Subject: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Joe Offer Date: 07 Apr 99 - 04:30 AM Since I was in high school, I've known a song that goes like this: I am a fine musician, I practice every dayI heard a rendition of this song in German within the last month or so - I suspect it was at an open sing in DC - does anybody have the German lyrics, or any other versions of this song? I heard a 20-yr-old camp counselor sing something similar last week, but I didn't catch the whole thing: I am a Musikaner, I come from German-land....And that's all I recall. Can anybody come up with the German, or with any more English versions? -Joe Offer- See also: Johnny Schmoker |
Subject: Lyr Add: ICH BIN EIN MUSIKANTE From: Uilleand Date: 07 Apr 99 - 10:34 AM ICH BIN EIN MUSIKANTE Ich bin ein Musikante Und komm' aus Schwabenland; Wir sind auch Musikanten Und komm'n aus Schwabenland. Ich kann auch blasen, Wir könn'n auch blasen. Die Trompete. Die Trompete. |: Teng tentereng, teng tentereng, Teng tentereng, teng tentereng, Teng tentereng, teng tentereng, Teng tentereng, ten teng. :| 2. Ich bin ein . . . . Ich kann auch spielen, Wir könn'n auch spielen. Die Violine. Die Violine. Sim simlerlim, . . . . 3. Ich bin ein . . . . Ich kann auch schlagen, Wir könn'n auch schlagen. Auf die Pauke. Auf die Pauke. Herum bum bum . . . . 4. Ich bin ein . . . . Ich kann auch blasen, Wir könn'n auch blasen. Die Klarinette. Die Klarinette. Die A-Klapp' auf, die B-Klapp' auf, . . . 5. Ich bin ein . . . . Ich kann auch spielen, Wir könn'n auch spielen. Die Flöte. Die Flöte. Tü, tü, tü, tü, . . . . 6. Ich bin ein . . . . Ich kann auch spielen, Wir könn'n auch spielen. Das Klavier. Das Klavier. Grabbl hier mal hin, grabbl da mal hin . . 7. Ich bin ein . . . . Ich kann auch schlagen, Wir könn'n auch schlagen. Meinen Triangle. Unser'n Triangle. Ting tingeling . . . . 8. Ich bin ein . . . . Ich kann auch blasen, Wir könn'n auch blasen. Auf mei'm Fagott. Unser Fagott. (Mit Lippen geschnurrt) . . . . 9. Ich bin ein . . . . Ich kann auch schlagen, Wir könn'n auch schlagen. Meine Trommel. Uns're Trommel. Pum pumperum . . . .
Melody here (click) |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Joe Offer Date: 07 Apr 99 - 12:54 PM Schönen Dank, Uilleand. -Joe Offer- |
Subject: Lyr Add: I'M A FAMOUS DOCTOR, COME FROM GERMANY From: Jon W. Date: 07 Apr 99 - 12:57 PM My daughters learned a version of this song last summer at camp and also my wife found a version in the materials she uses to teach music lessons on a volunteer basis at the local school. The latter is claimed to be a Swedish folk song. The version my daughters sing, as well as I can remember it:
I'm a famous doctor, come from Germany,
I'm a famous...Here's my viola There are several more instruments but I don't remember them. The instrument part is repeated and builds after each verse. |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Joe Offer Date: 07 Apr 99 - 01:01 PM Anybody got a tune to post? -Joe Offer- |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Uilleand Date: 07 Apr 99 - 02:54 PM http://www.acronet.net/~robokopp/Lieder/ichbinem.html This is a great German website. You can download the melody there. I don't know how good the soundclips are, but the website certainly seems rather comprehensive to me. |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: alison Date: 07 Apr 99 - 09:54 PM Hi Joe,
I am a musicman, I come from far away I'll put in the tune later. (We used to sing it as kids.) I know the tune to "I am a fine musician" as well.. so I'll do it too.... there were a group of Aussies called "The Musicmen" who won a TV "talent" contest doing this, they did the usual instruments then added personalities too........ they've since gone on to make a CD... and as far as I know still do the "pub circuit." slainte alison |
Subject: Tune Add: I AM A FINE MUSICIAN and I AM A MUSICMAN From: alison Date: 07 Apr 99 - 11:01 PM Hi, Here are the tunes.... (both pretty similar)
I AM A FINE MUSICIAN Click to playABC format: X:1
and I am a musicman Click to playABC format: X:1
Slainte alison
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Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Elizabeth (inactive) Date: 07 Apr 99 - 11:44 PM As far as I recall Alison, someone (maybe the Musicmen?) also changed the words to "I am a footy fan and come from down your way etc" and added in a whole lot of verses about different AFL stars. I have a recording of this involving Greg Champion. For those who follow Aussie Rules it's a bit of fun! |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: alison Date: 08 Apr 99 - 02:42 AM They probably did... the only verses I remember are (and I hope I don't upset anyone...)
