Lyr Add: Solomon Levi / Old Solomon Levy

Subject: Lyr Add: Old Solomon Levy
From: Jack Campin
Date: 06 Nov 15 - 07:12 PM

From the Klezmer Klub's CD "Whitechapel, mayn Vaytshepl", KRCD001, 2009.

Both Morgan Street and Old Solomon Levy, collected by Derek Reid from his mother, Sylvie Reid, were well known street songs or children's chants that she had learned as a child on the streets of Whitechapel. Solomon Levy was an itinerant Jewish musician. In 1924 when Sylvie was eight, she would watch Solomon Levy play, and the children would come out and the girls would dance around him. She had a clear memory of his pitches in Hessel Street market, outside the Whitechapel hospital, Petticoat Lane and Bell Lane.

Old Solomon Levy, tralala lalala la
Di mame gemakht di kliskes tralala lalala la
A froy mit funf kinder aroys fun der vinder
Un oy zi krekhtzt un oy zi lakht
Fun old Solomon Levy.

Old Solomon Levy, tralala lalala la
The mother is making noodles, tralala lalala la
A woman with five children looks out the window
And oy she moans and laughs
At old Solomon Levy.

I've heard Vivi Lachs, the singer on that CD, talking about this. She collected songs in Jewish old people's homes around London; all the oldest residents knew that song. If I remember right, the implication was that Solomon Levy was in fact the father of a lot of the children, being a noted womanizer. Some people knew more, but that's all they have on the CD and all that most of the old people remembered.

I'll ABC the tune when I get the chance.

(Note: there are queries on Mudcat about "Old Solomon Levi" - that implies a different pronunciation in British English, so mods, please don't mess with the spelling used here).

Subject: Lyr Add: Solomon Levi
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Mar 18 - 06:54 PM

This song has been mentioned many times here, but I don't think the complete lyrics have been posted. I found this version on page 27 of Selected Songs Sung at Harvard College: From 1862 to 1866 (Cambridge: Press of J. Wilson and Sons, 1866)

SOLOMON LEVI.

My name is Solomon Levi,
At my store on Salem street,
That's where you'll buy your coats and vests,
And everything that's neat.
I've second handed ulsterettes,
And everything that's fine,
For all the boys they trade with me
At one hundred and forty-nine.

CHORUS:
Oh! Solomon Levi. Levi! Tra la la la.
Poor Sheeny Levi. Tra la la la la la la la la la.
My name is Solomon Levi,
At my store in Salem street,
That's where you'll buy your coats and vests,
And everything else that's neat.
Second handed ulsterettes,
And everything else that's fine,
For all the boys they trade with me
At one hundred and forty-nine.

And if a loafer comes along
To my store on Salem street
And tries to hang me up for coats
And vests so very neat,
I kicks the loafer right out of my store
And on him sets my pup,
For I won't sell clothing to any man
    Who tries to set me up.
Chorus—Oh! Solomon Levi. Levi! Tra la la la, etc.


There's music notation at hymnary.org

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUiHqRtbb9I

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Solomon Levi
From: GUEST,Jack Campin
Date: 28 Mar 18 - 03:11 AM

Vivi Lachs (singer who has done a lot of song collecting in London old folks' homes) thinks that one comes from the Jewish East End of London, and has a backstory about Solomon Levi, who was an outrageous womanizer. I think it's on the CD she did of London Jewish songs, "Whitechapel, mayn Vaytshapl" (I probably don't have that title quite right).

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Solomon Levi
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Mar 18 - 03:47 AM

Not very good audio, but here's Vivi Lachs singing "Old Solomon Levy" in Yiddish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXlpLcVu_y8

Thanks for the lead, Jack. She's terrific.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Solomon Levi
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Mar 18 - 03:52 AM

Here's a YouTube video by Klezmer Klub of "Old Solomon Levy":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw1lv9RhZd4 (may not play in all locations)

The name of the album is Whitechapel, mayn Vaytshepl so I'm guessing its Vivi Lachs singing lead.
I missed your post of this when I searched earlier, Jack. I combined your thread with mine, so your 2015 post is now at the top of this thread.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Solomon Levi / Old Solomon Levy
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 04 Apr 18 - 06:42 AM

Another version, from the "Scottish Students' Song Book"

SOLOMON LEVI
(words & music) Fred Seaver

1, My name is Solomon Levi;
At my store on Chatham street,
That's where you'll buy your coats and vests,
And ev'rything that's neat;
I've second-handed ulsterettes,
And ev'rything that's fine,
For all the boys they trade with me
At a hundred and forty-nine.

CHORUS:
O Solomon Levi! Levi! Tra la la la!
Poor Sheeny Levi. Tra la la la la la la la la la.
My name is Solomon Levi;
At my store on Chatham street,
That's where you'll buy your coats and vests,
And ev'rything else that's neat.
Second handed ulsterettes,
And ev'rything else that's fine;
For all the boys they trade with me
At a hundred and forty-nine.

2, And if a bummer comes along
To my store on Chatham street,
And tries to hang me up for coats
And vests so very neat;
I kicks the bummer right out of my store
And on him sets my pup,
For I won't sell clothing to any man
Who tries to set me up.

Chorus—Oh! Solomon Levi. Levi! Tra la la la, etc.

3, The people are delighted to come inside of my store,
And trade with the elegant gentleman what I keeps to walk the floor.
He is a blood among the Sheenies, beloved by one and all.
And his clothes they fit him just like the paper on the wall.


