Mosquito Polka
Troy A. Gawlak
Komara" depending on whose version you're familiar with.
Dziekuje,
-Troy
jro...@optonline.net
spadl,zlamal sobie wkrzyzu gnat(2 times) --wnet przybieglo wilkow
szesc, komarowe cialo zjesc, komarowa nie dala, wszstkich wilkow
wygnala (2 times) --riff-- dowiedziala sie mucha ze juz komar bez ducha
i spytala komara gdzie go bedzie chowala--chowajze mnie w trzewinie,
przy muzyce,przy winie(2 times). nie placz po mnie siostrzyczko,
dostaniesz po mnie wszystko--i dobytek i stroje, wszystko to bedzie
twoje(2 times). byl to pogrzeb wspanialy ( sometimes they sing nie maly
instead of wspanialy) , wszystkie muchy plakaly,i spiewaly requiem, juz
nasz komar nie zyje(2 times). sorry i don't have Polish accents on
this computer---i think the little wally books --pretty cheap and
important for a honky group--have this number --you can get them thru
jay jay (wally jagiello ) in miami or copy them from various old
chi-style polka musicians---anyway, the best way to learn to sing it
right is by listening to the little wally recording--he has a perfect
pronunciation. h. louie did a good job on this one , too---slightly
different version,tho. have fun with it---a great old song. yours
truly, joe rodgers
jro...@optonline.net
version from my old band book--so please change it as follows: starting
in line 5 it should go: i pytala komara czy mu trzeba doktora(2
times)--oj nie trzeba doktora,tylko ksiedza przeora, oj nie trzeba
apteki, tylko rydla motyki(2 times) --next verse : nie placz po mnie
siostrzyczko, dostaniesz po mnie wszystko, i dobytek i stroje, wszystko
to bedzie twoje( 2 times) pyta mucha komara, gdzie cie bede chowala?
chowajcie mnie w debinie, przy muzyce, przy winie (2 times). I byl
pogrzeb wspanialy, wszystkie muchy plakaly -- i spiewaly rekwije, juz
nasz komar nie zyje (2 times)
i looked this over and it is correct now---as for the accent marks,
all the letter l's in the song are pronounced like a w (except for in
the words wilkow/wilcy and tylko) ---there are many more pronunciation
issues which you can deal with either by listening carefully to the
recording or by reading about the pronunciation in any book on how to
speak Polish. A native speaker (person from poland) can help with the
pronunciation or write the accent marks in, too ---and they are in the
lil wally books.
good luck with it!. joe r
Troy A. Gawlak
Troy A. Gawlak
one. One's like this. Just couldn't find these words anywhere. So thank you!
And thanks for the good luck wishes this weekend!
-Troy
UPSTATE POLKAS
were talking about because I would hear my last name in the song.
LOL..
Mark Komar
UPSTATE POLKAS
Polka Hot sHOt
My Polish is not that great but I think the song is about how you
shouldn't go to a polka dance during lent or a mosquito will bite you?
Sounds crazy to me...who knows?
barbar...@netscape.net
Spike
jro...@optonline.net
is that crash, that loud noise?--it's the mosquito (komar) that fell
off the oak tree and broke his back . six wolves ran up to eat the
mosquito but mrs mosquito chased them all away. when the fly found out,
it asked the mosquito if he needed a doctor and he said no, just get a
shovel and send for the priest.the mosquito told the fly don't cry for
me,little sister--you'll inherit all my property and my clothes--it'll
all be yours.then the fly asked the mosquito where it wanted to be
buried and the mosquito said bury me in an oak grove where the music is
playing and the wine is flowing. the funeral was beautiful--all the
flies were crying and they sang a funeral hymn to the mosquito
--(slight poetic license so it will end in a rhyme:) god bless him.
this was a very popular folk song in poland years ago, i
understand--it belongs to the somewhat rare genre of "insect songs"
---reminds me of an american song i heard as a kid years ago, "the
bluetale fly" --something about "when i die, blame it on the bluetale
fly" , which was apparently a huge hit about 1850, and the very well
known mexican song la cucaracha,which means the cockroach---i recently
read on some kind of mexican website that the mexicans are supposedly
very proud of that song , which was the marching song of pancho villa's
revolutionary army ---and, they claim, is the only song in the world
about the cockroach!? anybody want to write another one?
yes, komar means mosquito ---so i'll sign off saying NIECH ZYJE
KOMAR--which can either mean long live mr. komar (why not?) or "long
live the mosquito!" cheers, joe r
Troy A. Gawlak
jro...@optonline.net
a downer? ---actually a lot of the polish polkas have very sad, even
tragic words---set to the happy melodies--the "mountaineer's farewell"
and "green maple" (aka "pretty girl"/pod zielonym jaworem) polka are
good examples of this...so they're not as simple/wild/happy as they
sound...
by the way, for fans of this song,i just remembered that john
jaworski also made an excellent recording of it with his keynotes
orchestra. as many have said here, all his polish recordings are
first-rate and this one is no exception.
