Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)

Subject: Lyric: Castles in Tovishka?
From: Nonie Rider
Date: 25 Sep 97 - 04:14 PM

I've combed the database for the following camp song, and had no luck:

Tovishka, Tovishka
Castles in Tovishka
Were there no lassies,
I'd ne'er be a soldier

Hoo ya, hoo ya ya,
Hoo ya, hoo ya ya,
Hoo ya, hoo ya ya ya,
Hoo ya.

Anybody know more about this one?

Subject: RE: Lyric: Castles in Tovishka?
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Oct 04 - 04:00 PM

HI. I REMEMBER THIS SONG FROM EARLY GRADE SCHOOL WHICH WOULD BE 1958 OR SO. STILL HUM IT OCCASIONALLY. NICE TO FIND IT IS STILL AROUND. ANDY DESMARAIS

Subject: ADD: Toviska
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Oct 04 - 05:15 PM

The Girl Scouts have this in their Sangam GIT songbook, titled "Toviska."

Toviska
(Moravian folk song)

Toviska, Toviska
Castles in Toviska
Were there no lassies
I'd ne'er be a soldier.

Hoo-ya, hoo-ya-ya,
Hoo-ya, hoo-ya-ya,
Hoo-ya, hoo-ya-ya,
Ya-ya-ya

Toviska, Toviska
I will sing Toviska
Sweetheart at home
I will never forget you.

Pronounced "Toh-vish-ka." Clap hands on knees on "Hoo." Clap hands together on 'ya'

So, where's Toviska? Anybody have more information on this song? It's also in the Happy Meeting (Czech) songbook from World Around Songs, same lyrics and tune.
-Joe Offer-

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Click to play

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Bill H.
Date: 13 Feb 08 - 01:46 PM

I remember it from the late 1950's or early 60's.
I sang it in elementary school music class in Cleveland,OH Public Schools.

I remember the Lyrics as:

Toviska, Toviska.
Castles in Toviska.
We'll go a walking
And talking forever.

Hoo-Ya, ...........

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: Melissa
Date: 13 Feb 08 - 10:56 PM

Our version had three verses:

1) Huts in Toviska
2) Castles in Toviska
3) I will sing Toviska

The 'hoo ya' part had actions...slap the table on 'hoo' and clap hands with your neighbors on both sides on 'ya'---or 'hoo' on your legs if you were somewhere other than the dining hall.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 01:33 PM

I tried tovishka, toviska, toviska (with the little thingy on top of the s), tovisko, tovishko, tovisko (little thingy again), tavishko, tavishka, tavichka, tavicka (with the thingy this time on top of the c), without much luck. I did, however. have a blast comparing Czech to Russian.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST
Date: 07 May 08 - 07:43 AM

Have no idea where 'Tovishka' is,BUT we're hoping to sing it at our school concert this year. I sang it at school and so did my mother!

In my song book "Ohio Fellowship Songs", they call it a Moravian Folk song.

Rose

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,R. Wright
Date: 25 Feb 11 - 01:17 PM

I also sang that song in the early 60's at Boulevard Elementary School East Side in Cleveland, Ohio. My teacher was Mrs. Kurpansky. I really enjoyed singing that song and now I am sharing it with my pre-school class.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 03:57 PM

TOVISKA has already been mentioned at Mudcat here. It is listed in the table of contents of a book called "The Bridge of Song" (Delaware, Ohio: Cooperative Recreation Service, Inc., 1957)—as well as the "Sangam GIT" songbook that Joe already mentioned.

A search in Google Books for "toviska moravia" brings up 2 more books:

Music for Young Americans, Vol. 6: Studying Music by Richard C. Berg et al. ([New York]: American Book Co. [1966-])

The American Singer, Vol. 7 by John Walter Beattie and William Charles Bridgman (New York: American Book, 1950).

I even did some browsing in the Czech version of Wikipedia. All I could find was some references to people named Tobiška, for example, here: http://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohuslav_Tobi%C5%A1ka

It seems absurd that, if Toviska is a real place, we can't find it in any gazetteer.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 01 Mar 11 - 07:05 AM

Jim, obviously the title is corrupted. "to výška" - "this height" may have been the original text.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Seonaid
Date: 01 Mar 11 - 01:14 PM

I now know the real origin of this songs, but when I first heard it years ago, it was called "Troiska", and passed off as Norwegian or Swiss (or something). These are the lyrics I recall (and I wonder who put this pastiche together!):

In Troiska, in Troiska,
There are castles in Troiska,
If I were King there,
I'd make you my queen....

Chorus:
O, Hoo-ya, hoo-ya, hoo-ya, hoo-ya,
Hoo-ya, ya, ya, ya, ya -- hoo ya!

In Troiska, in Troiska,
The meadows in Troiska,
Little white flowers
On carpets of green....

In Troiska, in Troiska,
The rivers in Troiska,
Run like mint juleps
On mountains of ice....

(Mint juleps in Norway? C'mon, they don't even have verandahs there!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 02 Mar 11 - 04:49 AM

I can't find a place called Troiska either.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,bedrnov
Date: 15 Apr 11 - 03:47 PM

real name of this place is Tovaèov (Hana region in central Moravia, Czech republic), song is known in original as "Tovaèov, Tovaèov"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 16 Apr 11 - 10:49 AM

bedrnov, thanks for giving us that hint. It should read Tovačov, pronounced "Tovachov".