I can do the Nicki Lauda.. and there was another about
I can do the Groucho Marx the possibilities are endless......... slainte alison |
Subject: Lyr Add: THE STAR TREK MAN From: AndyG Date: 08 Apr 99 - 07:41 AM As for parodies, there exists The Star Trek Man; I am the Star Trek Man,
I can play [name of character]
Mr Spock:
Dr. McCoy:
Lt. Uhura:
Mr Scott:
Security Man (or red-shirt):
(plus others) And then it got recorded!, but differently, which lead to a court case. I personally believe this song grew up all over the UK (at least) in different places simultaneously. I know I created the Spock verse in variant above. I hastily add I wasn't involved in the court case. But I know some people who were.
AndyG |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: alison Date: 08 Apr 99 - 09:53 PM not only did it get recorded..... it got to number One for several weeks if I remember rightly...... and was played constantly on the radio. We come in peace, shoot to kill, shoot to kill, shoot to kill,.............
slainte alison |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Bruce O. Date: 08 Apr 99 - 10:16 PM There's another "German Musicianer" in Peter Kennedy's 'Folksongs of Britain and Ireland', #201, and he fixes 'pianos' about the same as "The Old German Clockwinder" in DT fixes 'clocks'. (See also "The Holland Smock" in the Scarce Songs 1 file on my website for an earlier 'clock' repairman.) |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Joe Offer Date: 09 Apr 99 - 02:28 AM I'm glad you pointed out THE GERMAN MUSICIANER and OLD GERMAN CLOCKWINDER, Bruce. I have the Kennedy book, but haven't spent as much time studying it as I should. Great songs, aren't they? Now I'm off to find your "Holland Smock." it's not the one in OUTLANDISH KNIGHT, is it? -Joe Offer- |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Wolfgang Date: 09 Apr 99 - 04:08 AM what a long way this thread did go from German songs on musicians to English songs on German musicians - and clockwinders. The thread could possibly merge into the songs on singers thread (if we keep to the music theme) or into the condom thread (looking from the clockwinder's activity angle) as all threads use to do if they survive the first 40 posts. Wolfgang |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Bruce O. Date: 09 Apr 99 - 04:04 PM What German song? See American author and composer, 1871, in the Levy collection. Box 054, Item 161 |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Joe Offer Date: 09 Apr 99 - 05:02 PM Here's the excerpt from The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music: THE WONDERFUL MUSICIAN Title: The Wonderful Musician. Composer, Lyricist, Arranger: Words by Walter Greenaway, Esqre.; Music by Vincent Davies. Instrumentation: piano and voice First Line: A wonderful musician once, In Germany did dwell, His name quite unpronounceable, Impossible to spell First Line of Chorus: A big drum a kettle drum the fiddle flute and piccolo, piano harp harmonium and many more beside Performer: Sung Also by James Francis of the Mohawk Minstrels. Engraver, Lithographer, Artist: Alfred Concanen del. Plate Number: 1540 Subject: Orchestras Subject: Percussion instruments Subject: String instruments Subject: Brass instruments Subject: Woodwind instruments Subject: Noise pollution Subject: Accidents I can't get the lyrics to display at Levy, so the link above may not work. -Joe Offer- |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: The Shambles Date: 09 Apr 99 - 05:24 PM Wolfgang At least there are no bloody possums here yet. OOPS!
