Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info
MMD > Archives > July 2003 > 2003.07.29 > 10Prev  Next


Politically Incorrect Music Box Tunes
By Daniel Schmutz

-- non-subscriber, please reply to sender and MMD --

I have found the lyrics to the song "Ham se nicht den kleinen Cohn
geseh'n?".  An interesting issue is that this song was also recorded
(22.01.1929) by the "Comedian Harmonists" in a medley called "Anno
dazumal - medley, part II".  Interesting because some members of the
"Comedian Harmonists" were Jews.  I found that information at
http://www.anum.tuwien.ac.at/~dirk/harmonists/lyrics.htm.

The text of the song in German [sung with a Berlin accent]:

  Ha'm sie nicht den kleinen Cohn jeseh'n?
  Sah'n sie ihn denn nicht vorueberjeh'n?
  In des Volkes Menge da kam er ins Gedraenge.
  Da ham'se nun den Schreck: Der kleine Cohn ist weg!

  Einst sang man gern vom kleinen Cohn,
  heut' gibts nur Fox und Char-les-ton!
  Sing halleluja, halleluja ...

A try of a translation (my English is not very good):

  Haven't you seen little Cohn?
  Haven't you seen him passing by?
  In the crowd he got into the crush.
  Now you are shocked: Little Cohn is away!

  Once we liked to sing about little Cohn,
  today there's only the Fox Trot and Charleston!

Maybe someone else can make a better translation.

The verse of this song tells about a man who flees from his wife
after a side leap [an amorous fling with a young lady!].

Regards

Daniel Schmutz,
Berne, Switzerland
dschmutz@gmx.ch.geentroep [delete ".geentroep to reply]

 [ Your English is very good, indeed, Daniel; thanks for writing to us.
 [
 [ Poor little Cohn (or Cohen)!  Lots of gentle jokes were told about
 [ him (as in the double-entendre song by the Comedian Harmonists),
 [ in both both German and English language songs.  In the 1927
 [ hit, "(I Scream - You Scream - We All Scream for) Ice Cream", is
 [ a slapstick pun on the ice cream cone:
 [
 [   Iceberg, Lindberg, Sol Berg and Ginzberg,
 [   Ice cream Cohen!
 [
 [ The title "Hab'n Sie nicht den kleinen Cohn geseh'n?" appears in
 [ in tune lists compiled by Kevin McElhone for Polyphon 11" discs
 [ and Ariosa 18-note discs.  Adjacent titles seem to be turn-of-
 [ the-century songs, so I guess der kleine Cohn's troubles began
 [ long before the 1920s; see
 [   http://mmd.foxtail.com/MMMedia/poly11.html and
 [   http://mmd.foxtail.com/MMMedia/18nAriosaList.html
 [
 [ -- Robbie


(Message sent Wed 30 Jul 2003, 00:29:59 GMT, from time zone GMT+0200.)

Key Words in Subject:  Box, Incorrect, Music, Politically, Tunes

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page