《Mambo for Lost Children》 是一首带着童心和一点荒诞气息的自由爵士 Mambo。歌曲从“迷路的孩子”出发，用非常简单、像六岁孩子说出来的语言，描绘月亮、小猫、会自己走路的鞋子，以及不知道该往哪里去的小小旅程。轻快的 Mambo 节奏和自由爵士的即兴形成反差，让天真的歌词在混乱、跳跃的音乐中变得有些梦幻。间歇出现的法语和 scat singing，则像孩子突然想到什么就唱出来的一样。整首歌既像一场街头游戏，也像一群迷路的孩子在夜里一起跳舞。

“Mambo for Lost Children” is a playful, slightly surreal free-jazz mambo about children who have lost their way. Told in very simple, childlike language, the song follows little images of the moon, a small cat, wandering shoes, and a journey with no clear destination. The light mambo rhythm contrasts with the wild, unpredictable energy of free jazz, creating a dreamlike world where innocence and chaos can dance together. Small touches of French and scat singing appear like spontaneous games between children. The song feels like a street parade, a playground game, and a midnight adventure for a group of lost children—all at once.

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Mambo for Lost Children

Verse 1

I lost my way.
I see the moon.
I see a cat.
He says, “Come soon.”

Petit chat,
où vas-tu?
I don’t know.
Do you?

Chorus

Mambo, mambo,
Where do we go?
Mambo, mambo,
I don’t know!

Mambo, mambo,
Left, right, go!
Mambo, mambo,
On y va!

Verse 2

My little shoes
walk by themselves.
One goes here.
One goes there.

La la la,
viens avec moi.
Round and round,
tra-la-la!

Chorus

Mambo, mambo,
Where do we go?
Mambo, mambo,
I don’t know!

Mambo, mambo,
Left, right, go!
Mambo, mambo,
On y va!

Scat

Ba-da, ba-da,
doo-ba-doo!
Pa-ra-pa,
me and you!

Shoo-ba, shoo-ba,
la-la-la!
Mambo, mambo,
ha-ha-ha!

Bridge

Is that home?
No, no, no.

Is that home?
Maybe so.

Une étoile.
Deux étoiles.
Trois, quatre, cinq—

Chorus

Mambo, mambo,
Where do we go?
Mambo, mambo,
I don’t know!

Mambo, mambo,
Left, right, go!
Mambo, mambo,
On y va!

Outro / Free Jazz

Mambo…
mambo…

Petit chat,
attends-moi!

Ba-da-doo…
pa-ra-pa…

Where do we go?

…I don’t know.

一南 | Yinan