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Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Bruce O. Date: 09 Apr 99 - 05:28 PM Give it time, I got "Possum up a gum tree" a few days ago, but haven't typed it up yet. |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Bruce O. Date: 09 Apr 99 - 05:32 PM It looks like I might have made a boobbo. The author and composer may not be Americans. I saw that Mohawk Minstrels and assumed it was. |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: DonMeixner Date: 09 Apr 99 - 11:19 PM And I always assumed that Danny Kaye's wife Sylvia wrote this tune for him to sing in a movie some place. The stuff you learn on the cat. Don |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Lucius Date: 03 Mar 02 - 05:19 PM Sorry to dredge up this old chat, but I'm looking for an english version of this song that has all of the "instruments" coming together at the end of the piece. I sang a great choral arrangement of this tune in college elementary methods, but I can't remember the publisher. Any recommendations? Thanks, Lucius |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Snuffy Date: 03 Mar 02 - 06:59 PM Other verses commonly sung in the Enlish version include I can play ... the Archers, (rum-ti-tum the Archers theme tune) the Dambusters (make goggles of fingers and daa-daa the Dambusters tune) the Cross Channel Ferry, P &, P &, P & O, P & O, P & O, P &, P &, P & O, P &, P & O. Jerusalem (sing the whole of Jerusalem). I have also heard a slightly different version using Schubert's (or is it Schumann's?) Grande Marche Militaire as the tune:
Long time ago in a small town in Germany WassaiL! V |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Lucius Date: 03 Mar 02 - 11:38 PM Snuffy, what are these tunes, do I guess correctly that you are on the right side of the puddle? Hal Leonard publishes a piece called the Musicians that has a four voice chorus at the end of the piece, though I recall something like a six voice ending. Has anyone seen the dots, how hard is it? Lucius |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Joe Offer Date: 04 Mar 02 - 12:29 AM Lucius, I think there's a barbershop quartet arrangement of this song. I don't think I have it, and all my books are in boxes now and I can't look. Look around at http://www.spebsqsa.org/ and see if they have it. If you don't find it, send them an e-mail. My Scoutmaster was a barbershopper, so I grew up knowing that SPEBSQSA means the Society for the Preservation and Enrichment of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America, Kenosha, Wisconsin. -Joe Offer- |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Wilfried Schaum Date: 04 Mar 02 - 02:54 AM Hi Alison, no chance to learn the program, the link http://www1.tpgi.com.au/users/afostes/miditext.html is invalid unfortunately. HELP! Wilfried Hi, Wilfried - the new MIDITEXT download site is http://miditext.8m.net/ -Joe Offer- |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: SharonA Date: 04 Mar 02 - 11:04 AM Lucius: The only version, such as you describe, that I've ever heard is on tape... but it's videotape: There was an episode of the old Dick Van Dyke show from the early 1960s in which he, Mary Tyler Moore, Morey Amsterdam and Rose Marie (Richard Deacon also, I think [the actor who played Mel Cooley]) performed the song in marching-band costumes. |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Snuffy Date: 04 Mar 02 - 06:44 PM Lucius, you do guess correctly that I am on the right side of the puddle. The Archers is a long-running radio soap (50+ years); the Dambusters was a war film from the mid 1950s and the Dambusters March went to number 1 in the British charts; Jerusalem is a poem by William Blake set to music by CHH Parry, and often used as a hymn in Britain. Most Britons of a certain age will be all too familiar with all three of those, but they will probably mean little to those brought up beyond the Septic Isle. WassaiL! V |
Subject: Lyr Add: ICH BIN EIN MUSIKANTE From: Wilfried Schaum Date: 05 Mar 02 - 03:03 AM Reminiscences of youth ... I learned this song some 50 years ago by oral tradition in the German YMCA, forgot a lot, but the melody still is there. I just remember the trumpet and the treble recorder. This song is sung alternately by solo singer and chorus.
one: Ich bin ein Musikante
Ich bin ein ...