Troy A. Gawlak
jro...@optonline.net
girl(from krakow=sliczna krakowianka) who is courted by a prince --but
she rejects him because she loves the peasant boy jasiu. in the full
version of the song (as recorded by louie), the prince , furious at
this rejection, orders that the girl's head be cut off---and this
happens---but,while they are cutting off her head,the angels are
singing "do not fear, beautiful krakowianka, because your soul is in
paradise (krakowianke scinaja,scinaja--aniolowie spiewaja,spiewaja:nie
lekajze sie, sliczna krakowianka, bo twoja dusza w raju jest." the song
is full of medieval imagery--it dates back to the middle ages-- --and
goes out with a bang,so to speak ---the public beheading with the
angels singing---somebody should try to stage it...
eb recorded it but left out the gruesome ending by simply stopping
where the girl says "leave me ,leave me, handsome prince ---i don't
want you for a husband (idz,idz odemnie,sliczny krolewicy--nie chce ja
ciebie za meza) ---i don't know whether he did this out of good taste,
so the song wouldn't be too long, or because they didn't know all the
verses. the song appears in various polish-language books of old
legends, in one of which i read years ago that it was based on an old
apocryphal legend ---that is a very pious legend that did not appear in
church writings and was not sanctioned by the church.all the book
versions include the beheading...the closest historically-based royal
equivalent i know to this is henry the 8th of england, who beheaded
several of his wives...don't know if that had anything to do with the
song---of course beheading was common in those days....yukkkh...the
tune is beautiful, tho---one of my favorites.
Troy A. Gawlak
clear.
Thad Seaver
Yes, very intersting indeed. I'd be interested to read more of the
English translations of these Polish songs. Not having Polish
ancestors, I didn't hear the folk songs growing up. I stumbled upon a
website once that told the story of The Strolling Girl Waltz. It
appeared to be a website by a young Polish girl.
Not to get too far off topic here, but I also hear a lot of Polish
polkas with a military or war theme.
I love Polish vocals. It's like another instrument in the band.
Thad
Troy A. Gawlak
typical polkas, waltzes, and obereks common to modern Polish-Americans. And
it can translate them into English, explain some of the references in the
lyrics, and tell the background of the song, its age and popularity in
Poland, and where in Poland it comes from.
jro...@optonline.net
often compared the vocals to an instrument in the band--they are of at
least equal value to the other instruments--and, of course, if they
sound bad or the words or pronunciation are faulty,it's like a trumpet
blowing the wrong notes or out of key---to me, anyway---a lot of
musicians don't realize that or ignore it, i think-----i never heard
anyone else say that before, thanks for bringing it up.
your point about many of the polkas having a military/war theme is
also very true---military songs are a very big part of the polish song
repertoire, more than that of many other countries, because the poor
country was unfortunately stuck between three large, aggressive
neighbors (russia, germany and austria-hungary) which were constantly
threatening , attacking and carving it up so the poles had to be
constantly fighting to survive ---and the music saw them through it.all
of this is fascinating to me---has been since i was a kid--and i look
forward to discussing it in greater detail now that know that somebody
cares about it....
your "mosquito" inquiry sure opened up an interesting discussion,
troy--mark komar also just emailed me tonite asking for a "plot
summary" of the mountaineer's farewell song --and nostradamus, too with
an interesting request---so i''ll be glad to get into this ---tomorrow,
i think, because it's after 11 now and i worked late tonite and have to
get up early tomorrow--then i'll tell you , too, how i learned all the
stuff---it goes back a few years...i'll probably be typing while you're
playing tomorrow nite. have a nice evening everybody ----tara ,
adam and pam, too---it's cool that this site makes these discussions
possible and brings old friends back together ---like my old band buddy
adam trubish and family , now in florida, whom i haven't seen for many
years --and who emailed me tonite as a result of this site.... as they
say down south (do they say that in florida, too??)--talk to y''all
soon. jr
jro...@optonline.net
i was young and liked to sit around while all the old (and some
younger) folks sang old songs (polish and german). as a teenager i
learned to play the accordion (and eventually concertina,too) and
accompanied these parties --and then joined groups. unlike a lot of
younger people at the time (and even more so now) i was always very
interested in the words and their meaning---when i didn't know an
interesting text or understand a word i'd ask and somebody would
explain it--and i'd make a note of it and remember. at the time a lot
more people (particularly older people) knew those songs than do now (
this was all 30-40 years ago).