Could you please give us the lyrics? Unfortunately we need HTML escapes here, see this thread. Perhaps you also know about "Stodola pumpa", see here and here?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,bedrnov
Date: 16 Apr 11 - 03:24 PM

lyrics in czech:



Tovaèov, Tovaèov, tovaèovský zámek

nebyl bych vojákem dyby ne galánek.

Hujá, hujaja, hujá, hujaja

hujá, hujaja, hujajaja.



Tovaèov, Tovaèov, tovaèovský hatì

nemohu, má milá, zapomenout na tì.

Hujá, hujaja, hujá, hujaja

hujá, hujaja, hujajaja.



Jednou zapomenu, po druhé vzpomenu,

po tøetí chodníèek slzama poleju.

Hujá, hujaja, hujá, hujaja

hujá, hujaja, hujajaja.


This traditional moravian song is very old, originally in the special Haná dialect.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 16 Apr 11 - 04:29 PM

Thank you, bedrnov. I transcribed your contribution to "HTML escapes" – you may not see any difference, but he rest of the world will:

Tovačov, Tovačov, tovačovský zámek
nebyl bych vojákem dyby ne galánek.
Hujá, hujaja, hujá, hujaja
hujá, hujaja, hujajaja.

Tovačov, Tovačov, tovačovský hatě
nemohu, má milá, zapomenout na tě.

Jednou zapomenu, po druhé vzpomenu,
po třetí chodníček slzama poleju.

Now we would be grateful for a translation. Obviously the song is about a soldier, as in the above English version.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 17 Apr 11 - 06:04 AM

Like gallant soldiers, verses of folk songs tend to float from one to the other. Here is another Czech song I found:

Voděnka studená, jako led, jako led, nemožu, má milá, na Tebe zapomnět,
jednú zapomenu, po druhé vzpomenu, po třetí, má milá, slzy mě polejú,
jednú zapomenu, po druhé vzpomenu, po třetí, má milá, slzy mě polejú.

The payoff is: "I cannot forget you, my dear. – If I forget one, I remember another one, and for a third one I shed tears."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,bedrnov
Date: 17 Apr 11 - 08:53 AM

The most known version of "Tovacov, Tovacov" is in every czech school song-book. I found this example on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KRVaDUoD_Y&feature=related

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Ted Freeman
Date: 05 Dec 11 - 12:24 PM

I was humming this song this morning on my way to work. I first heard it in music class in elementary school in Olmsted Falls (Cleveland) Ohio. I was in 3rd or 4th grade at the time, which would be 1959 - 1961. I remember that our teacher played a recording of the song to introduce us to it. We used to sing the song as a round-robin chorus, where three groups in the room would each start the song at a different time.

After 50 years I remember the words to be something like - -
"Tovishka, Tovishka,
Castles in Tovishka,
if you leave now,
I'll be sure to forget you."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Pat in Missouri
Date: 15 Apr 16 - 10:12 PM

Tovishka, Tovishka, Castles in Tovishka!
Where there's no lassies I'd ne'er be a soldier.
Huya, Huya-ya, Hu-ya, Huya-ya, Huya, Huya-ya-ya, ya-ya!

Tovishka, Tovishka, I wll sing Tovishka!
Sweetheart at home I would never forget you.
Huya, Huya-ya, Hu-ya, Huya-ya, Huya, Huya-ya-ya, ya-ya!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Craig
Date: 29 Jan 18 - 05:36 PM

Just today, I found the song apparently copied by hand by me from a song book, probably fifty or more years ago. I too was exposed to it in elementary school. In the version I have, it appears there are five verses, with the first four having separate verses for boys and girls, and the final verse sung by both. BOYS: Toviska, Toviska, Castles In Toviska; GIRLS: Toviska, Toviska, I Will Sing Toviska; BOYS: Were There No Lassies I'd Not Be A Soldier; GIRLS: If You Leave Now I Am Sure To Forget You; BOYS: Toviska, Toviska, Hear Me Sing Toviska, There Is No Hurry, I Might Change My Mind For You; GIRLS: Toviska, Toviska, Who's Singing Toviska?, Are You Still Here Though I've Said My Good-Bye To You?; ALL: Toviska, Toviska, Castles In Toviska!, We'll Go A Walking And Talking Together, Hoo-Ya Hoo-Ya-Ya, Hoo-Ya Hoo-Ya-Ya, Hoo-Ya Hoo-Ya-Ya-Ya, Ya-Ya.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Bernard
Date: 28 Sep 19 - 09:37 PM

We sang the version GuestPat in Missour listed. I lived in Michigan at the time.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Starship
Date: 30 Sep 19 - 02:18 PM

Well, here's a photo of the castle.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Apr 20 - 07:10 PM

We used to sing this song at campfires at our annual church reunion gatherings over the week between Christmas and New Year. I remember watching everyone of all ages enjoying this song - little babies on the laps of the Great Grandparents doing the knee-slap hand-clap actions to hoo-ya, hoo-ya-ya.
Such happy memories ...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Val
Date: 12 Dec 20 - 10:10 PM

Sang it in music class in early 6O’s
Two nights ago when I couldn’t sleep, it was loudly playing in my head—totally not what you want when trying to sleep!