Ma! (He's Making Eyes At Me)
Lena Zavaroni's debut single
Flyer Translation
The Sound of World-Class Art – Philips
“Mama, Is This Love?” / “Rock-A-Bye Your Baby”
Catalogue Number: SFL-1850
Durations: 2:25 / 2:37
Note on Title: The Japanese flyer refers to the A-side as 「ママ、恋かしら」, which translates roughly as “Mama, Is This Love?” This localized title was used for the Japanese market. The original English title of the song is “Ma! (He’s Making Eyes At Me),” which is how it was released in the UK and internationally.
Lena Zavaroni – The Precocious Angel Born in the UK
In January 1974, a charming young girl made her dazzling debut in the UK. Through popular television programs, her powerful voice and expressive gestures—surprising for someone so small—captivated audiences. Her mature and dynamic singing style quickly made her a household name.
Demand for her debut record skyrocketed, and it sold out almost instantly. Due to the global oil crisis and electricity restrictions at the time, additional pressings couldn’t be produced fast enough. As a result, her UK label, Phonogram, had to request pressing support from France—an episode that speaks to the explosive popularity of this release.
About Lena:
Lena Zavaroni is a 10-year-old girl born to Italian-Scottish parents. Her mother was an amateur singer, and her father a musician, so she inherited a rich musical talent. From a young age, she sang at churches and public gatherings, quickly becoming a local favorite.
Record producer Tommy Scott and manager Philip Solomon—who also helped launch child star Neil Reid—were so impressed by Lena’s talent that they moved forward with her debut with full confidence.
Side A: “Ma! (He’s Making Eyes At Me)”
Originally published in 1921, this nostalgic Western melody was written by Sidney Clare and Con Conrad as the theme for a musical. It’s a perfect match for Lena, the “precocious angel,” as she sings about the joy of falling in love and confiding in her mother.
Side B: “Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody”
Written by Sam M. Lewis, Joe Young, and Jean Schwartz in 1918, this classic is even older than the A-side. It’s a standard famously performed by Al Jolson and remains beloved to this day.
Lyrics (Excerpt – “Ma! (He’s Making Eyes At Me)”):
Mama, he’s making eyes at me!
Mama, he’s awfully nice to me!
Mama, he’s almost breaking my heart — he’s beside me…
God! Mama, let my conscience guide me!
Mama, he wants to marry me. Be my honey bee.
Every minute he gets bolder, now he’s leaning on my shoulder…
Mama, he’s kissing me!
Japanese Translation (Excerpt):
Mama, he’s staring at me.
Mama, he’s so kind to me.
When I’m near him, my heart feels like it’s going to burst.
God, please guide me!
Mama, he wants to marry me.
He’s getting bolder… now he’s leaning on my shoulder…
Mama, he’s trying to kiss me!
Promotional Campaign:
Win a Lena Pendant! 1,000 lucky winners will receive a beautiful UK-made Lena pendant. To enter, cut out the Lena mark from the bottom right of this jacket, and send it along with the name of the newspaper, magazine, or TV program where you learned about Lena, the name of the store where you bought the record, and your name, age, and address to the following:
Address:
Lena Campaign, Nippon Phonogram Co., Ltd.
Wako Building, 4-8-5 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106
Deadline: Postmarked by July 15, 1974
Note: Winners will be notified by prize shipment.
Legal Notice: Copying records to tape or other formats is prohibited by law.
Distributor: Nippon Phonogram Co., Ltd.
Disclaimer: This English translation of the original Japanese promotional flyer is provided for archival and educational purposes only. The original flyer is a copyrighted promotional work owned by its respective rights holders. This translation is offered under the principles of fair use, with the intent to document and preserve the historical context of Lena Zavaroni’s Japanese release. No commercial use is intended or implied.
Side 1 - Details
- Artist: Lena Zavaroni
- Side 1: Ma! (He's Making Eyes At Me)
- Composer: Clare Conrad
- Producer: Tommy Scott
Side 2 - Details
- Artist: Lena Zavaroni
- B side: Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody
- Composer: Lewis, Young
- Composer: Schwartz
- Producer: Tommy Scott
Release Details
- Label: Philips - SFL-1850
- Format: 7" Vinyl, 45 rpm Single
- Country: Japan
- Released: 1974
- 45Cat: sfl1850
Note
This is the English-language version of the single released in Japan. A separate Japanese-language version of “Ma! (He’s Making Eyes At Me) was also released in 1974.