Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: GUEST,Piet with an I
Date: 14 Mar 16 - 06:26 PM

I would like to find the lyrics in "German" that Flaco Jimenez sings. That ain't no Hochdeutsch [standard German]. Maybe Dutch? Can anyone help?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: PHJim
Date: 06 Dec 14 - 07:10 AM

The GUEST:Jim post above was from me, before I became a Mudcat member.


John Hartford's version

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Dec 14 - 06:50 PM

I learned this in Racine, Wisconsin, probably in the late 1950s. I sang the song long before I was old enough to drink the beer.

-Joe-

Subject: Lyr Add: EN EL CIELO NO HAY CERVEZA
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 05 Dec 14 - 06:12 PM

You can hear this at YouTube:


EN EL CIELO NO HAY CERVEZA
As recorded by Flaco Jimenez on "Squeeze Box King"

En el cielo no hay cerveza que beber
Por eso ando tomando noche y día
Porque ya cuando se me llegue el día
En el mundo seguirá la Ferrusquilla.*

[He follows it with an English verse and a German verse, then repeat.]


I found the above lyrics online; I am unable to confirm they are accurate.

Google's translation didn't make much sense. I'm hoping someone else can provide a better one.

* Ferrusquilla was the nickname of songwriter José Ángel Espinoza. I don't know whether the word has another meaning.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: GUEST,Steamin' WIllie
Date: 10 Nov 09 - 04:31 AM

In Heaven there is no....... heaven

Oh heck, derailing the thread here..

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: GUEST,Dingo
Date: 10 Nov 09 - 04:10 AM

The Soggy Bottom boys do a good run of this song.Chords are G C D

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: GUEST,Guest, Mr. Grant
Date: 16 Sep 07 - 09:08 AM

Make it singable!!:

Wonderful is the wine that hails from the Rhine.
True is a champagne that tastes so fine.
Strong is the schnapps that holds one up,
Clever are the people who drink it all up!

Every man makes his choices, such as how to be sheared?
One is smoothly shaved, the other dons a beard.
One wants for sausage, the other for football,
So I confess my thirst is one above all!

In Heaven there is no beer,
that's why we drink it here.
When we are no longer here,
Then the others will drink all our beer.

Wisco represent!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 25 Jun 07 - 05:13 PM

The German words by Ernst Neubach are correctly cited by Craig Covey (11 Feb 07).
Two small corrections to his comments:
Drum, and the spelling drum for daran, without apostrophe, will be found in any good German Dictionary (e. g. Cassell's Wörterbuch, Langenscheidt, etc.).
(Often used in German is the idiom "mit allem Drum und Dran"- with everything that goes with it; with all the trimmings.)

Tick, of course, appears in German dictionaries, an old Low German and Middle Dutch word, originally teke, meaning a whim, fancy, bent, fad, crochet. It is the origin of the English 'tick' (See Oxford English Dictionary).
(The idiom 'einen Tick haben' means to be dotty or cracked.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: mrmoe
Date: 25 Jun 07 - 01:28 PM

Being from western massachusetts (an area with a very large German and Polish population), I remember hearing several groups do this song - long before the formation of Clean Living.....The Andy Cheburla Orchestra, Happy Louie, and others.....didn't care for it much then either.....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: GUEST,Craig Covey
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 11:42 PM

Original Words from Ernst Neubach:

Verse 1:
"Sicher muß der Wein vom Rhein etwas Wunderbares sein.
Sicher ist ein feiner Sekt etwas, was besonders schmeckt.
Sicher ist der Schnaps so scharf, daß man einen heben darf.
Aber heut' seid's gescheit, liebe Leut'."

Translation:
Truly must the wine from the Rhein be wonderful,
Truly there is a fine champagne, that tastes particularly good.
Truly the Schnapps is so strong, that it can hold you up.
But today the people are clever.

Verse 2:
"Jeder Mensch hat seinen Tick und seine Eigenart.
Eine fliegt auf glatt rasiert, die and're auf den Bart.
Einer möcht' nur Fußballspiel, dem andern ist das Wurst.
Ich allein gesteh' es ein, ich hab' immer einen Durst."

Translation:
Every man has his "tick" and his characteristics.
One is smoothly shaved, the other has a beard.
One wishes only to play soccer, the other wants sausage.
I alone confess it, I am always thirsty.

NOTE: The word tick doesn't exist in German; however, the author took other liberties in the lyrics and refrain. The original refrain omits an apostrophe to indicate a compound word in the second line. The common (for the sake of syllable count and beat) spelling for darum is "drum".

Refrain:
Im Himmel gibt's kein Bier,
D'rum trinken wir es hier.
Denn sind wir nicht mehr hier,
Dann trinken die andern unser Bier.