Note: It is one of the inconsistencies of the German language, that you not only can play an instrument (acc.), but also on an instrument (prep. + dat.) which is the cause here for the sake of the beat. Wilfried |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: GUEST Date: 05 Mar 02 - 10:10 AM Dredging up childhood memories, my musician was not German, or Schwabian. We started off "I am a Rusticaner, I come from Skavvish Land". |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: GUEST,Another Guest Date: 02 Dec 02 - 01:06 PM Thank you all so much. I'm trying to convince some Scout leaders to perform this for a Cub Scout Pack Nite in January and all I could get from the library was Barney, the purple dinosaur,singing the song. Not very convincing, even if he and his gang did get the tune right, which is alot more than I could do. This information and the links will help me get them to sing. |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Seamus Kennedy Date: 02 Dec 02 - 03:54 PM I've recorded another variant of theis song on my childrens' CD - Seamus Kennedy Gets On Everybody's Nerves,which I learned in Ireland many years ago. I also get the kids to act out playing the instruments, accordion, trombone, fiddle, tuba, bagpipes, etc. There's one bit of silliness in the last verse: a lawn-sprinkler. I think this was originally an old German folk song, and I used to sing it years ago with friends at parties. The insruments here are only a quarter of the ones we would do. You can add your own intstruments to the list. They don't have to be MUSICAL instruments, you know. I mean there's a Lawn Sprinkler in this one! Thanks to my friend Ed Miller for bringing it back to my memory. THE MUSIC MAN (Trad.) I am the music man, and I can play, What can you play? (Repeat after each verse) I can play the accordion: In and in and in and out, in and out, in and out. In and in and in and out, in and in and out. The trombone: Back and back and back and forth, etc.. The fiddle: Up and up and up and down, etc. The tuba: Oom-pah, oom-pah, oom-pah-pah, etc., The bagpipes: Huff and huff and huff and puff, etc., The snare -drum: Rat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat, etc The piano: The pia-, pia-, pia-no, etc., The lawn sprinkler: Tsch, tsch, tsch, tsch, tsch, etc. |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Joe Offer Date: 02 Dec 02 - 07:24 PM Hi, Seamus - Alison, now of Australia, is originally froom Belfast. She posted a fragment of Music Man above, which is similar to what you sing. Could this be a distinctive Belfast version? Click here for her tune for "Music Man," which I think is quite similar to what you sing. -Joe Offer- |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: open mike Date: 03 Dec 02 - 02:04 AM this reminds me of another tune- which has in it: the clarinet, the clarinet, goes doodle doodle doodle det, the clarinet, the clarinet, goes doodle doodle doodle det, the drums playing two tones they're always the same tones, hi lo lo hi hi hi hi hi lo, the horn the horn awakes me a dawn the violins ringing,like lovely singing, |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Seamus Kennedy Date: 03 Dec 02 - 03:47 AM Joe, good to see you a while ago here in MD. I was unable for technical reasons to get the tune of Alison's version.But I'm willing to bet that it's the same tune. Alison (bless her!) and I have a lot of Belfast stuff in common. I'll send you a copy of my kid's CD and you can figure it out! I don't do MIDI or any of that stuff; I'm primordial for God's sake! If you want to add my version to the DT feel free. But it's a great,fun song for people of all ages. Seamaus |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Wilfried Schaum Date: 03 Dec 02 - 10:10 AM open mike - the song you are giving is known in Germany well, too. Every verse has its own melody according to the character of its instrument. Contrary to "I am a fine musician", however, the stanzas are not sung one after another but at the same time, as a piece of four voices, so giving the impression of a small band playing synchronically. I enjoyed it very much in my youth with my scout troop. It also can be found in a couple of student song books for merriment while drinking. Wilfried. |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: open mike Date: 03 Dec 02 - 01:26 PM students are encouraged to find merriment while drinking?? I was born in the wrong country!! |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Wilfried Schaum Date: 04 Dec 02 - 02:36 AM open mike - no, dear friend, academic