in my last year of high school (in the u.s. now) i was lucky because
they had a polish class in the school. the teacher was a great guy and
also a musician--he also supported this interest. remembering europe i
continued to have a great interest in the songs--i started playing
polka music but, unlike most younger people i stressed the european
connection---was always nostalgic for the feelingof the "old country"
and tried to bring that to ---or keep it in-- the music. because of
this fascination, too, i read all of sienkiewicz's old (adventure)
classics/romances about old poland and similar stories in polish, which
of course helped with the language --actually when i'd go out in the
country i would imagine that various pretty girls looked just likethe
heroines in some of these famous stories ---especially one who i fell
in love with and eventually married---what the heck...i was 16 or 17
then.
i went to college (columbia in nyc) majoring in government and
grad school (u. of chicago) and took polish courses at both schools
with some fine professors from poland. in addition to reading a lot of
literature they also
supported my study of the song texts and offered many valuable points
and insights (which i will include in the essay mr sher asked me to do
on his nostradamus polka site ---have you seen it? it is a cool site ,
the most culturally valuable one dealing with this music. knowing the
language well was of course a key part of being able to memorize,
understand or sing these songs well or start writing this type of
material, too (see below).
both of the universities had good collections of polish folk songs
in the music sections so i studied those two ---often for hours on end
at the risk of not doing the work i was supposed to be doing, but i got
by. in the army, after college, i was sent back to germany where my
relatives and old friends lived--at that time and even when i was a kid
i also collected books with words of the old songs---there are a lot of
them if you know where to look ---
i still keep my eyes open for such things--although for years my group
has done mostly german gigs--polish isn't that active around here any
more--i still know loads of those old songs---after learning so many i
also began to play with the language and melodies and wrote a lot by
myself for our own band and quite a few others--it's been fun --your
asking me about how i knew them took me back to my youth ---hadn't
really thought about that for quite a while---some nice memories.
so there it is. time to break for dinner--then eventually i'll try
to get around to my next online assignment"---to summarize "zegnal
goral"--aka mountaineer's farewell. take care---joe r.
Troy A. Gawlak
You're a professor in Polka-ology! I'm glad there are guys out there like
yourself who haven't forgotten how these songs are supposed to be played,
sung, and... what the lyrics actually mean! You're really enlightening me as
to the meaning of many of these lyrics (outside of being able to translate
maybe every 10th word), and I'm sure there are others in here that probably
don't know the meaning of these songs either, or their origin. Keep up the
good work! I know who to turn to for lyrics and lyrical knowledge from now
on! Looking forward to future translations.
Take care.
-Troy
jro...@optonline.net
"zegnal goral swa goralke" ( the mountaineer
said farewell to the mountain girl) /aka "mountaineer's farewell" -- in
traditional black and white, with english subtitles: the
mountaineer said farewell to the mountain girl: "i'm leaving for a
faraway land--farewell, my darling, my love for all eternity...i'll
return before long to our home , to our village --and then i'll take
you, darling, to the church to marry." --- a year passed, and
another, and there was no sight of janek (=the mountaineer''s name),
and the mountain girl forgot about her lover's vow...then in the third
year the mountaineer returned --with the hope in his heart that he
would take his love in marriage before the church altar. approaching
the church he saw lights everywhere ---and he asked the church
attendant: what's going on here? --the man answered:" oh,
mountaineer,oh mountaineer, i have t tell you the truth: today your
beloved fiancee, your love for all eternity, is marrying another."
( half-time/wild riff here in most versions--m. lush's version ends at
this point, incidentally-lil wally's,eb's and h. louie's go on to the
bitter end,although with slightly different versions ) then: the
mountaineer ran into the church hall and there he saw the bride and
thought "oh, there is my beauty, my love!" the bride looked up from
beneath her bridal wreath and suddenly she saw her lover's pale
face--then the bride's head fell down on her bridesmaid's
shoulder---the people screamed in horror -- as the bride dropped dead!
