The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #158856   Message #3760386
Posted By: Joe Offer
22-Dec-15 - 09:14 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Jan Hinnert / Hinnerk
Subject: ADD: Jan Hinnerk (from Dyer-Bennett)
Ah, it's "Jan Hinnerk." It's on Richard Dyer-Bennet #2. Anybody know different versions, or have the German lyrics?

8. Jan Hinnerk
We used to sing this when I was in school in Germany in 1930. We sang it in a Low German dialect, and I have had to take some liberties to capture the same mood in an English translation. I have omitted a verse about Napoleon, which suggests around 1800 as the time of origin.

JAN HINNERK

Jan Hinnerk lives in Hamburg town,
In Hamburg town, he is a man of great renown,
Of very great renown, (2x)
Jan Hinnerk lives up a little, quiet street,
A very quiet street
He can make whate'er he will.

One day he made a violin, a little fiddlekin,
That could play all by itself
"Violin, violin," said that fiddlekin. (2x)
And a vio-uiolin, a vio-violin,
And he named his wife Katrin,
He named his wife Katrin.(2x)

One day he made a little Dutchman, a little Dutchman,
Who could speak all by himself
"Gottsverdori! Gottsverdori!" said that Dutchman. (2x)
And a vio-violin, a vio-violin,
And he named his wife Katrin,
He named his wife Katrin.(2x)

One day he made a little Englishman, a little Englishman,
Who could speak all by himself
"Damn your eyes! Damn your eyes!" said that Englishman. (2x)
And a vio-violin, a vio-violin,
And he named his wife Katrin,
He named his wife Katrin.(2x)

One day he made a little German, a little German,
Who could speak all by himself.
"Hoch der Kaiser! Hoch der Kaiser!" said that German. (2x)
And a vio-uiolin, a vio-violin,
And he named his wife Katrin,
He named his wife Katrin.(2x)

One day he made a little Frenchman, a little Frenchman,
Who could speak all by himself.
"Vive l'amour! Vive l'amour!" said that Frenchman. (2x)
And a vio-violin, a vio-violin,
And he named his wife Katrin,
He named his wife Katrin.(2x)

"Gottsverdori! Gottsverdori!" said that Dutchman.
"Damn your eyes! Damn your eyes!" said that Englishman.
"Hoch der Kaiser! Hoch der Kaiser!" said that German.
"Vive l'amour! Vive l'amour!' said that Frenchman.
"Violin-olin," said that fiddlekin.(2x)

And a vio-violin, a vio-violin,
And he named his wife Katrin,
He named his wife Katrin.(2x)

Jan Hinnerk still lives up that little quiet street,
That very quiet street.
He can make whate'er he will.
So keep very, very still,
Keep very, very still. (2x)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn23kxCKcIo

Now that I think of it, I've heard this version before: