Researching Yiddish penny songs (tenement song broadsides of theater and variety show songs, 1895-1925)
Index of songs on this site
Youtube: all the Penny Songs I've recorded so far (with subtitles)
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List of the still-lost songs: do you know any of them?
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Fellow seekers of old music, groan with me when you notice the title is transcribed incorrectly on the record label itself and that in addition the English has a preposterous typo in it. And note that the title on the broadside (Mayn vaybs mayles) is not found as the title of the recording. I tried the subtitle/catchphrase du alte klipe (or di alte klipe) and searched all 78 tracks at the FAU site containing the word alte.

There's funny Yinglish in this song, like "ikh hob mir opgemakht mayn maynd" (I made up my mind), the verb "belong" getting a Yiddish ending, the American use of the word glaykhn to mean "like,"

This is a horribly annoying, misogynistic song, but it's interesting to me for two reasons: I really like the singer, Gus Goldstein, and it uses the melody of I Wish I Was In Dixie.



In short, my friends, I've made up my mind
To tell you all my wife's virtues today.
I want each of you to know her tricks
Because I can't suffer like this any more, I've had enough.

Who's an old shrew? My wife, my wife
Who never gives me anything to eat?
Who is sitting in jail?
My wife, my wife, my wife the old shrew.

Who likes the old boarders?
Who creeps around with every one of them?
And who does every one of them hit?

Who likes to drink booze?
Who lives with me in disorder?
Who ran off with the boarder?

Who's growing a beard and moustache?
Who is think as a stick?
And who likes to lick ice cream?

Who is a politician?
Who likes to go to a masked ball?
Who belongs to Tammany Hall?

Who likes to play cards?
Who takes everyone for sure?
Who sleeps on the roof in the summer?

Who chews tobacco?
Who likes to swallow raw eggs?
Who snagged a millionaire?

Who's a big drunk?
Who has a pointy red nose?
Who has a head like a donkey?

Who likes to chew oysters?
Who swallows mussels with potatoes?
Who eats corn pudding with tomatoes?

Who goes around seeking alms?
Who collects money for Israel?
Who hangs out at the dancing school?

Who wears a wig on her head?
Who has a mouth full of false teeth?
Whose bones are falling apart?

Who looks like a monkey?
Who has a nose like an archer's bow?
Who always has blue eyes?

Who has sticky fingers?
Who likes to unscrew someone else's locket?
Who creeps into my pocket at night?

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For sheet music and/or performances contact me: jane@mappamundi.com

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Labels: battle between the sexes, humor, male chauvinism, morality, sarcasm