"your cheating has killed you!"the mountaineer screamed, and as the
people shouted, terrified( lots of screaming in this one ---sort of
like the movie "carrie" at the end of the prom scene), he bolted out of
the church and ran out over the brook to the top of the cliff, where a
little mountain stream flows, raised his griefstricken eyes to the
heavens---and plunged to his death on the rocks below.
KONIEC/THE END
There you have it guys, a real oldtime thrillerl I wasn't being
entirely facetious in calling this number a shocker or comparing the
final scenario to the climax of the horror movie "carrie," which
depicts similar havoc: in olden times, long before the invention of
moving pictures and television and even before books and papers were
widely read, ballads like these were the people's main
entertainment--many songs were written and sung by wandering minstrels
who made a living bringing them to the people around the countryside--
and of course local singers learned them and , accidentally or
intentionally created other versions, etc. this "oral" tradition was
still pretty alive in europe and among european immigrants to america
until relatively recently ( i saw it being practiced when i was young
among polish immigrants in germany) and still exists there to some
extent, although mostly among isolated mountain people. the regional
differences resulting from diffrent peoples' learning and spreading the
original songs, often without written texts, are the reason why
different versions of these songs were recorded by bands in the u.s.,
too---their singers had also learned different versions from their
sources,who came from different towns in poland. the fact that this
song has a mountain ('"goral") theme is particularly significant , too,
in america, where polish mountain-themed songs are more represented
than in most places because the majority of the original
polish-american immigration came from the mountainous regions of
southern poland. however, as was pointed out to me by polish professor
zbigniew golab at the u. of chicago years ago (god bless the man--he
had a huge body of knowledge and enthusiasm about the language,
folklore and culture of poland and other countries), this was actually
not a true goral song (?!) -- the proof being that it is written (and
only appears, in the various versions) in standard "literary" polish,
unlike the famous "hej gory, moje gory" and many others, which are in
"goral"dialect.
jro...@optonline.net
troy. it flatters me although i never achieved the status of university
professor --and probably never will. the highest i've made it in
education is, after retiring from a govt. career, achieving
certification as a high school teacher ---and i'm happy to have done
that much--it was one of my dreams since i was young to be a teacher at
some point, as it was to be a musician and a couple of other
things--which have also gone ok so i can be pretty happy with the way
my life has gone so far. ( i was invited to give lectures at a couple
of colleges on subjects relating to my previous govt. career ---so i
can say i lectured at a couple of universities, too ---for a grand
total of 3 days, i think---anyway i think it'll look nice on my
obituary one day...something to look forward to.)
i get the sense that you are a lot younger, so , as i often say to
the students in my classes , "go for it!"---it's your turn now and,
given your exceptional level of sincerity and interest, i'm sure you
will go far. ---also it's your generation which will face the biggest
challenge in terms of keeping polka music alive---but of course all of
this is ultimately in god's (or destiny's,if you are agnostic or an
atheist) hands, and all any of us can do is our best-- one day (or gig
) at a time. it's a pleasure knowing there are a few people with your
level of interest and sincerity out there and i'm glad we are able to
have this exchange thanks to the internet and the creators of this site
( incidentally, your idea for an online compilation of these texts and
translations sounds good ( i know other types of music do this and i
benefit from going to them) so if anyone can get this going i'll be
glad to contribute to the extent of my ability. now i'm off to
see my good friends, the maestro's men, at a nearby (sunday afternoon)
dance. have a good sunday ---i look forward to talking to you---and to
everybody else in this discussion, soon. yours truly, joe r
UPSTATE POLKAS
favorite song The Green Grass Polka. The version that Happy Louie made
famous> Thanks.
Mark Komar
jro...@optonline.net
and on the grass sits mania with your sweetheart
mama calls out to her daughter,""daughter it's time to come home""
but so far it's never been a problem pulling the wool over mama's
eyes--
"hey,daughter , where are you roaming , what is it that's made you
change?
---where are your legs taking you --and what have you been doing
there?"
oh, don't worry, mama, because i was out late--
i was out with my honey --have you forgotten already?
we're getting married today in the church
and at the wedding the boys were be playing out on the green grass--
on the thick green grass,there'll be a wedding, a wedding
with the boys playing (=music) and the girls singing --on the green
grass.
