Origins: 12 Days of Christmas (WWII version-Blau)

Subject: RE: NewFolk 12 Days of Xmas
From: DrWindy
Date: 23 Nov 03 - 05:07 PM

Back in the 60's there was a variant of the 12 Days that was done, I think, by the Four Freshmen. Anyone out there know the lyrics? As I recall, part of it went
"four top gestap leaders
three anti-semites
two ...."

Help?

DrWindy

Subject: RE: NewFolk 12 Days of Xmas
From: DrWindy
Date: 23 Nov 03 - 05:41 PM

Found it! It was the Chad Mitchell Trio, not the Four Freshmen (senior moment!), but Google didn't turn up the lyric lines I searched. Found it by chance (serendip?) at:
http://www.cs.umd.edu/users/gasarch/12/cmt.html

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
by Chad Mitchell Trio.
AVAILABLE from
The Very Best of the Chad Mitchell Trio
(Was also released on Vinyl

by Eric Blau

I tried to transcribe the words but I couldn'te
understand alot of them, so I have XXX there.
Also, some might be wrong.

THANKS to Gerry Myerson for help on some of the lines.

---------------------------------

And a partridge in a pear tree

Rudolph Hess's blessing

3 anti semites

4 Gestapo leaders

To hell with Adenauer

(He was German Chancellor in the 1960's)

we received from Israel, six guided missles

On the seventh day of Christmas the US send to me Seven more million dollars

On the eight day of Christmas my true love gave to me Telfunken H-bomb

(Telefunken was German Company that manufactored radios)

On the ninth day of Christmas we heard officially
        they hanged the wrong Eichman

On the tenth day of Christmas Iraq send us free
        10 swastika scribblers

(NOTE-- some versions have `Long Island' instead of `Iraq')

On the llth day of Christmas we heard officially
        monicles are back

On the 12th day of Christmas they told us Germany
        he's still alive ?

Corrections:
(trusting to my "senior" memory)
ON the 12 day of Christmas they told all Germany: He ist still alife

on the 10th day, Iraq is Long Island

On the 8th day, there was a little patter that went:
"Telefunken H-Bomb? What the 'ell is a telefunken H-Bomb? Well, it's like a Telefunken radio, but when you're trying to get London, your're trying to *get* London!"

On the 7th day, it is "The US send us, free: 7 more million dollars"

On the 5th day of Christmas, my true love said to me: "To hell..."

Kappy-happy Joy-joy! Now I can embarrass my childen and grandchildren at Thanksgiving dinner!

DrWindy

Subject: Origins: 12 days of christmas
From: GUEST,download
Date: 15 Dec 09 - 02:29 PM

Does anybody know the group that sang 12 days of christmas with a ww2 tilt, that ended
'on the 12th day of christmas they told all germany, he is still alive". I heard this version as a kid and I cant seem to find the group who sung it.

Subject: RE: Origins: 12 days of christmas (WW2 version)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Dec 09 - 03:14 PM

Hi-
I combined your request with messages from a previous thread. You'll find what you're looking for above, although it needs some correction.
-Joe-

Subject: ADD: Twelve Days of Christmas (Eric Blau)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Dec 09 - 03:57 PM

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
(Eric Blau)
^^
SPOKEN INTRO
The time is the present, 1964, and imagine, if you will, a scene
in West Germany where my friends and I are having a little party.
It's quite a private party, we're celebrating the coming holiday
season, Christmas, and the new year.

On the first day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
A partridge in a pear tree

