Hans Breitmann's Barty by C.G.Leland

I liked this ballad so much that I just had to write some music for it and record it. HERE ARE THE LYRICS BY C.G.LELAND:
1. Hans Breitmann gife a barty;
Dey had biano-blayin',
I felled in lofe mit a Merican frau,
Her name vas Madilda Yane.
She hat haar as prown ash a pretzel,
Her eyes vas himmel-plue,
Und vhen dey looket indo mine,
Dey shplit mine heart in dwo.

2. Hans Breitmann gife a barty,
I vent dere you'll pe pound;
I valtzet mit Matilda Yane,
Und vent shpinnen' round und round.
De pootiest Fraulein in de house,
She vayed 'pout dwo hoondred pound,
Und efery dime she gife a shoomp
She make de vindows sound.

3. Hans Breitmann gife a barty,
I dells you it cost him dear;
Dey rolled in more ash sefen kecks
Of foost-rate lager beer.
Und vhenefer dey knocks de shpicket in
De deutschers gifes a cheer;
I dinks dot so vine a barty
Nefer coom to a het dis year.

4. Hans Breitmann gife a barty;
Dere all vas Souse and Brouse,
Vhen de sooper comed in, de gompany
Did make demselfs to house;
Dey ate das Brot and Gensy broost,
De Bratwurst and Braten vine,
Und vash der Abendessen down
Mit four parrels of Neckarwein.

5. Hans Breitmann gife a barty;
Ve all cot troonk ash bigs.
I poot mine mout' to a parrel of beer,
Und emptied it oop mit a schwigs;
Und den I gissed Madilda Yane,
Und she shlog me on de kop,
Und de gompany vighted mit daple-lecks
Dill de coonshtable made oos shtop.

6. Hans Breitmann gife a barty --
Vhere ish dot barty now?
Vhere ish de lofely golden cloud
Dot float on de moundain's prow?
Vhere ish de himmelstrahlende stern --
De shtar of de shpirit's light?
All goned afay mit de lager beer --
Afay in de ewigkeit!

PS: Ballads are supposed to be sung - and this ballad is so fabulous that I just had to try and find a tune for it...
PPS: I recorded the song back in 2000 at the SAGUARO & TUMBLEWEED STUDIOS at the Home of the Wadel
http://www.wahlbrinck.de/studios/saguaro-tumbleweed-studios.htm
.
Copyright 2008 by Bernd Wahlbrinck
.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• charles
• godfrey
• leland
• hans
• breitmann
• barty
• party
• american
• folklore
• poem
• ballad
• humorist
• popular
• folklorist
• wahlbrinck

[audionautix]

who says you can't find a little international culture on You Tube? funny!

[BennieJamieson]

In terms of the hilarious mixture of German and English, the best line is undoubtedly:

"I felled in lofe mit a Merican frau"!