-------------------
the mother in this story seems to me to be not only easy to fool ,as
the girl says, but senile ---if she can't even remember that it's the
day of her daughter's wedding.
i've heard people say that this song came from poland, although i
never heard it in europe or saw it in any books or on any recordings
from there.
a very great number of people here like it , like you do, mark...you
even say it's your all-time favorite ---so it's got to have something.
although i was a big fan of most of louie's music i never cared much
for this one --the words or the tune---i'm just curious what people
see/hear in it---i just draw a blank here---and does the translation
make you like it even more?---i suppose it would because with me,
anyway, if i like something, the more i know about it the more i
generally like it....anyway we are all different, i know it's many
people's favorite and it's probably just like food---most people may
like carrots or whatever, i know they are healthy---i just don't care
for them. anyway, glad to help. take care. joe r
jro...@optonline.net
mania (girl''s name) with HER sweetheart" ---not "with your
sweetheart"---she wasn't two-timing anyone....
Troy A. Gawlak
Polish music from the WWII era. A song sung by Hanka Ordonowna called
"Milosc Ci Wzystko Wybaczy ". The song is actually in Schindler's List as
well, its quite a beautiful song.
Milosc Ci wszystko wybaczy
Smutek zamieni Ci w smiech.
Milosc tak pieknie tlumaczy:
Zdrade i klamstwo i grzech.
Chocbys ja przeklal w rozpaczy,
Ze jest okrutna i zla,
Milosc Ci wszystko wybaczy
Bo milosc, mój mily, to ja.
Jesli pokochasz tak mocno jak ja,
Tak tkliwie, zarliwie, tak wiesz,
Do ostatka, do szalu, do dna,
To zdradzaj mnie wtedy i grzesz.
Bo milosc Ci wszystko wybaczy
Smutek zamieni Ci w smiech.
Milosc tak pieknie tlumaczy:
Zdrade i klamstwo i grzech.
Chocbys ja przeklal w rozpaczy,
Ze jest okrutna i zla,
Milosc Ci wszystko wybaczy
Bo milosc, mój mily, to ja.
Thanks.
-Troy
UPSTATE POLKAS
another bunch of songs that I would like to know what they mean are The
North Shore Polka, another song by Louie, Zosia and Scolding Mother
Polka. Thanks.
Mark
jro...@optonline.net
book i have---but i had overlooked it and didn't know it was in
schindler's list, or that it is particularly haunting or beautiful. all
of this interests me a lot --i love a lot of the old tangos ( i think
that's what this is) ---will look thru my recordings to hear what it
sounds like ---i particularly like to know and learn ---to appreciate
and to perform --good songs of real cultural significance. i really
should watch schindler's list---have avoided nazi concentration camp
movies in recent years because they are so depressing altho the message
("never again!") is very important. schindler, of course, was a model
"good german", who saved a lot of his jewish employees at great
personal risk. i love to see a great story combined with a good song
so i'll look for it---also it would be another good one to perform at a
swieconka we have in a polish church in a few weeks where the polish
european oldies are what they really love to hear.
it's also great that you are so verstile in your interests ---most
polka musicians choose to ignore tango and that's a shame because the
tango is a major polish traditional genre as of the early 20th century
---and great acc/concertina music ---i play some whenever possible. the
polish anthropologist wrote that polka music became "un-polish" and
lost the european polish people decades ago when it (a) dropped the
tangos and (b) started using english vocals. i think there is truth to
this ---and it's too bad ---dropping a big part of the tradition and
turning off millions of potential supporters. ---i know there have to
be polkas in english but it's really too bad about the tangos and i
have always opposed this---and i'm virtually the only one who does
these days...
tell me if you want an online translation of the above and i'll
add it to my (as opposed to schindler's) list....
jro...@optonline.net
miles from warsaw", as requested by gary sudol of connecticut, who
played concertina with my group for a few years---it's a great pick
--very traditional, a favorite ---and another bloodcurdling plot. stay
tuned. joe r
jro...@optonline.net
fill of passion , pathos , love ---and grief: the nation was under
murderous siege by the nazis ---and the soviets in the east -- i think
one sixth of the polish population was killed (if i remember correctly)
--there were many touching songs of resistance and doomed love, and
anything from that period is tinged with the doom-laden feeling of the
terrible time. some of my very favorites from that time are (1) dzisiaj
do cie przyjsc nie moge=today i can't come to see you ----because i am
no more, i've been killed --so don't look for me , my love (to come
walking back up the road to you) ---but look for me in the fields
--i'll come back to you as a flower---in the grass.
