Bawdy Yiddish Songs

[Ethan Minovitz <eminovitz...>]

>From what I've seen, there haven't been too many dirty songs recorded
in Yiddish, although they are definitely out there.

A few exist on 78, but you'll really have to look hard for those.  

Lots of Sophie Tucker's songs are risque, and a few of those have
Yiddish passages in the lyrics (although they're not entirely in
Yiddish). "Mr. Siegel" and "Horseplayin' Papa" both come to mind, in
which Sophie sings the naughty Yiddish stuff toward the end. I have
these on a couple of her LPs -- but doubt that any of the CD reissues
have these.  You'll just have to look on eBay or a very large
Internet site/retail outlet for them.

Probaby the best source of off-color Yiddish tunes is the 1964
LP "Yiddish Songs Mama Never Taught Me" (Roulette R-25267), by Patsy
Abbott with Ben Jaffe and his Orchestra.  Great klezmer background,
with old Yiddish themes (e.g. "Oy Vey Iz Tzu Mir") set to dirty
lyrics. Patsy really is -- or was, at the time -- a good singer,
young, with a sweet voice, not a raucous one. And if you understand
some Yiddish already, she's funny.  

It's available for $6.50 at http://www.mystrain.com/comedy.html.
Don't know where my folks got their copy -- they claim they didn't
buy it and that "somebody" gave it to them! I'm almost tempted to
believe them.

I co-host a weekly (one-hour) Yiddish radio program in Vancouver,
British Columbia, and occasionally play a risque tune from the album
to close the show.  So far, nobody's complained -- either they don't 
understand Yiddish, or they don't mind.

Incidentally, on that topic, my dad was born and grew up in
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  He tells how a French-language radio
station between the cities of Saskatoon and Regina leased time to
someone to do a Yiddish radio program in the old days (1930s-40s).

Anyhow, the host decided one day to play a whole raft of dirty
Yiddish songs. Did he get in trouble? No...the older Jews who knew
Yiddish may have been a bit upset, but they didn't want to "masser"
(fink) on him!


Ethan Minovitz
Co-Host, Anthology of Jewish Music
CFRO-FM 102.7 (Vancouver Cooperative Radio)

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