"Until You Explode" is a breathless comic tarantella set inside a family-run Italian restaurant, where one polite phrase spoken in Italian sets off a culinary avalanche. Mike wants a quiet plate of pasta, but the owner and his cook Gepetto hear him speak their language and treat it as an invitation to overwhelm him with hospitality. A simple order spirals into an ever-growing parade of dishes, each course arriving faster than the last while accordion and mandolin race to keep pace. The verses build like a kitchen in overdrive, stacking pasta shapes and sauces higher until the table can barely hold what's coming. The bridge turns into a rapid-fire back-and-forth as the cooks rattle off dish after dish, refusing to take no for an answer, pushing the tempo toward its breaking point. By the final chorus, the joke and the music hit full sprint, riding the tarantella's frantic pulse toward a giddy climax. Then comes the twist: it's only been the appetizers. It's a warm, theatrical piece about generosity taken to its most lovable extreme — a reminder that in some kitchens, love is measured by the plate.
Lyrics
[Spoken — Mike] Buonasera. Nutrimi… sto morendo di fame. [Spoken — Owner, delighted] Look at you! Look at you! Gepetto! Come over here! He speaks Italian! [Spoken — Gepetto] Say it again! Say it again! [Spoken — Mike] Nutrimi! Sto morendo di fame! [Owner and Gepetto] Look at you! Look at you! [Verse 1] He came for penne with the red sauce, Just a little supper on his plate, But the owner kissed him on both cheeks And shouted, “Tonight, you’re gonna eat great!” “Bring the bread and bring the butter! Bring the olives! Bring them all! This poor man says that he is starving— Gepetto, answer Heaven’s call!” [Pre-Chorus] A little penne, a little sauce, Was all that Mike had planned, But now the kitchen’s marching out With every pot and pan! [Chorus] We’re gonna feed you until you explode! That’s how we love you on the old Italian road! Mangia, Michele! There’s plenty to go— We’re gonna feed you, feed you, Feed you till you explode! [Verse 2] First came penne all’arrabbiata, Then ravioli stuffed with cheese, Linguine dancing with the garlic, And lasagna to his knees. Cannelloni! Manicotti! Fettuccine in parade! Every time he cleared a platter, Three more platters were displayed! [Pre-Chorus] “Gepetto, look! He’s slowing down!” “He needs another plate!” Mike raised one finger weakly— But the kitchen could not wait! [Chorus] We’re gonna feed you until you explode! There’s no retreating once the pasta starts to flow! Mangia, Michele! Your suffering shows— So we’re gonna feed you, feed you, Feed you till you explode! [Instrumental Break — wild accordion and mandolin] [Spoken — Mike] Please… no more… [Spoken — Owner, horrified] No more? [Spoken — Gepetto] He said, “Four more!” [Spoken — Owner] GEPPETTO! FOUR MORE! [Verse 3] Now the gnocchi came in baskets, Spaghetti filled the room, There was pesto on the ceiling, There was marinara on the broom! Mike was buried up to his shoulders, With a meatball in each hand, While the owner stood above him Like the proudest man in all the land! [Bridge — accelerating] “Do you want the baked ziti?” “No!” “Do you want the tortellini?” “No!” “Do you want the tagliatelle?” “No!” “Then we bring you vermicelli!” “No!” More parmesan! More garlic bread! Another bowl beside his head! Fill the glasses! Strike the band! Give the starving man a hand! [Final Chorus — fastest] We’re gonna feed you until you explode! You spoke Italian—now you reap what you have sowed! Mangia, Michele! Your destiny’s told! We’re gonna feed you, feed you, Feed you till you— [Musical stop] [Spoken — Owner] Bravo, Michele. You finished the appetizers. [Spoken — Mike] The appetizers? [Spoken — Owner] Sì! [Spoken — Gepetto] Look at you! Look at you! [Spoken — Owner] Now… you can order. [Final Tarantella Burst] HEY! [Outro] Penne with the red sauce! Penne with the red sauce! Bring another plate for Mike— And never count the cost! We’re gonna feed you, feed you, Feed you till you explode! [Spoken — Mike] I should have gone to the fish store.
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