Of things I should be thankful for I've had a goodly share And as I sit here in the comfort of my cosy chair My fancy takes me to a humble eastside tenement three flights up in the rear to where my childhood days were spent It wasn't much like Paradise but 'mid the dirt and all There sat the sweetest angel, one that I fondly call
My yiddishe mame I need her more then ever now My yiddishe mame I'd like to kiss that wrinkled brow I long to hold her hands once more as in days gone by and ask her to forgive me for things I did that made her cry How few were her pleasures, she never cared for fashion's styles Her jewels and treasures she found them in her baby's smiles oh I know that I owe what I am today to that dear little lady so old and gray to that wonderful yiddishe mame of mine
My yiddishe mame I need her more then ever now My yiddishe mame I'd like to kiss that wrinkled brow I long to hold her hands once more as in days gone by and ask her to forgive me for things I did that made her cry How few were her pleasures, she never cared for fashion's styles Her jewels and treasures she found them in her baby's smiles oh I know that I owe what I am today to that dear little lady so old and gray to that wonderful yiddishe mame of mine
And here are two more sets (one in Yiddish, the other an odd mishmash of English and Yiddish) from the same archive, supposedly transcribed from a Connie Francis tape (found on the jewish-music list archive at http://www.shamash.org/lis tarchives/jewish-music/971120)...
MY YIDDISHE MOMME
1. (Introduction) Ich vill bay aych a kashe freygen, Zugt mir ver es ken, Mit vifl tayere farmaygns, Bensht Gott allamen? Men kriegt dus nit far kayne gelt, Dus krigt men nur im zist, Und der vus hot verloren, Der vays shoyn vus ich mayn. 2. A yiddishe mamma, Nisht du kein besser in der welt. A yiddishe Mamma Oy vey tzis bisser ven zie fehlt, Vie shayn und lichtig tzis in Hois, Ven die mama's du, Vie traurig finster tzvert, Ven Gott nehmt ihr oyf Oylam habu. 3. In vasser und fayer, Vollt sie geloffn fahr ihr kind, Nisht halt'n ihr tayer. Dos iz geviss der greste Zind. Oy vie gliklach und raych Is der Mensch vus hut, Az a tayere matune geschenkt fun Gott, Wie an altechke Yiddishe Mamma, Mamma, oy Mamme mein.
(To the best of my recollection this yiddish version was sung by Sophie Tucker on a 78 RPM RCA Victor recording circa 1929-1932. Submitted by drjay1@optonline.net)
Of things I should be thankful for, I've had a goodly share; And as I sit here in the comfort, Of a cozy chair; My fancy takes me to a humble, East-side tenement; Three flights up in the rear, To where my childhood days were spent.
It wasn't much like paradise, But mid the dirt and all; There sat the sweetest angel, One that I fondly call; A Yiddishe Momme, Tse kimpt nisht besser in der velt??? <------------------------ A Yiddishe Momme, Oy vey ve bitter ven ze felt.
Vie sheyn und lichtig is in hoys. Ven di mame's doo, Vie troirig finster vert, Ven Gott neymt ihr oyf Oylam HaBo
In vasser und fayer, Volt sie geloffen far ihr kind, Nisht halten ihr tayer, Dus iz geviss der grester zind, Oy vie gliklach und reich , Iz der mensch vos hot, Az a shayne matone, Geschenkt fun Gott, Nur an altichke Yiddishe Mamma, Mamma oy mama mein.
Nisht halten ie tire, Dost is geven der greste zin, O vi gliklaht, on shein is der mench vos hot, A za shena matona ge shempt fon got, Vi an altecha yidesha moma Momma of mine. <------------------------
Her jewels and her treasures; She found them in her baby's smiles; Oh I know that I owe what I am today; To that kind little lady so old and gray; To that wonderful Yiddishe Momme, Momme Of mine.
I have no idea what the hyphenated arrows mean, nor where the transcriber got her or his ideas about how to romanize Yiddish. Nor how the two parts of the second set are related to each other, to Connie Francis, etc.