also "czerwone maki na monte cassino" ( the red poppies on monte
cassino --a mountain in italy which the polish resistance army ,
fighting with the allies , took back from the germans with great loss
of polish lives): = the red poppies on monte cassino --instead of the
dew they drank polish blood--over those flowers our soldiers walked and
they perished ---but our fury was stronger than death--years will go by
and centuries pass, and the traces of longpast days will
disappear-----but the flowers on monte cassino will always be redder
because they grew out of polish blood." these two songs sum up the
life and death struggle of the polish nation in world war II and are
known to virtually all poles ---and are they ever powerful...
jro...@optonline.net
as well as i could and will put them on this site, identified by artist
as you requested, because i'm sure others will be interested in these
numbers,too.
jro...@optonline.net
for everything) asap,troy.
jro...@optonline.net
love will forgive you for everything --it will turn into laughter your
tears
love works such beautiful wonders with betrayal with lies and with sin
although in despair you may curse it --and say that it's evil and cruel
love will forgive you for everything ---because ,dear, it's my love
for you.
if you fall in love as strongly as i, you know, as hotly, as tenderly
to the end, to the edge, to the depths, my love
then betray me and sin against me
because love will forgive you for everything...+ first four lines
again.
that's a pretty literal translation ---if i had to make it rhyme
perfectly to sing it or whatever i would take a little more poetic
license and say something like ---(line 1) ---it will dry off the tears
in year eyes ---and then in the next line:
love works such beautiful miracles with betrayals, with sin and with
lies...then it would rhyme completely.
a beautiful song in the original. thanks for contributing it.
jro...@optonline.net
four miles outside of warsaw the older sister got married
she got married to a forester ---to the most terrible bandit
he never spent a night at home --he was always at roaming in the
forests
he'd go out early and come back late ---and he'd always bring something
home with him.
once he brought her a white handkerchief all stained with blood
(and said) "wife, iron it --and hang it out in the sun to dry."
the wife ironed it and she cried ---because she recognized the
handkerchief (and said): that handkerchief is my brother's---and he was
killed last night."
"husband, husband, what have you done? --you've killed my brother!
(and he said) it was late and the rain was falling: i couldn't hear him
when he was begging ...it was dark and i couldn''t see: i just killed
whoever i met."
that's the version as sung by eddie b (my favorite version
)---this song was recorded in poland, too ---the name of the artist
eludes me at the moment although i have the recording somewhere -- it
is an old (robber) ballad which appears in approximately this form in
several old books ---similar words are used to a different polka tune
in an old recording by bill borek (called, i think, "the bandit."
----eddie blaz., when he played it, used to call it "the homicide
waltz" occasionally ---and appropriately.
in the old polish books another verse sometimes appears in which
the wife, not satisfied with her husband's explanations, stabs him to
death and then it ends : ""za warszawa cztery mile, jest mogila przy
mogile" ( four miles outside of warsaw there are now two graves ---one
beside the other" ---- her brother''s and her husband''s )
in some of the (non- e. blaz) versions the bandit/husband is
identified as "lesnik henryk" (the forester henry). don't know for sure
if this song was inspired by a real incident---but there is a good
chance that it was ---most bandit/criminal ballads seem to have been ,
like the ballads of jessie james, robin hood, bonnie and clyde,mack the
knife,etc.( the bandit/killer in mack the knife, originally a german
song about someone who made people (= the jews) disappear and then took
their money, was known to be hitler--the writer/singer were saying
something in song that no one dared say directly).
jro...@optonline.net
seaver and their meaning--the sound is unclear on these, but i know the
songs and will do my best to "re-construct" them---because of the sound
issue a word or verse order may be different occasionally: (your first
source,thad="zelenak": :
wolal bym ja wolal we wiezieniu siedziec (twice)
niz z toba marysiu, jeszcze raz posiedziec (2")
wolalbym ja wolal odebrac swe zycie (2)
niz z toba marysiu zyc tu na tym swiecie (2)
wolalbym ja wolal w piekle pokutowac (2")
niz ciebie marysiu jeszcze raz calowac (2")
4th verse: repeat first 2 lines again.
translation: i'd prefer, i'd prefer to sit in prison ---rather than to
have to sit around with you again, mary
i'd prefer to take my life (=kill myself) ---than to have to live in
this world with you ,mary
i'd prefer to do penance in hell ---rather than to have to kiss you
again, mary...
my comment= he hates the girl...
this song (wolal bym ja wolal) first appeared on a pala brothers
lp(1960's-70's) ---was apparently written by band member/songwriter
bill pokusa, who wrote a lot of their original material---he was,
incidentally,one of the last original polish-language songwriters in
the field--that ability is exceedingly rare today. NB: all the pala
bros lp's had complete lyrics printed on the back cover---rare in
polish polka albums and a godsend for people interested in the lyrics.
the lp's were made by chicago polka records/chet schaefer, and if you
can't find them anywhere else. I believe chet and the label are still
in business in chicago and i would think they'd still have some for
sale ---or you might google polka stores in the midwest or ruda's in
buffalo (?) they should hopefully have some of these. chet
schaefer/chicago polka records was/is a wonderful label.
