Subject: words to Olga From The Volga From: GUEST,john Bamber Date: 07 Mar 12 - 04:12 PM Hi Im looking for the words to comedy song OLGA FROM THE VOLGA going back into the late 60's.A Preston based band called Combine Harverster and Fleetwood based band Called Woodbine Lizzie recorded the song.Alas Big Dave Cooper is no longer with us so I can't ask him. |
Subject: RE: lyr req: words to Olga From The Volga From: Joe Offer Date: 07 Mar 12 - 07:09 PM Hmmmm. This looks like it could be an interesting exploration. What I came up with first was this which turns out to be a fairly recent and foirgettable composition by a blogger named Saviana: TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2008 Olga from Volga Here's the thing: I've been working for a while on "E-DATE - THE MUSICAL", and now I am on a little break from working on it before getting into E-DATING PROJECT at Strasberg Institute - a class that I teach will result in a show directed by Gia Forakis after I develop the text with the students. yeah, two different E-Date projects (instead of a real e-date :) So tonight I feel like posting the lyrics for my favorite song: "Olga from Volga" based on a real e-letter that my friend James got from a Russian Olga (not from the Volga, that's my rhyme:). Just to let people know that it existed before the Strasberg project. It's my blog-copyrighting thing... BEAUTIFUL BUT LONELY AND TIRED IN AN ENGLISH THAT'S SURELY A RIOT OLGA FROM THE VOLGA REGION WRITES TO ME HEY JIMMY "Hello! How You today? I hope that all at you Is good. I write to You because I did not receive letters. Why not write? What is it what happens? I not do not need understand You not want more with me To communicate, friend? I hope, that the reason that You are simply borrowed on work. I shall wait for Your letter. I hope, that You will write to me soon, invite me to Cancun, Barbados or Miami Florida I need nice place to rest and give you love I am and always be your little dove I sign below forever yours, Olga From the Volga Region in Russia" OLGA FROM THE VOLGA OH HOW I LOVE TO READ THE WORDS YOU SAY MY LITTLE DOVE TOO BAD YOU LIVE 10,000 MILES AWAY. YOUR LOVING EMAILS TRULY COME DEEP FROM YOUR HEART. YOUR CHOICE OF WORDS, WHAT CAN I SAY, A WORK OF ART. I WON'T FORGET YOUR LETTER'S FINAL PART: "ME WANT NEW LIFE WITH YOU TOGETHER START." MY LITTLE DOVE, YOU ARE A WORK A WORK OF ART. OLGA FROM THE VOLGA WHERE ALL THIS LEADS, I CANNOT TELL. MAYBE SOMEDAY I'LL TAKE YOUR HAND RIGHT TO A CLASS IN ESL. DEAR OLGA, TELL YOUR SISTER DRUSHKA I'M SAD SHE LOST HER JOB AND HAS NO HOPE, AND TELL MAMA AND BABUSHKA I'M SORRY 'BOUT THE WATER DAMAGE TO THEIR HOME. DEAR OLGA FROM THE VOLGA IT BREAKS MY HEART TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR DISCOMFORT BUT HONEY PLEASE BE PATIENT FOR I ALSO HAVE TO LEND MY FULL SUPPORT TO GORGEOUS TATIANA FROM UKRAINE AND LOVELY LILIANA FROM COUNTRYSIDE IN SPAIN AND OXANA FROM LATVIA, CARMEN FROM ROMANIA AND OLGA - YES, ANOTHER OLGA - FROM LITHUANIA. OH OLGA FROM THE VOLGA SHORE YOU'LL ALWAYS BE MY SWEET LIT' DOVE WHO TRIED TO MEET BUT WANTED SO MUCH MORE. Posted by Saviana at 9:26 PM |
Subject: RE: lyr req: words to Olga From The Volga From: Joe Offer Date: 07 Mar 12 - 07:14 PM But wait, there's more. You don't think I'd leave you with just that, do you? Take a look at this YouTube clip of Joan Davis singing "Olga from the Volga" in the 1937 Sonja Henje / Tyrone Power movie titled Thin Ice. I'm guessing this must be the song that was requested. It was written by Mack Gordon and Harry Revel. I don't have time to do a transcription now. Can anybody do the honors? Also I found mention of a 1922 Cole Porter song titled "Olga (Come Back to the Volga). ....and there's a 1911 Broadway production titled Vera Violetta that has a song titled "Olga from the Volga" by Eysler/Hirsch/Gideon. ...then of course, there's this children's story titled "Olga from the Volga." I also found a page that spoke of "Olga from the Volga" porn movies, but I won't leave a link to that page because I don't know what it might leave on your computer (or mine)... Who knew????? -Joe- |