Translation:
In Heaven there is no beer,
that's why we drink it here.
When we are no longer here,
Then the others will drink our beer.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: GUEST,DJTom
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 02:42 AM

Are you searching for these Lyrics?-

BEER IN HEAVEN POLKA
(AKA In Heaven There Is No Beer)

In Heaven there is no beer
That's why we drink it here
And when we're gone from here
All our friends will be drinking all our beer

In Heaven there is no wine
Lets drink til we feel fine
And when it comes our time
All our friends will be drinking all our wine

In Heaven there is no drink
At least thats what we think
And when we go ca-plink
All our friends will be drinking all our drink

In Heaven there is no beer
That's why we drink it here
And when we're gone from here
All our friends will be drinking all our beer

In Heaven there is no beer
Let's stay and Drink it here
And when our friends aren't here
We will be drinking all their beer

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: GUEST,Mr. Kaizer
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 12:03 PM

I've only heard The Pogues' version, which is very good in my opinion.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Nov 06 - 03:32 PM

To add a little to post by Jim Dixon:
Ernst Neubach was known primarily as a screenwriter; perhaps best known was the 1956 "Die Fischern vom Bodensee," which was given 'art' theatre showing in America.
Ralph Maria Siegel, b. 1911, was a songwriter, also writing music for films. He did the score for the 1955 English film "I Am a Camera," the script of which received poor reviews in New York.

The German text of the song in the DT is OK, except umlauts and 'double-ess' S#223; are not printed. See http://ingeb.org/Lieder/imhimmeg.html for accurate transcription.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 29 Nov 06 - 12:24 PM

John Hartford also sang this song. That's where I first heard the verse about smoke given by michaelr back a few posts.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: Don Firth
Date: 28 Nov 06 - 02:02 PM

Give a man a free beer and he'll get drunk for one day. Teach a man how to make beer and he'll stare at you for a few moments, then go looking for a free beer somewhere else.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: GUEST,William
Date: 28 Nov 06 - 12:58 PM

Anybody know the chords foe ,In Heaven There Is No Beer ? please

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Jun 06 - 08:36 AM

I was mistaken (in my footnote above). This German Karaoke web page gives this information:

IM HIMMEL GIBT'S KEIN BIER
Text: Ernst Neubach
Musik: Ralph Maria Siegel

[Interestingly, though, it seems the German verses have no counterpart in English. At least no one has posted any English verses and I don't recall hearing any. In English, we sing only the chorus, and variations of it. I don't even know what the verses sound like.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 30 Jun 06 - 08:36 AM

Didn't die of Lung Cancer, did he?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 30 Jun 06 - 08:26 AM

Frank moved on from Clean Living and "In Heaven There Is No Beer" to playing BANJO! Does anyone else see the inevitable progression here? What's next?? H-E-L-PPPPPP!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Jun 06 - 08:11 AM

The BMI Repertoire gives this information:

NO BEER IN HEAVEN (Legal Title)

Alternate Titles:
YOU CAN'T GET BEER IN HEAVEN
IN HEAVEN THERE IS NO BEER
IM HIMMEL GIBT'S KEIN BIER

Songwriter/Composer*
NEUBACH ERNEST ERNST
SIEGEL RALPH MARIA

Publishers
BEECHWOOD MUSIC CORPORATION

Artists
CLEAN LIVING
DILLARD HARTFORD DILLARD
EDDIE AND THE SLOVENES
ELLINGER COMBO
FLOREN MYRON
HAPPY ORGAN
HAPPY POLKATEERS
JANICEK POLKA BAND
LI'L WALLY
MAGIC ORGAN

*[I suspect Neubach wrote the original German song and Siegel wrote the English translation.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: Slag
Date: 29 Jun 06 - 01:31 AM

(... so apparently they never heard Ben Franklin's irrefutable, "God loves us. The fact that He gaves us beer proves it." or words to that effect. No Beer in heaven indeed...)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: michaelr
Date: 24 Jun 06 - 02:07 PM

In heaven there is no smoke
That's why we better have another toke
`Cos someday when we croak
All our friends will be smoking all our smoke

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: Tannywheeler
Date: 24 Jun 06 - 12:32 PM

Obvious sign of child abuse: I remember hearing this song(in Eng.) a few times before high school. I graduated in 1961. Can't tell you definitely more date info than that. Attended hs in both NY and TX. Needs to be sung more.      Tw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: GUEST,Tex
Date: 24 Jun 06 - 10:58 AM

You ought to hear Flaco Jimenez' arrangement of the song, done with a Mexican twist on the traditional polka sound. Flaco is Texas' own national king of the squeezebox, and he sings it in Spanish, English, and German.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: GUEST,Mary
Date: 05 May 05 - 10:08 PM

