below, with some repetitions stripped out:

Wa wa wa wa wa wa wa wa

Cheeto, cheeto, cheeto cheeto bum bum,

Ha ho cheeto, cheeto cheeto bum bum,

Salty cheeto, cheeto cheeto bum bum,

Nacho cheeto, cheeto cheeto bum bum,

Let go cheeto, cheeto cheeto bum bum,

(etc.,.)

I'm assuming this is actually either gibberish or perhaps Italian, but my brain keeps trying to make it into an English-language song about snacks.

Anybody want to point me at a more canonical version of this?

Answer 1

If you listen carefully, the lyrics are actually made of up words from the title of the song. In fact, it's possible it was originally untitled, and the lyrics were used to identify it.

Giro, giro, giro, giro tondo
matto giro, giro, giro tondo
caldo giro, giro, giro tondo

According to Google, the title is Italian, and translates as "Crazy, hot, money, dead: Round tour"

Further research, however, shows that "Giro giro tondo" is originally an Italian nursery rhyme equivalent to "Ring around the rosie".

https://lyricstranslate.com/en/giro-giro-tondo-ring-ring-around-rosy.html#ixzz5IWwJVoZi

Giro giro tondo, gira il mondo,
gira la Terra, tutti giù per terra!

Giro giro tondo, il mare è fondo,
tonda è la Terra, tutti giù per terra!

Giro giro tondo, l'angelo è biondo,
biondo è il grano, tutti ci sediamo!

Giro giro tondo, ora ti circondo
come una ciambella, tutti giù per terra!

Giro giro tondo, casca il mondo,
casca la Terra, tutti giù per terra!

Which translates as:

Ring, ring-around-the-rosy, Ring around the world,
The Earth rings around: Everybody falls down!

Ring, ring-around-the-rosy, The sea is deep,
The Earth is round: Everybody falls down!

Ring, ring-around-the-rosy, The angel has blond hairs,
The wheat is yellow: Everybody sit down!

Ring, ring-around-the-rosy, Now I surround you
As a doughnut: Everybody falls down!

Ring, ring-around-the-rosy, The world falls down, The Earth falls down,
Everybody falls down!

It does seem like there are some additional lyrics not from either the original nursery rhyme or the title text, I can't be sure what those are, but they would probably be comprehensible to an Italian speaker.

Answer 2

I'm italian and this is the translation:

Original lyrics:

giro giro giro giro tondo
caldo giro giro giro tondo
soldi giro giro giro tondo
ghiaccio giro giro giro tondo
letto giro giro giro tondo
notte giro giro giro tondo
vento giro giro giro tondo
matto giro giro giro tondo
zitto giro giro giro tondo
morto giro giro giro tondo
sotto giro giro giro tondo
fatto giro giro giro tondo
soldi giro giro giro tondo
ghiaccio giro giro giro tondo
letto giro giro giro tondo
notte giro giro giro tondo
matto giro giro giro tondo

Translation (some lyrics are difficult to understand):

Turn, Turn, turn around, Hot, Turn, Turn, turn around,
Money Turn, Turn, turn around,
Ice, Turn, Turn, turn around,
Bed, Turn, Turn, turn around,
Night, Turn, Turn, turn around,
Wind, Turn, Turn, turn around,
Mad Turn, Turn, turn around,
shut up, Turn, Turn, turn around,
dead Turn, Turn, turn around,
Below Turn, Turn, turn around,
Done (or may be "stoned") Turn, Turn, turn around,

Money Turn, Turn, turn around,
Ice Turn, Turn, turn around,
Bed Turn, Turn, turn around,
Night Turn, Turn, turn around,
Mad Turn, Turn, turn around,

Turn Turn, Turn, turn around,
Hot Turn, Turn, turn around,
Money Turn, Turn, turn around,
Ice Turn, Turn, turn around,
Bed Turn, Turn, turn around,
Night Turn, Turn, turn around,