The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #75736   Message #1334351
Posted By: Wilfried Schaum
21-Nov-04 - 07:48 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: German Happy Birthday Song
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: German Happy Birthday Song
Guest from Germany gives the most popular birthday song in Germany. Celi's song, alas, I never heard.

Joe - Hoch soll er/sie leben isn't a birthday song, but it is sung to praise somebody (hoch = high); in former times the Latin vivat (may he/she live) was used. And it must be leben, not laben.
Sometimes a second verse is added: Freibier soll er geben (Free beer he/she shall stand us).

For children there is a genuine song:
4/4, lively:
Der/die (name) hat Geburtstag, tralala la la,
G | C D E F | G G | A A A A G   
Da freu'n sich alle Kinder, tralala la la.
G | F F F F E E | G G G G C.
(one of the oldest tunes for children, often used for many songs with slight vatiations.)