Vayber makht mir far President (or, Vayber makht mikh far President) Women! Make me president!
I'm used to inconsistencies on sheet music, but this one is really aggravating. On the inside the title is Weiber macht mich far President. In the sheet music itself it says macht mich far a prezident and on the cover it says Weiber macht mir far President. These days it would be written Vayber makht mikh far President. Exasperating.Anyway, the song is from a 1910 show called Di sheyne Amerikanerin (In English they called it American Beauty). Bessie Thomasefsky was the American Beauty.
Besides this somewhat women's lib song, the show features the opposing side's position in its Der hersher iz der man (The husband is the ruler) and Mener, lernt ayere vayber (Husbands, teach your wives).
This recording was made by somebody with a cellphone in the audience at our show this past weekend, sorry for the wobbles. I added the subtitles.
The singers are Shana Barbieri, Susan Cohen, Rebecca Grossfield, and Nancy Rocamora. The arrangement is by the pianist and show empresario Gary Berman, the violinists are Enze Ma and Andy Smith, and viola da gamba is plaed by Fred Thomsen. Gary puts on this show every year.
Lyrics in transliteration and translation from the Yiddish after the jump.
Oy vayber, vayber, vayber! Hert vos ikh zog aykh, vayber!
Oy vayber, vayber, vayber! Nemt aykh tsuzamen, vayber!
A meeting lomir, vayber, makhn in dem shensten hall,
Di mener megn fun unz lakhn, lakhn mit der gal.
Mir, vayber, muzn protestirn, s'geyt nit vayter mer.
Nor bay di noz di mener firn, vayber, s'iz nit shver.
Nemt aykh tsuzamen, vayber! Makht mikh far a prezident!
Vet ir zen, vayber, vi mir haltn di mener in di hent.
Oy vayber, vayber, vayber! Zayt nit keyn katshkes, vayber!
Oy vayber, vayber, vayber! Nor makht a meeting, vayber,
Ikh vart oykh in Eldridge Street, in hall bay Mr. Smalle.
Haynt nemt a sof, es geyt mer nit. Nemt aykh tsuzamen ale!
Mir, vayber, veln zikh aynsparn, vayzn mener gut
Az vayber ken men eyn mol naren, tsvey mol geyt es nit!
Oy vayber, vayber, vayber! Kokht nit keyn dinner, vayber!
Oy vayber, vayber, vayber! Fort nit in country, vayber!
Ven es kumt der liber zumer, di zun git nor a brih,
Farshlist ir shoyn ayer tsimer, un loyft in der country!
Oy di mener, di mamzirim, hoylen tog un nakht,
Un fraytig punkt vi di khazeyrim hot zey di train gebrakht.
Oy vayber, vayber, vayber! Hot nit keyn kinder, vayber!
Oy vayber, vayber, vayber! Gvald, zayt nit keyn vayber!
Zoln di mener diapers vashen, hert ir a geshrey,
Lost zey fun di teplekh nashen, un kinder hobn zoln zey.
Lomir zey lozn bargains ketshen in Wanamaker's store,
Un zol zey nor di corset kvetshen khotsh tsvey mol a yor.
Oy vayber, vayber, vayber! Nemt aykh tsuzamen, vayber!
A meeting lomir, vayber, makhn in dem shensten hall,
Di mener megn fun unz lakhn, lakhn mit der gal.
Mir, vayber, muzn protestirn, s'geyt nit vayter mer.
Nor bay di noz di mener firn, vayber, s'iz nit shver.
Nemt aykh tsuzamen, vayber! Makht mikh far a prezident!
Vet ir zen, vayber, vi mir haltn di mener in di hent.
Oy vayber, vayber, vayber! Zayt nit keyn katshkes, vayber!
Oy vayber, vayber, vayber! Nor makht a meeting, vayber,
Ikh vart oykh in Eldridge Street, in hall bay Mr. Smalle.
Haynt nemt a sof, es geyt mer nit. Nemt aykh tsuzamen ale!
Mir, vayber, veln zikh aynsparn, vayzn mener gut
Az vayber ken men eyn mol naren, tsvey mol geyt es nit!
Oy vayber, vayber, vayber! Kokht nit keyn dinner, vayber!
Oy vayber, vayber, vayber! Fort nit in country, vayber!
Ven es kumt der liber zumer, di zun git nor a brih,
Farshlist ir shoyn ayer tsimer, un loyft in der country!
Oy di mener, di mamzirim, hoylen tog un nakht,
Un fraytig punkt vi di khazeyrim hot zey di train gebrakht.
Oy vayber, vayber, vayber! Hot nit keyn kinder, vayber!
Oy vayber, vayber, vayber! Gvald, zayt nit keyn vayber!
Zoln di mener diapers vashen, hert ir a geshrey,
Lost zey fun di teplekh nashen, un kinder hobn zoln zey.
Lomir zey lozn bargains ketshen in Wanamaker's store,
Un zol zey nor di corset kvetshen khotsh tsvey mol a yor.
Women, Make Me the President
Oy women, women, women! Listen to me, women!
Oy women, women, women! Get it together, women!
We'll hold a meeting in the finest hall,
The men may laugh at us, laugh with gall.
Women, we must protest! Things can’t go on this way.
But it’s not hard, women, to lead men by the nose.
Get together, women! Make me your president!
Women, you’ll see how we hold the men in our hands.
Oy women, women, women! Don’t be silly geese, women!
Oy women, women, women! Just hold a meeting, women,
I’ll meet you on Eldridge Street at Mr. Smalle’s hall.
It ends today, things can’t go on. All of you, get together!
Women, we won’t budge, we’ll teach these men
That you can fool a women once, but never twice!
Oy women, women, women! Don’t cook dinner, women!
Oy women, women, women! Don’t go to the country, women!
Each year, when summer comes the sun gives us nothing but a burn,
And you close up your place and run to the country.
Oy, the men, those bastards, carry on day and night,
Then Friday the train delivers them as scheduled, like a load of hogs.
Oy women, women, women! Don’t have children, women!
Oy women, women, women! Oy, just don’t be women!
Let the men wash the diapers and you’ll hear a great uproar.
Let them fix the food and bear the children.
Let them chase down bargains at Wanamaker’s!
And let them squeeze into corsets at least twice a year!
For sheet music and/or performances contact me: jane@mappamundi.com
Labels: battle between the sexes, history, humor, male chauvinism, marriage, mores, sarcasm, womens rights
by melinama @ 1:07 PM
Yiddish Ragtime
Ikh bin busy
Opgenarte velt
Vos hot men tsu mir
Der East Side fun amol
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