Come to Green Bay....'Sconsin.....and you will definitely sing in heaven there is no beer also ! Its such a fun song to sing and to dance too !!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: GUEST,Adam in 'Sconsin
Date: 05 May 05 - 02:49 PM

Apparently nobody has ever traveled to wisconsin...this song is practically a state anthem...go to essen haus beer hall in madison and you are guaranteed to here it

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Mar 05 - 06:54 AM

this is screwed. who the f*&% cares who wrote it. its a wicked 'song' (if you could call it that) it is extreemly entertaining. what more do you need to know?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven There Is No Beer
From: GUEST,john drut
Date: 11 Mar 05 - 11:48 AM

No one wrote it! How could you compose a song like that?
It was invented by a bunch of deer hunters in Nortern Wisconsin at the turn of the century - in a bar - while staring at themselves in the bar mirror over their brew. They had no deer, were drunker than skunks and trying to figure out how they would explain themselves when thy got home! Now this fact can be attested to at Jump River Rosy"s bar in Jump River, Wisconsin; where the hunter's names are written on the walls in honor of their bravery and courage.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven there is no Beer
From: Ron Davies
Date: 20 Feb 05 - 11:12 AM

Rita--

I think you're right---it's "kuehlen", not "gruenen"---after all there is in fact a lot of green in Hawaii. Maybe we should PM Wilfried, Wolfgang or another German Mudcatter to get all the real words. I bet they can help.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven there is no Beer
From: Ferrara
Date: 19 Feb 05 - 08:53 PM

Ron, THAT is the song I do remember and now that I see the words I remember the tune, too. But... I thought the last line was something like (sorry, this is phonetic) :

"Es ist so heiss auf Hawaii, kein Kuhles Pfleg," etc.

I.e. "it is so hot in Hawaii," then I think the next bit is supposed to mean, "there's no cool breeze." ????? Note this rhymes with Weg; although I may have the wrong word and/or spelling, I know it rhymed.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven there is no Beer
From: Ron Davies
Date: 19 Feb 05 - 01:10 PM

Certainly didn't mean to put down Germany. In fact I had a great time while I was there. Even though it may be gray and chilly during the winter, die Kneipen, Fasching, das Schunkeln, skiiing, and the cultural life in general, especially the music, made the gray times no problem at all. (But there sure were a lot of songs about sunny places, like Spain, Italy --and Hawaii.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven there is no Beer
From: Ron Davies
Date: 19 Feb 05 - 12:49 PM

Not exactly heaven, but Hawaii--perhaps a variation on the theme. I expect for somebdy in crowded gray, chilly Germany, Hawaii probably would be close to heaven. But, according to this, missing one important item. Anybody have any more verses.?


Es gibt kein Bier auf Hawaii, es gibt kein Bier
Drum fahr' ich nicht nach Hawaii, drum bleib' ich hier
Es gibt kein Bier auf Hawaii, kein gruener Fleck
Und nur vom Hula Hula geht der Durst nicht weg.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven there is no Beer
From: Kaleea
Date: 19 Feb 05 - 03:11 AM

Jeepers! My all time fav German drinking song! Thanks for the German text. I learned this playing in the Polka band up in MinNEEsoTUH.
I once had a room full of elderly in a nursing home singing to Polkas during October activities. I looked out in the hall & saw the Mother Superior who had come to visit our resident who was a nun as we were singing this very song. As she turned around my thoughts were how much the Mother Superior would think we were all atrocious sinners, & me the worst of all, leading the singing. As I watched, her face was smiling & she was waving her hand back & forth to the Music & singing along! Turns out she was from Wisconsin, played the accordion, & wanted a copy of the Music.
    & the darndest thing--I had a black lab that would jump up & dance to this song everytime I would sing it. Every Octoberfest I've ever been to this is one of the songs that is sung during the "singalong" portion.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven there is no Beer
From: Ferrara
Date: 18 Feb 05 - 12:57 PM

Thanks for the German words KC. I've never heard it in English, didn't even know there was an English language version; but I went with German friends to the Munich Oktoberfest and I remember hearing it a LOT.

Can't remember the tune, darn it. Sometimes memories like that come back gradually though, once I remember a fragment of a song.

Rita

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven there is no Beer
From: GUEST,Al
Date: 18 Feb 05 - 12:51 AM

We have this on our CROOKED STOVEPIPE CD by Old Time Confusion, complete with English and German Lyrics, and a party. It's a great old song.
Al

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven there is no Beer
From:
Date: 18 Feb 05 - 12:04 AM

The last recording that I know of is that of 'Clean Living' 'In Heaven Thjere Is No Beer' , hit thje Number One Charts in the 1980's.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven there is no Beer
From: poodie
Date: 15 May 00 - 06:30 AM

In Heaven there is no beer - Frank Yankovic

I have this one on Real Audio if anyone wants it I will be glad to send it to them. Request it at my message board: http://www.InsideTheWeb.com/mbs.cgi/mb1026896

Have a good week.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven there is no Beer
From: Stewie
Date: 15 May 00 - 03:09 AM

Thanks for that, Dale. There's plenty of hot instrumental in the Brave Combo version too. They must have used the trad/public domain polka tune and Finch wrote some of the verses. After I had transcribed it this morning, I found a Brave Combo site with all their lyrics! It's worth a look:

Click Here

Does Frank Yankovic's version have lyrics? Judging from his site and various polka sites, he recorded it a number of times.

