Researching Yiddish penny songs (tenement song broadsides of theater and variety show songs, 1895-1925)
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Thursday, June 16, 2016

Ip-Ay-Eri-Ay-Ey (Yiddish version of English Music hall song Yip-I-Addy-I-Ay)

The original English song Yip-i-addy-i-ay has a great cover:


The Yiddish parody, by some anonymous prankster, is (by Jewish standards of the time) rather bawdy. I imagine Yiddish speakers hearing people sing the American hit and wondering what on earth it meant. Their minds naturally wandered to the dark side... Publisher Sani Shapiro informs us it is sung with great success in all the variety shows. I called it Yip-ay-eri-ay-ey at youtube.

Aviva Enoch played piano. Click to hear our version, recorded today:


Translation and songsheet after the jump.


A boy and girl one genteel evening became acquainted at a ball
Wherever he'd turn, you'd hear him sing a song everywhere
She looked at the boy and fell in love with his song
"Take me home," she said.
He used to stand with her in the hall alone, until late,
And there he sang her this song:

Ip ay eri ay ey, ip ay eri ay ey
It comes more easily to him because he's a singer.
He sings and accompanies himself with a finger.
Ip ay eri ay ey, the girl's in trouble now
She got indigestion, now she's pregnant
Ip ay eri ay ey

My friend got to know a courteous woman
Her shape was so beautiful.
She looked well fed and was dressed elegantly,
and she had plentiful, uh, frontage.
A head of blond hair, pearly teeth in her mouth
He soon married her.
Right after the wedding he took her home in the quiet
And wanted to start singing this song:

Ip ay eri ay ey ay ey
Now I'll bet you she'll want a divorce
A bedroom with two cold beds, what good is that to her?
Ip ay eri ay ey ay ey
They fight all the time!
And he can't even manage to sing, even once,
Ip ay eri ay ey...

Click the songsheet for a larger view.



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

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