Subject: RE: lyr req: words to Olga From The Volga From: GUEST Date: 09 Mar 12 - 08:08 PM Thanks for the info but some of the lines I can remember are Olga was a true Siberian beauty but she used to pull the wings of little flies..... or I loved her quite a lot I must confess and one day she whispered Sergie drown me,I smiled a Russian smile and answered yes.........A masochist in heaven life is hell. Its not as bad as it may appear. |
Subject: RE: lyr req: words to Olga From The Volga From: GUEST,guest - Peter Lobbenberg Date: 11 Jan 13 - 06:41 PM I learnt this in about 1959, probably through the Heritage Society in Oxford, but sadly I don't remember from whom. Anyway it's clearly a fair bit older than has been suggested. I'm somewhat rusty these days, but so far as I can recall it went something like this. If I remember any more words I'll post again, or some of my contemporaries might if they read this (Mike Sutton?) The borscht no longer bubbles in the gorschkies [?] The samovar does not boil so loud and free The schmielchiks [?] bow their leedle heads in sorrow For love has gone from Olga… … and from me. Olga was a true Siberian maiden She was jealous, in a jealous Russian way She used to take me punting on the Wolga [right, that settles it, it was Oxford] Now Olga's in the Wolga for to stay. My friends they used to say I was a sadist I used to pluck the wings from leedle flies But that was till I met my daaarling Olga And saw the masochism in her eyes. It was cruel being kind to leedle Olga [that line needs changing] Into her eyes there came a Russian glow But when she used to whisper "Sergei... wheep me!" I smiled a Russian smile and answered No. It was cruel being kind to leedle Olga At times it made me sad, I must confess So when one night she whispered "Sergei... DROWN me!" I smiled a Russian smile and answered Yes. ……………. [pianissimo:] The borscht no longer bubbles in the gorschkies [?] The samovar does not boil so loud and free The schmielchiks [?] bow their leedle heads in sorrow For love has gone from Olga… … and from me. |
Subject: RE: lyr req: words to Olga From The Volga From: Ron Davies Date: 11 Jan 13 - 08:00 PM Wow, Joe, that 'Thin Ice' Olga was amazing. Looked like she needed a stunt double--or she'd pray there was only one take. |
Subject: RE: lyr req: words to Olga From The Volga From: greg stephens Date: 12 Jan 13 - 01:53 AM Pete Lobbenberg's "schmielchiks" were moujiks I think, or at least that's how I remember it.Moujiks makes sense in the context. |
Subject: RE: lyr req: words to Olga From The Volga From: greg stephens Date: 12 Jan 13 - 01:56 AM Interesting to hear from Pete Lobbenberg. In my day at the Heritage Society I heard the authorship of the song song credited to Pete himself, but it is clearly older than that. |
Subject: RE: lyr req: words to Olga From The Volga From: GUEST,Peter Lobbenberg Date: 12 Jan 13 - 07:33 AM "In my day at the Heritage Society I heard the authorship of the song credited to Pete himself" I wish!! 2nd verse, 2nd line, should read "She was luscious in a luscious Russian way". We're getting there. |
Subject: RE: lyr req: words to Olga From The Volga From: greg stephens Date: 12 Jan 13 - 09:12 AM Pete: the way the first verse went when I learnt it(presumably from asomeone who got it from you) was: The samovars are not steaming in(on?) the gorshky The borscht no loner bubbles soft and free the moujik hangs his little head in sorrow And love has gone from Olga and from me What the gorshky is I cannot say. A place? A stove? |
