The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #167114   Message #4026341
Posted By: leeneia
04-Jan-20 - 05:35 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: Vreneli - new verses. head vs chest
Subject: Lyr Add: Vreneli - new verses. head vs chest
When I went to camp as a kid, I learned a song called "Vreneli." I only learned one verse.

Man: Oh Vreneli, my pretty one, pray tell me where's your home?
Girl: My home it stands
in Switzerland
'tis made of wood and stone. [repeat last 3 lines]
Man: Yo ho ho
Girl: Tra la la la [repeat this 7.5 times]

You can hear the tune here, but in Japanese, I guess.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnatPcflK1w

(I hope it's all there. I didn't listen to the whole thing.)

It's occurred to me that this camp song, like 'Barnacle Bill', relies on the difference between chest tone and head tones for humor. And it's also a good way to teach those two ways of singing. The man of course, sings with deep, powerful chest tones and Vreneli replies with sweet, clear head tones. It's news to a lot of people that one person can do both parts.

There are a couple of stupid parody verses floating around, but I decided to write my own new verses. Stupid, but not quite as stupid.

2. Oh, Vreneli, what fruit is that that hangs from yonder trees?
The trees in rows
produce the holes
we put in fine Swiss cheese (repeat)
Yo ho ho etc

3. Oh Vreneli, what birds are those that flit on yonder rocks?
Oh those, kind sir
are cuckoo-birds
that live in cuckoo clocks (repeat)
Yo ho ho etc

I still remember my niece, seven years old, being amazed and then laughing as heard me sing this for the first time. I'm sure she had never heard anything like it before. It's a great song for a long car ride.