On the second day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the third day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Three anti-semites
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the fourth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Four top Gestapo leaders
Three anti-semites
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the fifth day of Christmas
My true love said to me
To Hell with Adenauer
Four Gestapo leaders
Three anti-semites
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the sixth day of Christmas
We received from Israel
Six guided missiles
To Hell with Adenauer
Four Gestapo leaders
Three anti-semites
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the seventh day of Christmas
The US sent us free
Seven more million dollars
Six guided missiles
To Hell with Adenauer
Four Gestapo leaders
Three anti-semites
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the eighth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
A Telefunken H-Bomb
A Telefunken H-Bomb? Jawohl, a Telefunken H-Bomb.
Let me show you this Telefunken H-Bomb.
It looks just like an ordinary Telefunken Radio.
Except when you're trying to get England,
YOU'RE TRYING TO GET ENGLAND!
Seven million dollars
Six guided missiles
To Hell with Adenauer
Four Gestapo leaders
Three anti-semites
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the ninth day of Christmas
We heard officially
They hanged the wrong Eichmann
Telefunken H-Bomb
Seven million dollars
Six guided missiles
To Hell with Adenauer
Four Gestapo leaders
Three anti-semites
Cousin Rudy's blessings
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the tenth day of Christmas
Herr Rockwell* sent us free
Ten swastika scribblers
Got the wrong Eichmann
Telefunken H-Bomb
Seven million dollars
Six guided missiles
To Hell with Adenauer
Four Gestapo leaders
Three anti-semites
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the eleventh day of Christmas
We heard officially:
"Monocles are back!"
Ten swastika scribblers
Got the wrong Eichmann
Telefunken H-Bomb
Seven million dollars
Six guided missiles
To Hell with Adenauer
Four Gestapo leaders
Three anti-semites
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the twelfth day of Christmas
They told all Germany:
"HE is still alive."
Monocles are back
Ten swastika scribblers
Got the wrong Eichmann
Telefunken H-Bomb
Seven million dollars
Six guided missiles
To Hell with Adenauer
Four Gestapo leaders
Three anti-semites
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear - Merry Christmas, everybody - tree


*George Lincoln Rockwell, founder of the American Nazi Party

from The Very Best of the Chad Mitchell Trio

---

The Chad Mitchell Trio made an earlier recording (titled "Twelve Days" on the reissue I have) on their 1963 Singin' Our Mind album.

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
(Eric Blau)

SPOKEN INTRO
The time is the present, 1963, and imagine, if you will, a scene
in West Germany where my friends and I are having a little party.
It's quite a private party, we're celebrating the coming holiday
season, Christmas, and the new year.

On the first day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
A partridge in a pear tree

On the second day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the third day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Three anti-semites
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the fourth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Four top Gestapo leaders
Three anti-semites
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the fifth day of Christmas
My true love said to me
To Hell with Adenauer
Four Gestapo leaders
Three anti-semites
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the sixth day of Christmas
We received from Israel
Six guided missiles
To Hell with Adenauer
Four Gestapo leaders
Three anti-semites
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the seventh day of Christmas
The US sent us free
Seven more million dollars
Six guided missiles
To Hell with Adenauer
Four Gestapo leaders
Three anti-semites
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the eighth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
A Telefunken H-Bomb
A Telefunken H-Bomb? Ja, a Telefunken H-Bomb.
Let me show you this Telefunken H-Bomb.
It looks just like an ordinary Telefunken Radio.
Except when you're trying to get England,
YOU'RE TRYING TO GET ENGLAND!
Seven million dollars
Six guided missiles
To Hell with Adenauer
Four Gestapo leaders
Three anti-semites
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the ninth day of Christmas
We heard officially
They got the wrong Eichmann
Telefunken H-Bomb
Seven million dollars
Six guided missiles
To Hell with Adenauer
Four Gestapo leaders
Three anti-semites
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the tenth day of Christmas
Long Island* sent us free
Ten swastika scribblers
Got the wrong Eichmann
Telefunken H-Bomb
Seven million dollars
Six guided missiles
To Hell with Adenauer
Four Gestapo leaders
Three anti-semites
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the eleventh day of Christmas
We heard officially:
"Monocles are back!"
Ten swastika scribblers
Got the wrong Eichmann
Telefunken H-Bomb
Seven million dollars
Six guided missiles
To Hell with Adenauer
Four Gestapo leaders
Three anti-semites
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the twelfth day of Christmas
They told all Germany:
"HE is still alive."
Monocles are back
Ten swastika scribblers
Got the wrong Eichmann
Telefunken H-Bomb
Seven million dollars
Six guided missiles
To Hell with Adenauer
Four Gestapo leaders
Three anti-semites
Rudolf Hess's blessings
And a partridge in a pear - Merry Christmas, everybody - tree

Source: http://lyrics.wikia.com/Chad_Mitchell_Trio:The_Twelve_Days_Of_Christmas
I made a few corrections, after listening to the 1963 recording.

*Long Island - not sure about the background of this, but I think there was a lot of antisemitic graffiti in Long Island at the time. -JRO-

---

You'll find biographical information on songwriter Eric Blau (1921-2009) at Wikipedia. Blau was creator of the off-Broadway play, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. Eric Blau is listed in the credits for many English versions of songs by Jacques Brel.