Main differences are 'Chatham Street' (for Salem Street), Bummers (for loafers), elision of a syllable from several 'everythings'.
Also addition of a third verse.
NP

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Solomon Levi / Old Solomon Levy
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 04 Apr 18 - 06:57 AM

The format of V3 (4 lines) suggests that this should be the general layout. The earlier verses were copied from printing below the melody line, so the split into lines was arbitrary.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Solomon Levi / Old Solomon Levy
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 04 Apr 18 - 10:53 PM

Joe -

I believe it is a song/tune within the California public schools music books circa 1953- 1960.

There is also a recording...that involved Dance
steps...trying tune....NOLA "font

Sincerelt,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Solomon Levi / Old Solomon Levy
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 05 Apr 18 - 05:46 PM

From the version quoted above (Scottish Students' SongBook) here's the ABC. Done over two verses & choruses as there are changes to note lengths due to scansion (and I haven't got to grips with putting alternates in ABC):

X: 1
T: Solomon Levi
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
C: Fred Seaver
Z: NP 04/04/2018
K: Bb
F| F2 F F F F | F2 F D2 F| G2 G G2 G| G3 z2 G| A2 A A2 A| A2 A (AG) A| G2 F F2 G|F3 z2 F| F2 F F2 F| F2 F D2 F| G2 G G2 G| G3 z2 G| A2 A A2 A| A2 A A2 A/ A/| F F F G2 A| B3 z3|| d3 A A A | B3 G3| d2 d c B A | G2 z4| c3 G2 G| A3F3| c d c B A G|F G F (_EC) F| F2 F F F F| F2 F D2 F| G2 G G2 G| G3 z2 G| A2 A A2 A| A2 A A2 G| G F F F2 d| F3 z3| F2 F F2 F| F2 F F2 F| G G G G2 G| G3 z2 G| A2 A A2 A| A2 A A2 G/ G/| F F F G2 A| B3 z2|| F| F2 F F2 F | F2 F D2 F/ F/| G2 G G2 G| G3 z2 G| A2 A A2 A| A2 A (AG) A| G2 F F2 G|F3 z2 F| F2 F F F F| F F F D2 F| G2 G G2 G| G3 z2 G/ G/| A2 A A A A| A2 A A2 A| F2 F G2 A| B3 z3| d3 A A A | B3 G3| d2 d c B A | G2 z4| c3 G2 G| A3F3| c d c B A G|F G F (_EC) F| F2 F F F F| F2 F D2 F| G2 G G2 G| G3 z2 G| A2 A A2 A| A2 A A2 G| G F F F2 d| F3 z3| F2 F F2 F| F2 F F2 F| G G G G2 G| G3 z2 G| A2 A A2 A| A2 A A2 G/ G/| F F F G2 A| B3 z2||
w: 1)~My name is Sol-o-mon Le-vi; At my store on Chat-ham street, That's where you'll buy your coats and vests,_ And ev’-ry-thing that's neat; I've se-cond-han-ded ul-ster-ettes, And ev’-ry-thing that's fine, For all the boys they trade with me At a hun-dred and for-ty-nine. O Sol-o-mon Le-vi! Le-vi! Tra la la la! Poor Shee-ny Le-vi. Tra la la la la la la la la la._ My name is Sol-o-mon Le-vi; At my store on Chat-ham street, That's where you'll buy your coats and vests, And ev’-ry-thing else that's neat. Sec-ond han-ded ul-ster-ettes, And ev’-ry-thing else that's fine; For all the boys they trade with me At a hun-dred and for-ty-nine. 2)~And if a bumm-er comes a-long To my store on Chat-ham street, And tries to hang me up for coats_ And vests so ve-ry neat; I kicks the bum-mer right out of my store And on him sets my pup, For I won't sell clo-thing to a-ny man Who tries to set me up. O Sol-o-mon Le-vi! Le-vi! Tra la la la! Poor Shee-ny Le-vi. Tra la la la la la la la la la._ My name is Sol-o-mon Le-vi; At my store on Chat-ham street, That's where you'll buy your coats and vests, And ev’-ry-thing else that's neat. Sec-ond han-ded ul-ster-ettes, And ev’-ry-thing else that's fine; For all the boys they trade with me At a hun-dred and for-ty-nine.

Cheers
Nigel

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Solomon Levi / Old Solomon Levy
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 06 Apr 18 - 06:12 AM

https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=33927

GUEST Lyle notes within this thread at Date 03 May 01 - 10:40 PM

I'm not sure what the technical name for singing two different songs together, but I recall several years ago hearing a duet with one person singing "A Spanish Cavalier" and the other singing "Soloman Levi." Anyone know the words to that one???

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

 that is the way we would sing it in 4th grade public school 1959....the teacher and records were quite ancient then.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Solomon Levi / Old Solomon Levy
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 06 Apr 18 - 06:20 AM

Links to "The Spanish cavalier" in This thread
Also a description of singing two songs at once as a 'vocal encounter.

Cheers

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Solomon Levi / Old Solomon Levy
From: GUEST,Al Cook, Remembered from Dixie School
Date: 23 Jun 20 - 04:01 PM

My name is Soloman Levi
My store's on Salem street
That's where you buy your coats and hats
and everything else so neat
second handed osterettes and overcoats so fine
for all the boys who trade with me
at a hundred and fourty nine

Old solomon levi, tra la'la la'la la la
Poor solomon levi
tra la la la la la la la la la

Mr Clark gave piano and voice lessons to the rich kids and paid for the priviledge by leading all the classes in group singing once a week.
Solomon Levi, Steven Foster songs were the ones I remember best. From about 1953 to 1961.