Row with me...and ID this Italian folk song

August 28, 2014 3:32 PM

This week I have an Italian folk song I am trying to ID. The name of it in my book is "row with me" (和我划船) and the book offers no other clue besides that it's an Italian folk tune. As usual, Google, Baidu and Musipedia are of no help. Here is a YT link (the song begins at 0:06). Mille grazie!
posted by ditto75 to Media & Arts (3 answers total)

I know the song as "Come rowing with me", but I can't offer much beyond that. It's often used in primary schools because of its simple melody, but it's often attributed simply as "Italian folk song". Example
posted by satoshi at 9:29 PM on August 28, 2014

I recognized this melody as a Dutch song my grandmother always sang, further googling led me to "Vieni sul Mar', a traditional Italian song, here in a version by Caruso
posted by ouke at 12:56 AM on August 29, 2014

I'll second "Vieni sul Mar", performed by many tenors. This type of folk song is called a "barcarola", roughly translatable as small boat.
posted by francesca too at 6:25 AM on August 29, 2014