Subject: RE: lyr req: words to Olga From The Volga From: GUEST,Peter Lobbenberg Date: 12 Jan 13 - 10:26 AM Hi Greg, that's not the way I used to sing it, but there's the folk process for you...... Corrected version as I used to sing it - memory gradually returns - except that I've incorporated your moujik; although it's not from me, it certainly makes good sense. No idea what a gorshky is: Wikipedia lists a number of villages etc called Gorski, but rightly or wrongly I always assumed it was just a pseudo-Russian nonsense term. The borscht no longer bubbles in the gorschkies The samovar does not boil so loud and free The moujiks bow their leedle heads in sorrow For love has gone from Olga… … and from me. Olga was a true Siberian maiden She was luscious, in a luscious Russian way She used to take me punting on the Wolga Now Olga's in the Wolga for to stay. My friends they used to say I was a sadist I used to pluck the wings from leedle flies But that was till I met my daaarling Olga And saw the masochism in her eyes. How tenderly she'd whisper "Sergei, beat me!" Into her eyes there came a Russian glow How tenderly she'd whisper "Sergei, wheep me!" But I, her love, would only answer No. It was cruel being kind to leedle Olga At times it made me sad, I must confess So when one night she whispered "Sergei... DROWN me!" I smiled a Russian smile and answered Yes. ……………. [pianissimo:] The borscht no longer bubbles in the gorschkies The samovar does not boil so loud and free The moujiks bow their leedle heads in sorrow For love has gone from Olga… … and from me. |
Subject: RE: lyr req: words to Olga From The Volga From: GUEST,Grishka Date: 12 Jan 13 - 03:23 PM Gorshki = pots (sing. gorshok). Shmel'chik - might be a slang word for a person who in some respect resembles a bumblebee; my Russian fails me here. Mr. Masoch was something like a Ukrainian - does that suffice for a comedy song based on national clichés? |
Subject: RE: lyr req: words to Olga From The Volga From: greg stephens Date: 12 Jan 13 - 06:08 PM Great. That makes sense of borscht bubbling in the gorshki. Moujik as surely right, a peasant with a bit of land, I think. |
Subject: RE: lyr req: words to Olga From The Volga From: GUEST,Peter Lobbenberg Date: 12 Jan 13 - 06:47 PM Excellent, Grishka, many thanks. By way of endorsement, I found this: http://govorim-po-russki.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/russia-is-food-in-gorshochek.html |
Subject: RE: lyr req: words to Olga From The Volga From: MikeofNorthumbria Date: 13 Jan 13 - 01:00 PM Hi to Pete Lobbenberg & Greg Stephens! I first heard the Olga song from Pete at the Oxford Heritage Society sometime in the academic year 1960/61. My recollection of the verses is very slightly different. Like this: The samovars are not steaming on the Gorschki The borscht no longer bubbles soft and free The smouzjik hangs his little head in sorrow And love has gone from Olga and from me. My friends all used to say I was a sadist Because I pulled the wings from little flies But that was till I met my darling Olga And saw the masochism in her eyes (Hai! Hai!) Olga was a true Siberian maiden, She was luscious in a luscious Russian way. I used to take her punting on the Volga But now Olga's in the Volga for to stay. How tenderly she whispered "Sergei, beat me!" As her eyes took on a steaming Russian glow, How passionately she murmured "Sergei, whip me! But I, her love, would only answer "Niet!" It was cruel being kind to little Olga: I suffered quite a lot, I must confess, Until the day she whispered Sergei, drown me!" And I smiled a Russian smile and answered "Da!" And now the samovars are not steaming on the Gorschki The borscht no longer bubbles soft and free The smouzjik hangs his little head in sorrow And love has gone from Olga and from me. (And there was a descending guitar riff over an Am chord at the end of every verse.) Happy New Year everybody, Wassail! |
