The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

It's a play on words, very witty. I also like Gilbert and Sullivan where you get a twofer, great music and witty words.

The late, great Jean Shepherd, of blessed radio memory, used to play a recorded version:

The bear missed the train,
The bear missed the train,
The bear missed the train
And now he's walking.

Henry wrote:

GrafonolaG50 wrote:

billybob62 wrote:Anyone else like the Andrews sisters "My Dear Mr. Schon"? I really need to get that one.

I wish I had that as well.

Well, I've heard "Bei mir ist du schön," so this must be a spoof? ("schon" means "already" auf Deutsch, "schön" means "beautiful," pronounced something like "shane").

Believe it or not, it is Yiddish, not German. Originally composed by Sholom Secunda. Not My Dear Mr Schoen.. It means "to me you are beautiful".

I'm not sure, but I believe Benny Goodman recorded this, maybe with the Sisters, and "Americanized" it. In any case it was a hit.

I did a private Halloween party on Friday on the main line, in what I can only describe as a "phonograph rager." A packed house (actual house, on a horse farm) of 22yo's completely getting down to Bei Mir Bist Du Schön, Coon-Sanders, High Hatters et al. NOT swing dance fashionistas, just kids waaaay into the music and the phonographs, after a few cocktails. I've never seen anything like it.

-Well, I've heard "Bei mir ist du schön," so this must be a spoof? ("schon" means "already" auf Deutsch, "schön" means "beautiful," pronounced something like "shane").

-Believe it or not, it is Yiddish, not German. Originally composed by Sholom Secunda. Not My Dear Mr Schoen.. It means "to me you are beautiful".


A high percentage of Yiddish (word derived from German "Jüdisch") is German; indeed, it could be argued that it's a dialect of German. In the case of this song title, the Yiddish is identical with the German. Some years ago, it was reported in the local press here that a contingent of Pennsylvania Amish visited the Hasidic community in Brooklyn, and they discovered that "PA Dutch" and Yiddish were mutually intelligible!

On this topic, see further: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yiddish_dialects

It is Bei Mir Bist du Schoen that I wish I had, and it is what I was talking about, and the spoof I alys heard from my grandpa is "A Beer Mr. Shane"

Henry wrote:-Well, I've heard "Bei mir ist du schön," so this must be a spoof? ("schon" means "already" auf Deutsch, "schön" means "beautiful," pronounced something like "shane").

-Believe it or not, it is Yiddish, not German. Originally composed by Sholom Secunda. Not My Dear Mr Schoen.. It means "to me you are beautiful".


A high percentage of Yiddish (word derived from German "Jüdisch") is German; indeed, it could be argued that it's a dialect of German. In the case of this song title, the Yiddish is identical with the German. Some years ago, it was reported in the local press here that a contingent of Pennsylvania Amish visited the Hasidic community in Brooklyn, and they discovered that "PA Dutch" and Yiddish were mutually intelligible!

On this topic, see further: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yiddish_dialects

The Pennsylvania Dutch might have some trouble with the Hebrew aspects of Yiddish, though . Also, remember, Yiddish in its truest form is written in Hebrew letters. Most Yiddish we see here in the US has been transliterated into more germanic spellings. To quote my Zayde, "Vaksn zolstu vi a tsibele, mitn kop in dr'erd! (May you prosper & grow like an onion, with your head in the ground)

BTW, wikipedia is not your best source for reliable info. Noam Chomsky, noted linguist may be a better choice.

billybob62 wrote:I'm not sure, but I believe Benny Goodman recorded this, maybe with the Sisters, and "Americanized" it. In any case it was a hit.

BG's recording singer was Martha Tilton. It has a spectacular chorus of a fast klezmer played by Ziggy Elman. The Carnegie Hall version is great, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awvNwuZaqjQ

Bei Mir Bist du Shoen was one of Andrews Sisters biggest hits. And there is one recording of the song with the sisters accompanied by Glenn Miller, from a radio broadcast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1-tewO-A20

Here is my favorite version sung by The Great Al Bowlly with an excellent, informative video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jil-WVPxOeE