Origins: Ribald Jewish Camp Song from 1950s(bawdy)

Subject: Origins: By the Shore of Lake Salakus Camp Song
From: John M.
Date: 31 Dec 06 - 12:01 AM

Hello everyone,

If you are easily offended, please STOP READING.   This thread is for mature audiences only.  Please don't post "dreadful song" or "worst song written" as you are not helping. 

Below is a ribald Jewish camp song titled (from first line):  "By the Shore of Lake Salakus" (recording)

                 1.  Do you sing this song? 
                 2.  If yes, when and where did you learn it?
                 3.  Would you be willing to sing it for folklore purposes over the phone? 

Any help is appreciated.

Sincerely,

John Mehlberg
[e-mail]
~
Phone:  [phone]
~
My website: www.immortalia.com

 

BY THE SHORE OF LAKE SALAKUS  (recording)
(Title from first line of song)

By the shore of lake Salakus
Where there grows the creeping moss
Lives the tribe of god-samacus(?)
How dacaca is the boss

Aye, aye, iddy iddy boom boom
Iddy iddy boom boom,
Aye aye

Then one day this Indian chieftain
Caught a squaw instead of bass
He had all the young braves thinking
Boy that chiefy got a piece of...

Aye, aye, iddy iddy boom boom
Iddy iddy boom boom,
Aye aye

Nine month later came the baby
Oy, what mosel(?), oy what luck
They had all the young braves thinking
Boy that chieftain sure can...

Aye, aye, iddy iddy boom boom
Iddy iddy boom boom,
Aye aye

Now by the shore of lake Salakus
No more pheasant, no more duck
No more hunting, no more fishing
All-they-do-all-day-is-fuck.

Notes:   This is from the field recording of an anonymous Jewish writer-editor in a second tier city in the Midwest.  This was recorded on 15 March 2005.  He learned this at a Jewish camp in the Adirondacks in upstate New York in the late 1950s.  Other songs by this man can be found here.

Subject: RE: Origins: pg13 Ribald Jewish Camp Song from 1950s
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 31 Dec 06 - 04:59 PM

I went to a Jewish camp up in the Adirondacks in the early 1950s. It was called Camp North Star in Duane, NY The counselors used to sing many bawdy songs which all us kids learned. However since we were not old enough to learn about the birds & the bees we often sang them not knowing what the lyrics really meant. When I got home I would often sing these songs in public and receive the beating of my life from my parents. They would never tell me why I got the beating or what was wrong with the song I was singing. It was only when I got older and learned the facts of life did I understand why my parents hit me so hard.

                                              SOL ZELLER

Subject: RE: Origins: pg13 Ribald Jewish Camp Song from 1950s
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 31 Dec 06 - 05:16 PM

Corrections to the Yiddish words in the transcription:

First verse:
By the shore of Lake Salakhus
Where there grows the creeping moss
Lives the tribe of ganze-machers
Alte-kakker is the boss

Third verse:
Oy, what mazel, oy what luck

ganze-macher = big-shots (literally "all do-ers" or "all-makers")
alte-kakker = old fart (literally "old shit")
mazel = luck (as in "mazel tov!")

another guess, the name of the lake might be derived from selikhos = forgiveness
Salakhus (or salachus) needs to be spelled in such a way as to make clear the "kh" or "ch" sound, as in Chanukkah or Bach.

Yiddish-speaking Indians is a joke utilized also by Mel Brooks in his movie "Blazing Saddles."

Subject: RE: Origins: pg13 Ribald Jewish Camp Song from 19
From: John M.
Date: 03 Jan 07 - 11:37 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: Origins: pg13 Ribald Jewish Camp Song from 19
From: John M.
Date: 31 Jan 07 - 11:18 AM

refresh