laws did everything to disencourage students from finding merriment while drinking - in my country, too. We encouraged ourselves in spite of the laws. Be content, you are not born in the wrong country. So fill your bumper and take a good gulp for drinking, singing, and the girls! Wilfried |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Joe Offer Date: 04 Dec 02 - 03:25 AM Hi, Wilfried - the way I've heard it sung, the various sounds of the various instruments are sung all at the same time, but the first part is sung in unison. Thanks for offering to send your CD (Gets on Everybody's Nerves), Seamus, but I bought it at your concert in the Sacramento area last year. I do a lot of singing for kids, so I had to see what songs I could steal from you. It's a fine album. -Joe Offer- |
Subject: RE: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: GUEST Date: 19 Mar 04 - 03:29 AM |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: GUEST,Bosshorn@gmail.com Date: 28 Oct 05 - 11:01 PM I'm seeking the melody and harmony parts to the various instruments mentioned in "I am a Fine Musician." I have the words, I just need the notes so we can sing it at a reunion. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Joe Offer Date: 29 Oct 05 - 03:10 PM Hi, Bosshorn - the melody I learned as a kid in Milwaukee was this one (click) - once you get to the page, click on "melodie" (or click here). We also have two MIDI tunes - follow the links at the tip of this thread. Then, of course, you need to learn how to convert a MIDI to notation. I hope you're able to do that. -Joe Offer (e-mail sent)- |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: GUEST,david@graphicgranola.com Date: 14 Jan 06 - 02:03 AM I believe that the first RECORDED version of "The Musicians" was on the Young People's Records label in 1949. That version was an adaptation for two singers and guitar accompaniment. Soon thereafter, Tom Glazer adapted it for four singers and small orchestra; that version was recorded by the quartet of Dinah Shore / Tony Martin / Betty Hutton / Phil Harris and issued on RCA Victor in 1951. In the 1960s, the Glazer version was performed on the Dick Van Dyke Show (on two different episodes). The recording of the Shore group was issued on CD in 1997 (Dinah Shore, Fascination, BMG 44507-2). |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Flash Company Date: 14 Jan 06 - 09:46 AM Billy Cotton Band Show (Wakey-WAKEEE) I am the music man, I come from down your way, And I can play-ay, I play piano Pi-pi-pi-pi-piano, piano, piano Pi-pi-pi-pi-piano, pi-pi-piano Then through various instruments, ending with:- I am the music man, and every time I play, My Hurdy-gurdy, I get the birdie Um-pa um-pa um-pa-pa......Etc, God I am getting old! FC |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ich Bin Ein' Musikante From: Genie Date: 24 Sep 07 - 09:17 PM Good to find this thread, as I have an Oktoberfest program to do soon and I wanted to add a song or two. We used to sing this song, in (fractured) German when I was a kid at camp, but I had little idea what the words meant (except for words like "piano" and "violine"). In fact, though we were taught to sing "Ich kann spiele ... auf der piano," it usually came out "Ick can speela ... after piano," etc. I always thought it was "Musikanter," not "Musikante," too. This is a good audience participation song for kids, or for some nursing home residents, too. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: The Fooles Troupe Date: 24 Sep 07 - 09:31 PM This is one of my favourite songs. It was around in the 1950s, when I fell in love with it here in Oz. It's a great 'community song' - can even work the kazoo into it! :-P |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: GUEST,.gargoyle Date: 24 Sep 07 - 09:50 PM Fool - I thought you were mainland UK
How close to Sydney are you?
A delightful, rolicking, song-collecting cadre of runners/singers/drinkers will be meeting in Sydney - could you house - say 20 of us in March 2008?
Sincerely, |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Genie Date: 25 Sep 07 - 03:33 AM Foolsestroupe, I was wondering how you say "kazoo" "auf Deutsch." ;-D G |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: ClaireBear Date: 25 Sep 07 - 11:56 AM Here's a link to the Dick Van Dyke Show performance on YouTube: "I Am a Fine Musician" |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I am a Fine Musician - German song? From: Snuffy Date: 26 Sep 07 - 08:27 AM "kazoo" "auf Deutsch." |
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