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Járbă, máré járbă, más dusjé ákásză,
dá nu pot, kă ám zsurát.
Máré járbă, vergyé járbă nu mă pot dusjé
ákásză!
O métsz mámá dă pîn szát, áj lăszát
kulyibá gală,
Inpunzîtă, ingurzită dá-j plyină dă
szărăsjijé,
Máré járbă, vergyé járbă nu mă pot dusjé
ákásză!
Járbă, máré járbă, más dusjé ákásză,
dá nu pot, kă ám zsurát.
Green grass, tall grass, I would like to go
home
but I cannot, because I have sworn not to.
Tall grass, green grass, I cannot go home!
My mother has le the village; she le the
hut empty,
adorned with leaves but full of poverty.
Tall grass, green grass, oh I cannot go
home!
Green grass, tall grass, I would like to go
home,
but I cannot, because I have sworn not to.
attrib. DU.E ELLINGTON (1899–1974)
“Creole Love Call”
(arranged by Harry Frommermann)
Although commonly attributed to
and made famous by Duke Elling-
ton, the wordless melody of “Creole
Love Call” had been written years
before it was presented to Elling-
ton by his then-saxophonist, Rudy
Jackson, claiming it was his own
composition. Ellington recorded
the song with the famous singer
Adelaide Hall in
, a recording
that catapulted both performers to
international fame. Ellington was
granted the publishing rights as the
composer of “Creole Love Call” the
following year. Enter Joe “King” Ol-
iver. Also a prominent bandleader, as well as cornetist and composer—not
to mention the mentor of Louis Armstrong—Oliver had already recorded a
strikingly similar tune with his own Jazz Creole band (with then-clarinetist
Rudy Jackson!) in his “Camp Meeting Blues” as early as
. Incensed by
the blatant plagiarism, Oliver attempted to sue Ellington for royalties and
composer credit, but the lawsuit was dropped due to problems with Oliver’s
original paperwork. (Oliver’s poor business skills would undercut his suc-
cess throughout his career, most notably passing up a gig at New York City’s
famous Cotton Club, a gig that, ironically, Duke Ellington would take in his
stead.) Not surprisingly, Rudy Jackson was red because of the incident.
e arrangement of “Creole Love Call” heard on this program was per-
formed by the pre-World War II German vocal ensemble the Comedian
Harmonists. Inspired by jazz-in uenced vocal groups in the United States,
unemployed actor Harry Frommermann sought to create a similar ensem-
ble in Germany.
e ve singers and one pianist became one of the most
successful international close-harmony all-male musical groups in Europe
in the late
s, performing a wide variety of folk, classical, and popular
songs.
e hallmark of the Comedian Harmonists was its members’ abil-
ity to blend their voices together so that the individual singers could ap-
pear and disappear back into the vocal texture. e ensemble’s success was
short-lived, however, as the rise of Nazism in Germany caused the group
eventually to disband (three of the members were of Jewish descent).
is clever arrangement, created by Frommermann, treats all of the voic-
es as instruments. Five soloists sing as a variety of big band instruments,
including trumpets, trombones, and clarinets—ven Hawaiian ukuleles!—
while the rest of the ensemble “accompanies” on the piano.
SHOLOM SECUNDA (1894–1974)
“Bei mir bist du schön”
(arranged by Brian Hinman)
Written in
, “Bei mir bistu shein”
was originally part of a Yiddish mu-
sical comedy called
Men Ken Lebn
Nor Men Lost Nisht
(
I Would if I
Could
) by Abraham Bloom, with
music by Sholom Secunda and lyr-
ics by his writing partner, Jacob Ja-
cobs. With the show lasting just one
season on the stage, and a er years
of peddling with no takers to pro-
duce it again, Secunda and Jacobs
nally decided to sell the rights to a
publisher—a rather respectable fate
in the Yiddish theater. Secunda and
Jacobs received just
for their
song, which they split evenly. Shortly a er the sale, a then-little-known trio
called the Andrews Sisters recorded a newly adapted English-language ver-
sion of the song, now called “Bei mir bist du schön,” with lyrics by Sammy
Cahn and Saul Chaplin. It became the Andrews Sisters’ rst major hit, earn-
ing them a gold record, the rst ever to a female group. Even Americans
unfamiliar with Yiddish bought the song in droves. Undaunted by the title,
they requested the recording or sheet music using such approximations as
“Buy Me a Beer, Mr. Shane” or “My Mere Bits of Shame.” However it was
pronounced, the song was a worldwide success.
And as for Secunda losing out on over
,
in royalties: “It bothered
everyone else more than it bothered me.” Fortunately for him, though, in
, the copyright on “Bei mir bist du schön” expired, reverting ownership
to Secunda and Jacobs.
ey immediately signed a contract with Harms,
Inc., this time Secunda negotiating for himself the full percentage of the
composer’s royalties.
Of all the girls I’ve known—and I’ve known some—
until I rst met you, I was lonesome.
And when you came in sight, dear, my heart grew light
and this old world seemed new to me.
You’re really swell, I have to admit you
deserve expressions that really t you.
And so I’ve racked my brain, hoping to explain
all the things that you do to me!
Bei mir bist du schön
, please let me explain
Bei mir bist du schön
means you’re grand
Bei mir bist du schön
, again I’ll explain
It means you’re the fairest in the land.
I could say “bella, bella,” even “sehr wunderbar.”
Each language only helps me tell you how grand you are!
I’ve tried to explain,
Bei mir bist du schön
So kiss me and say you understand.
Bei mir bist du schön
, you’ve heard it all before
but let me try to explain.
Bei mir bist du schön
means that you’re grand
Bei mir bist du schön
, it’s such an old refrain
and yet I should explain.
It means I am begging for your hand!
'XNH (OOLQJWRQ
Sholom Secunda and the Andrews
Sisters
JULY 30 – AUGUST 5, 2018 | RAVINIA MAGAZINE
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