Researching Yiddish penny songs (tenement song broadsides of theater and variety show songs, 1895-1925)
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Monday, June 6, 2016

Ikh bin a yingele fun Poyln, as sung by Ruth Kurland and Julia Stoll

Jerry Zimmerman wrote:
My grandfather used to sing to me when I was young. I am 70 now, so this was a long time ago. I have been looking for it on the internet, and so far been unsuccessful. Also I don't know the title or accurately remember the words. Here's the best I can do:

Ich bin a yinge laufen poilen mit mine kappela gekommen...........
Vil you buy, vil you buy, vil you buy something...
And somewhere there is a "punch in the nuis"


I think it's a song about a misunderstanding because of language, and was performed in yiddish theater in NYC, perhaps yiddish vaudeville.

I put out a request on the Jewish music list and Joe Kurland of the Wholesale Klezmer Band responded:
My grandmother b. 1878 used to sing this song, and I made a recording of my mother b. 1912 and her sister b. 1909 singing it. My mother was not a Yiddish speaker, but she did remember the Yiddish songs her mother used to sing. Joe later added: "Sung by Ruth Kurland and Julia Stoll in 1982. Learned from their mother, Sarah Carmel."

Ikh bin a yingele fun Poyln,
Nokh Amerike gekimen,
Dos kepele, dos voyle
Hot a shrek ibergenimen,
Es iz keyn shvere zakhe,
Me ken dos nisht fargesn,
Az datldu (that'l do) iz a shprakhe,
Un pay iz an esn.

Handlen heyst pedlen bay zey,
Mit a besket fun evri ting.
Ikh shray di ales away,
Vil you buy, vil you buy,
Vil you buy some ting.

Ikh bin in strit aroysgelofn,
Mit mayn pek ol rayt,
Hot mir a loyfer ongekimen,
Un er ask me do I want to fight,
I ask him what shprekh is this,
Tell me if you please,
Hot er mir derlangt a potsh in der noz,
Hob ikh farshtanen vos er maynt.

Es hot mir geton vey,
Mit mayn besket fun evri ting,
Ikh shray di ales away,
Vil you buy, vil you buy,
Vil you buy some ting.

I am a boy from Poland Come to America,
This pleasant little head experienced a horror.
It's not a hard thing, one can't forget it,
That datldu (That'l do) is an expression,
And pie is a food.

Handlen is called peddling among them,
With a basket of everything,
I cry away all,
Will you buy, will you buy, will you buy some thing.

I ran out into the street with my pack all right,
A bully came up to me and asked do I want to fight.
I ask him what does that mean, tell me if you please,
He gave me a hit in the nose and I understood what he meant.

It hurt me.
With my pack of everything,
I cry away all,
Will you buy, will you buy, will you buy some thing.

And here's Joe's recording: Ikh bin a yingele fun Poyln. Thanks, Joe!

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

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