Yiddish Songs from Warsaw 1929-1934: The Itzik Zhelonek Collection

126 Yiddish songs chosen as the biggest theater hits of 1933-1934 by book and record-store owner Itzik Zhelonek of Warsaw, Poland (his store was in the flea market across from the "used iron" store) or appearing in the "35 newest theater songs from Azazel and Sambatiyon" collection of 1929.

Azazel and Sambatiyon were the swingingest night spots of Warsaw, serving up "kleynkunst" - miniature theater - monologues, spoofs, and of course delicious songs - from earnest and nostalgic to droll and cosmopolitan. It was music of the Jazz Age, but theater-goers also demanded some old favorites.

I've spent three years finding and transcribing the melodies for these wonderful songs which have mostly been lost since the Holocaust expunged joy and frivolity from Yiddish culture. The book has tunes, chords, transliterations, translations, commentary, and sources. There are three companion cds: In Odess, Lebedik Yankel, and Nervez! available here at Amazon. For more information see yiddishemporium.com

Contents of the book (asterisks indicate the melody is missing)

A dudele
A ganef iz a takef
•
A ganefs a trer
A gute vokh fun der alter heym
A kale bazingen
A kidushin-ringele
A mamenyu
A misteek
A pastukhl
A puster kholem iz dos gantse lebn
A sakh melokhes un veynik brokhes
A shayle baym rebn
A vig lid (S'loyfn, S'yogn Shvartse Volkn)
A volakhl lomir zingen
Af bri
Al Chet di nayer
Az der rebbe vil
Bankrotn *
Beygelekh (Bublitshki)
Dem rebns shirayim *
Der balegole
Di firme Boymval
Di galitsianer khasene
Der lamdn Reb Sender (der alter)
Der filosof
Der Rebi Elimelech
Der vaser-treger
Di eybike mame
Di Firme Boymval
Di libe fun a heylike mame
Di manikurzshistke *
Di mashke
Di meydlekh fun amol
Di mezinke oysgegebn
Di milkh-ku
Di velt hot zikh ibergekert
Di yidish troyke
Dos fishele
Dos fleshele (tshort vozmi)
Dos ganevl
Dos iz di libe *
Dos kind ligt in vigl
Dos talisl dus talesl
Dos yidishe fidele
Dos Yidishe lid
Duet Roza Huki
Gevald, vu nemt men koyln?
Gey makh, es makht zikh nisht *
Gud-bay Nyu York
Harey At
Hamavdil
Hatikvah
Ikh for aheym
Ikh halt nisht derfun *
Ikh hob a gut hartz
Ikh hob es nisht (ikh dank dir Got az)
Ikh hob zikh oysgeglitsht
Ikh un du a porele
Ikh vil zikh shpiln
In a hoyz vu men veynt un men lakht
In dr'erd dos shnayderai
In Odes, in Odes
Kaddish (Berditshever)
Kaddish nokh a yidishe zelner
Katarina
Keyn glikn hob ikh dir nisht tsugezogt
Khsidimlekh zingen
Kolombus ikh hob tsu dir gornisht
Lebedik Yankl
Lebedik, freylekh
Lebedike yesoymim
Leybke fort keyn Amerike
Lo lanu
Margaritkelekh
Mayerke mayn
Mayn meydele
Mayn shtetele Belz
Mayn vayb kumt fun Zakopane
Mayn yidishe mame
Men lebt vi got in Odes
•
Men leygt arayn un men nemt nisht aroys
Menashe
Mendele
Meydlekh sheyne
Meydlekh (Michalesko) *
Mikitka
Milkhike un fleyshike yidn
Mir felt a fraynd
Mir voyle yingelekh
•
Moniek Pshepiorko
Nerven, nerven
Nokhumke mayn zun
On a heym
Oy Avreml
Oy oy di libe
Oy vey mamele siz geven a dramale
Oy vey, m'shoklt zikh
Oy vi es tyokhket
Oy, mame, shlog mikh nisht
Oyf a maskn bal
Oysgeshpilt
Reyzele
Rivkele (Rebeka)
Rosa Huki *
S'iz nisht geven un s'iz nishto
Samet un zayd
Shabos nokhn kugl
Shlof mayn kind, mayn tsutsik
Shvayg Hertsele
Slutsk mayn shtetl
Soni-boi
Sonia *
Spetsialistn *
Tankhum
Teyku
Tfiseh-lid *
Tsirele, Mirele
Vaser
Vayl a yid iz nisht keyn goy *
Vu zaynen mayne zibn gute yor?
Yanko
•
Yontiv in der vokhn *
Yosl, Yosl
Yoyne Zetz
Zi hot es