Subject: RE: lyr req: words to Olga From The Volga From: GUEST,Grishka Date: 14 Jan 13 - 08:17 AM To be sure, shmel'chik or shmyel'chik (шмельчик) is a Russian word, and still in use for big bumblebees and for male persons, though not mentioned in dictionaries. From the texts I googled, I could not deduce the meaning for persons either. My wild guess is that shmel'chik here refers to a man who persistently woos or pesters a young woman - similarly to the Italian word "pappagallo" (= parrot). The fictional urban Olga may have had a swarm of such wooers - whereas a muzhik (= boorish person) belongs to a different sphere. Sado-masochism requires a certain level of style. The author of the song seemed to address an audience who knew those Russian words, presumably from some popular English novels, plays, or films of that time. It is such fashions - rather than the clichés themselves - that lend themselves to good parodistic comedy. |
Subject: RE: lyr req: words to Olga From The Volga From: GUEST,strad Date: 14 Jan 13 - 11:19 AM Last verse:- Now Olga was a true Siberian lover She was luscious in a luscious Russian way She loved to go a-boating on the Volga Now Olga's in the Volga - and to stay! |
Subject: RE: lyr req: words to Olga From The Volga From: GUEST,John Bamber Date: 10 Feb 13 - 01:59 PM Hi ,Back from Siberia.Thanks for the words,most of it with a few slight variations what I recall.However the last verse of the version I heard started And that was the end of little? Olga ????? ?????rejoicing For a masochist in Heaven life is hell |
Subject: Lyr Add: I'M OLGA FROM THE VOLGA (Gordon/Revel) From: Jim Dixon Date: 09 Mar 13 - 11:08 AM I'M OLGA FROM THE VOLGA (or I PLAYED FIDDLE FOR THE CZAR) Words, Mack Gordon. Music, Harry Revel. As sung by Joan Davis in the film "Thin Ice" (1937) I'm Olga from the Volga. I'm Olga from the Volga, The butter toast of ev'ry vodka bar. Ev'rywhere I walk about, You will hear the people shout: "There's Volga Olga; she plays fiddle for the czar." Oh, I fiddle for the czar. I fiddle for the czar. In Petrograd in a cabaret, Who came there to hear me play? All the regal ladies and their illegal gents, The finest of nobility, And they tip me royally: "Here's two million roubles." That's exactly thirty cents. The czar himself would call around ev'ry night at seven. Then, hey, hey! I would play "A Czar Fell Out of Heaven" Oh, I would be so happy and I would swell with pride, For a king can do no wrong, but a couple o' times he tried! Oh, when I see his highness, my heart is all aflutter. Well, I get so excited, oh, I stammer and I stutter. I'm Olg-g-ga from the Volga. I'm Olg-g-kk from the Volga, The p-p-, the p-p-pride of ev'ry v-vulgar Volga boatman. I w-want to go to Am-merica; I t-tried so very hard. Well, I'll give you every v-vulgar b-boatman for the B-B-Brook—Brooklyn Navy Yard. Oh, I'm Olga from the Volga. I'm Olga from the Volga. I am known both near and far. When the queen is not around, Ev'ry night I can be found Playing on my fiddle for the czar, hey, hey! |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Olga from the Volga From: GUEST Date: 17 Mar 13 - 12:12 PM |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Olga from the Volga From: Kenny B (inactive) Date: 17 Mar 13 - 12:16 PM Olga from the Volga ..... is this the correct tune? |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Olga from the Volga From: Richard Hardaker Date: 17 Mar 13 - 07:06 PM The last verse, as I recall it sung by Alan Morrison at the Mitre folk club, Knaresborough (well over 40 years ago!) So that was the end of little Olga But the angels bore her skywards(?), sad to tell And now she weeps amongst the great rejoicing, For a masochist in heaven, life is hell! |
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