2. liszka/tbc soundclip: this is his version of "do you remember?" (czy
pamietasz?) polka orig. recorded by eddie b on his polish party album (
just about my favorite recording by the versatones, not so much for the
raunchy (yes!) content of the numbers as for the arrangements, tunes
and playing. these are mostly old polish off-color tunes, by the way.
czy pamietasz moja mila jakem tobie wsadzil pierscioneczek na twoj
palec , hej ja ja(m) sie nie bawil
czy pamietasz moja mila, jakzes rozlozyla--ksiazeczke swoja w kosciele
jakzes sie modlila...
czy pamietasz, moja mila jakzes chlopcom dala ---bawic sie w twoim
ogrodku jakzes byla mala
nikomu jam nic nie dala, tylko jasiu tobie
tam oj na chicago avenie , przypomnize sobie!
english (many double-entendre hints ---they rhyme/work better in
polish, but i'll try to give the flavor) :
do you remember, my darling, how i used to stick --
a little ring on your finger --and hey i wasn't just playing.
do you remember, my darling how you used to spread your--
pages out when you opened your (hymn?)book in church?
do you remember , my darling, how you used to let the boys--
play in your garden when you were little?
to which she answers (= last verse):
i never let anybody do anything to me ---except you , jasiu--
there on chicago avenue---don't you remember?
this is typical of the old "polish party" albums done by wally, eb,
lush ( and one or two others) in the 60's and 70's ---they were always
marked "not for air play" and for good reason: this is one of the
mildest ones: these were basically old polish peasant/farmer songs and
they take no prisoners---no body part is left untouched---really. the
crowds used to really go wild when they played them , though. foremost
in my memory of these was blaring trumpets and a lot of wild narrative
and yelling by r. tokarz, who played and recorded with both eb and
lush---he had a good voice for these numbers and eb and ml let him do a
lot of the "dirty work."
the tune, incidentally, is the same as that of the much more
respectable "lodzia" (lillian's) polka --also recorded by m. lush.
have fun with them if you are so inclined ---but some of our
more strait-laced fellow "posters," like mr. sean, might prefer to
avoid this post ---sean,et.al.: please feel free to pray for me for
including these--i'm sure i can use it.
jro...@optonline.net
some noise (sun. pm gig)--i'll get to mark kohan's good songs
next/asap. happy sunday, everybody from jr ("polka scribe")
Thad Seaver
> this song (wolal bym ja wolal)
Joe,
What would the english name for that song be?
Thad
PanGora
"Thad Seaver" <twsea...@yahooREMOVE.com> wrote in message
news:jo5s12dhoe96s39pr...@4ax.com...
Thad Seaver
wrote:
>"Thad Seaver" <twsea...@yahooREMOVE.com> wrote in message
>news:jo5s12dhoe96s39pr...@4ax.com...
>> On 19 Mar 2006 10:02:52 -0800, jro...@optonline.net wrote:
>>
>>
>>> this song (wolal bym ja wolal)
>>
>> Joe,
>>
>> What would the english name for that song be?
>>
>> Thad
>
>I would be called: "I WOULD RATHER"
Thanks John!
Thad
jro...@optonline.net
where did they go, those grey pigeons that were pecking and cooing
around my girl's mouth (!?!?)
you thought that i loved you ---when i drank some vodka i laughed at
you.
just for four little hours, i ask my honey: drink booze with me.
very catchy melody ---weird words--especially in the first line--the
second line (as recorded by happy louie) is sort of garbled--polish
sounds incorrect---e. blaz. recorded it shortly after more correctly .
the tune of this number is essentially the same as that of one called
"angie's polka" (zielony laseczek, zielono rabany) ---as recorded by
marian lush...don't know who came up with the strange words of "north
shore"---never saw it in the old polish books or heard it elsewhere
before it was recorded-- it sounds like it was concocted by somebody
while drunk,without much thought or logic.--the "north shore" is
probably the north shore of massachusetts (not oahu or elsewhere
---louie named various songs for places and people in mass.--mountain
park,etc.
