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UPDATED to include the Louis Gilrod version which I found at Harvard.

This song is proving to be a moving target. I started with Sani Shapiro's broadside (he was the publisher of most of the penny song sheets, and in this case he wrote the words too). But nobody recorded the words he wrote. He called his version Zumer banakht oyf di rufen, using a Yinglish word for roof instead of the word dakh / dekher.

The Columbia recording I have from 1905 of the wonderful Frank Seiden singing the song under the title Somer bei nacht auf di decher says on the label that the composer is David Meyerowitz. I can't find the Meyerowitz verses on paper anywhere.

The chorus Seiden sings is the same as the chorus in the version which was supposedly written by Louis Gilrod, and which is still very easy to find. Eleanor Reissa recorded the song with Gilrod's lyrics and you can also find these words in the Mlotek's Lid fun mayn dor.

The Mloteks also printed a version of this song as it was sung in a concentration camp in Kloge, Estonia during the Second World War.

All these songs are set to the same popular American song of the time: "On a Good Old Trolley Ride."

Since I couldn't find the Meyerowitz text, I decided to do something pretty strange: I put the Sani Shapiro songsheet words and my translation of the same on the video. This is not what Frank Seiden was singing! But it gives you two rare song lyrics that share a melody. If I ever run across the Meyerowitz text I'll re-do the video.


Below, both Sani Shapiro's and Louis Gilrod's versions:



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I tell you clearly, New York is happy in summer at night on the roof
You lie in the stifling house, it's like the grave, nobody can sleep.
You lie tossing around, you sweat and get bitten, nobody can sleep peacefully.
If you want some air you have to creep quickly up onto the roof.

Summer at night on the roof, everybody knows about it
Everybody can sleep peacefully there.
The landlord doesn't demand any rent.
People dream good dreams there, everybody sleeps happily.
You don't need a mattress, you don't need to scratch
Summer nights on the roof

You also see the bums who stand on the corners
They like the roof too
When the landlady gets mad nothing frightens him
He needs to get some sleep
He picks up his bicycle by the axle
Missus, goodbye, I'm moving!
I won't ask you, I won't even force you
And march around on the roof

I'll describe to you, and it will please you
What I've seen on the roof.
There are bunches of boys and girls there
And talking drives away sleep.
You see scolding women, people get married there,
You can really go there to sleep.
They don't use a matchmaker, you don't need a bridegroom or a wedding performer,
Summer by night on the roof

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And here is Louis Gilrod's version:

Fun Kristi biz Kenen ir zolt zen di stsenen
In a heyse zumer nakht
Fun Brus strit un hekher, bay nakht af di dekher
Es lebt zikh es resht zikh a prakht
Me tantst un me' kusht zikh
Me shvitst un me' visht zikh
Me trinkt sode vaser a sakh
Far boyes un meydn iz a vorer gan eyden
Zumer baynakht af a dakh

Zumer baynakht af di dekher
Dan iz a goldene tsayt
Me loyft fun di rumkes di lekher
Me vert vi fun prizen bafrayt
Ir kumen nit keyn palislayt
Dort meg men tuen yeder zakh
Ir hot keyn shens nit gezen
Oyb ir zayt nit geven
Zumer baynakht af a dakh

Koym zikht ir ver kales mit alerlay mayles
Dan zolt ir nit trakhtn keyn sakh
Fregt nit keyn eytse di fis af di pleytses
Un marsh bald aruf af a dakh
Ir vet shoyn dertapn a moyd vi a lapn
Klepn vet zi shoyn tsu'n aykh
Zi lozt zikh a khap ton
A kush un a... glet ton
Zumer baynakht af a dakh

Ir kent zen antikn, ir zolt zikh tsukukn
Zumer baynakht af a dakh
Meydlekh un vayblekh on skoyrts un on layblekh
Vos veysn farshteystu dos fakh
Ven der man ligt un shloft shoyn
Nemt dos vaybl un muft shoyn
Aruf afn dakh umgetrakht
Der border dort zitst shoyn, di noz bay im shvitst shoyn
Yu betsha! es lebt zikh a prakht


Click below for a larger view of both songsheets:

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

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Labels: history, humor, New York, nostalgia