Kuroneko no Tango / Osamu Minagawa

The Nights are always yours.

 

 "Kuroneko no Tango" (Japanese : "Black Cat Tango"; originally Italian: Volevo un gatto nero "I wanted a black cat") is a tango song recorded in 1969 by young children in Italy and Japan. 

The original Italian version came 3rd in the Zecchino d'Oro (annual international children's song festival) on 11 March 1969. It was written by Mario Pagano, Armando Soricillo, and Francesco Saverio Maresca, and was sung by four-year-old Vincenza Pastorelli. 

The Japanese version was sung by six-year-old Osamu Minagawa and released on 5 October 1969. The song reached number one in the Japanese local chart, and sold 3 million copies. Japanese lyrics are so coquettish and beautiful, and I especially like the 3rd verse like this. 

夜のあかりが　みんな消えても (Yoru no akari ga minna kietemo)
君の瞳は銀の星よ (Kimi no hitomi ha gin no hoshi yo)
キラキラ光る　黒ネコの目 (Kira kira hikaru kuroneko no me)
夜はいつも　君のものさ (Yoru ha itsumo kimi no mono sa)

Even after all the city lights go out,
Your eyes are shining like silver stars
What glittering eyes of the black cat!
The nights are always yours 

 The song is on the 2014 album “Dream a Little Dream” by Pink Martini and The von Trapps.