jro...@optonline.net
zosia, zosia, zosia swept up the kitchen (or room/hut--depending on the
version)
and called ma--,and called ma-- and called matthew (on the phone)
___repeat those 2 lines
mama,mama, mama turned on the light ---and saw ma-, and saw ma--and saw
matt there! (repeat)
you, ma-,you ma--you, matthew, what are you doing?--why are,why are,
why are you and zosia kissing?(repeat)
(in some versions,instead of "where are",etc. they sing "you 're going
to smother zosia!"=you're groping her/holding her so tight)
last verse (usually): i won't, i won't,i won't smother zosia--but i,
but i, have to finish what i started (& repeat).
this is an oldie popular in poland---the best old recorded versions, i
think, are by lil wally and happy louie with julie singing ---also m.
lush---but the dynatones made it a big hit once again for a new
generation some years later, adding a "hot" old traditional polish riff
that gave it new life. time for a new revival ---this time in english
with an "extreme push version"?
jro...@optonline.net
"mama's beating , mama's beating, beating me
just because i kiss the boys, can't mama see?
--all the girls but me have boyfriends:that's so bad.
if i have to stay alone i'll be so sad."
chorus) marysia , give a kiss --
don't listen to your mom--be happy just like this.
marysiu,mama, too, was young once just like you
and she gave kisses, too--yes,just like you.
second verse: mama's sitting in the garden in her chair
and i'm in the woods with johnny, happy there
"mama, mama, please i beg you , can't you see?
all the other girls have boyfriends--why not me?"
chorus again: marysia, give a kiss---etc.
i took slight liberties with the original so this would rhyme (i.e.
there's no chair in the original version) ---i think the rhyming
verses, although corny, give the flavor of the original pretty well.
this old standard has been done by most polish-style bands. the
first version of it that i heard (and my favorite) ---years ago--was
the one by the naturals, sung by the super-smooth whitey pawola ---also
enjoyed the happy louie version ---sung, appropriately enough, by
julcia.
UPSTATE POLKAS
jro...@optonline.net
"a kolberg sampler"(produced by the polish community center of
buffalo--1081 broadway, buffalo,ny (tel.(716) 893-7222. this is a
gem, everybody, with a fine selection of numbers taken from o.
kolberg's " piesni ludu polskiego," the greatest selection of polish
folk songs ever compiled---sung by the excellent chicago singer chet
kowalkowski, with the creative participation of scrubby, mark trzepacz,
kyle and mark kohan and many more---and wonderful essays on polka
styles and history by c. keil and mark kohan. texts, translations
recordings and extensive information are included. Everybody interested
in polish folk music and its relationship to polka music ---with
wonderful polka orchestrations of folk songs from kolberg---should have
this one ---it is one of the greatest such projects ever
undertaken...when i mentioned your involvement in this , mark , i
greatly underestimated it (although i'm still not sure whether you
played the drums)...if this item isn't sold out you should be able to
get it from the above address/tel. number ---or maybe through mark k.
Troy A. Gawlak
summer. What's your favorite song off that album Joe? I gotta say "Widow's
Garden". I wish more bands would dive deep into these old collections of
Polish music, they're truly going to waste on book shelves somewhere.
-Troy
UPSTATE POLKAS
polka fan and I grew up loving the music since my parents took me to
all of the Polka dance in my area which was NJ, now i live in Upstate
NY. I sure wish I was a musician to add to these great Polka bands but
again I just have the music deep in my heart.
Mark
jro...@optonline.net
great , troy --should listen to the album to refresh my memory on a few
of the tunes--but the one that sticks out most in my memory and excited
me most at the time i bought it is "u mlynarza marcina" ( martin the
miller) --a great polka with a nice story,sound and words.--the song
you mention has got lots of great imagery in it and seems to be at the
origin of a couple of polkas---the first 8 lines or so are almost word
for word the original lyrics of the song/story which was later adapted
by lush---with a new, popular chorus--as ""hej kawalerowie"---the
kolberg words are much the same as the orginal version of this song as
they can be heard on happy louie's version of the "hey cavalier polka",
which keeps the old words and just adds lush's chorus to them.
you are so right about all the songs going to waste on bookshelves
somewhere for lack of creative "songsearching" ---while most bands are
content to record "green grass polka"etc. over and over again. there
are literally thousands of such good old songs out there. This
compilation and the similar one by john jaworski and chet kowalkowski
show what can be done...