Sophie Tucker Sings "A Yiddishe Mamma."

This is a reposting of an inadvertently deleted video.

This is the most popular version of My Yiddish Mama, at least in America, as sung by the great Sophie Tucker. She sings it in English first, and here are the Yiddish lyrics:

Ich vill bay aych a kashe freygen,
Zugt mir ver es ken,
Mit vifl tayere farmaygns,
Bensht Gott allamen?
Men kriegt dus nit far kayne gelt,
Dus krigt men nur im zist,
Und der vus hot verloren,
Der vays shoyn vus ich mayn.

A yiddishe mamma,
Nisht du kein besser in der welt.
A yiddishe Mamma
Oy vey tzis bisser ven zie fehlt,
Vie shayn und lichtig tzis in Hois,
Ven die mama's du,
Vie traurig finster tzvert,
Ven Gott nehmt ihr oyf Oylam habu.

In vasser und fayer,
Vollt sie geloffn fahr ihr kind,
Nisht halt'n ihr tayer.
Dos iz geviss der greste Zind.
Oy vie gliklach und raych
Is der Mensch vus hut,
Az a tayere matune geschenkt fun Gott,
Wie an altechke Yiddishe Mamma,
Mamma, oy Mamme mein.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Sophie
• Tucker
• Yiddishe
• Mamma

[Rollich1]

The lyrics shown are not what this great artist sings.

[EdmundStAustell]

@Rollich1 True. It's a European version I copied off the web. If I could just get around to it, I should copy down her words but a few are hard to hear. I'll have another listen to it. I'm never sure entirely how to write down American Yiddish "You arbeit by tag, you arbeit by nacht" is very approximate spelling, for example. If you're looking for a little project, I'll be glad to put the actual words in:-) Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

[raphael2432]

EXCELLENTE VERSION....MERCI BEAUCOUP...

[EdmundStAustell]

@raphael2432 Merci beaucoup! J'apprécie le commentaire!

[TheRuthzitron]

she sings like a Jewish angel for those Jewish mothers who died in eastern Europe with

their children in their arms, to the Germans' gas chambers.

[EdmundStAustell]

@TheRuthzitron A terrible memory, but a beautiful thought. Thank you.

[Rollich1]

@EdmundStAustell Alas, I don't know Yiddish well enough to take on the project. What German I know doesn't cut the mustard (or the horseradish).

[TheRuthzitron]

The truth is the truth. Thank you for reading my impression.

[EdmundStAustell]

@489thcorsica  Thank you very much for your comment!

[489thcorsica]

This is definitely one of the classic American folk songs. This kind of music certainly had a huge influence on American music of the early 20th century.