Cheers, Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven there is no Beer
From: Dale Rose
Date: 15 May 00 - 02:48 AM

Stewie, I think there probably is a more complete version somewhere, but Clean Living's version is a heck of a lot more fun. I've never heard the Brave Combo lyrics anywhere, they must be original with them. It was a well known polka tune, long before Clean Living made it their own. I've never heard polka bands voice some of those sentiments. Barbara (and Frank) can correct me if these lyrics are wrong. :-) It was really fun to see her account of how the song came to be!

In Heaven, there is no beer
That's why we drink it here (AHAA!!)
And when we're gone from here
Well, our friends will be drinking all the beer.

spoken, make that yelled ~~ EVERYBODY SING!

repeat: In Heaven, there is no beer, etc.

Lala La La La La (sing this a bunch of times)

Hot instrumental with whoops, yells, etc.

Repeat two more times. Be sure to insert appropriate La La's, AHAA'S, and whoops whenever you feel like it.

More hot instrumental.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven there is no Beer
From: Stewie
Date: 15 May 00 - 01:21 AM

I was just going by the note on the Brave Combo CD - the only place I've heard the song. Are Brave Combo's lyrics the same as the Clean Living ones? If so, the lads got it seriously wrong somehow. They are normally pretty reliable with their sources. Elsewhere in the insert, in relation to a tune titled 'Potato Chip Polka', they mention a Les Blank documentary also called 'In Heaven There Is No Beer'. Weird.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven there is no Beer
From: paddymac
Date: 15 May 00 - 12:02 AM

It's a fun song, sure enough, but also a first-rate oxymoron. How could anyplace be heaven if it had no beer, wine, sex, ets., etc. "Hey, Mr. Custer, I Don't Wanna Go"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven there is no Beer
From: Dale Rose
Date: 14 May 00 - 09:33 PM

Back in the olden days, I used to go to the tavern a lot ~~ not to drink mind you, but to enjoy the Royal Crown Cola, John's homemade pizza, and the company of good friends who were there, usually after a high school basketball game. You could NOT spend more than an hour without hearing IN HEAVEN THERE IS NO BEER!!!!! in that wonderfully raucous version by Clean Living at least once, and likely more. One day I decided to punch up the other side and discovered what I'd call the real Clean Living, a really nifty song called Backwoods Girl. That is when I decided I had to have the album. Here almost 30 years later, I still have it (and play it), though I do wish Barbara had not reminded me how really long ago it was! If you can find it, I'd recommend it. VANGUARD 79318, I've seen it listed at used lp sites anywhere from $14 to $20, with the single priced in the $4-$5 range, but if you bought the single you'd miss all the other good stuff, none of which is anything like IHTINB.

You can hear a sound sample of the Clean Living version on Dr. Demento: 25th Anniversary Collection courtesy of CDNow. (I'm not going to bother with breaks here, it should be readable without them)

Disc1 01. Smells Like Nirvana - "Weird Al" Yankovic Cobain/Nirvana

02. Heartbreak Hotel - Stan Freberg Axton/Durden 03. The Curly Shuffle - Jump 'N The Saddle Quinn 04. Rubber Biscuit - The Chips Johnson 05. The Martian Boogie - Brownsville Station Koda/Lutz 06. Fast Food - Stevens & Grdnic Grdnic/Stevens 07. Car Phone - Sheeler & Sheeler Davis/Fries 08. Highly Illogical - Leonard Nimoy Grean/Hertz 09. One More Minute - 'Weird Al' Yankovic Kankovic 10. No, I Don't Wanna Do Dat - The Happy Schnapps Combo Krueger 11. Dance Of The Hours - Spike Jones & His City Slickers Ponchielli 12. My Dead Dog Rover - Hank, Stu, Dave & Hank Landsberg 13. There's A New Sound - Tony Burrello Burrello/Murray 14. When I Was A Dinosaur - Trout Fishing In America Armer/Egan 15. The Old Philosopher - Eddie Lawrence Lawrence 16. Happy Boy - The Beat Farmers Becker/Conover 17. Tip-Toe Thru' The Tulips With Me - Tiny Tim Burke/Dubin 18. Shaving Cream - Benny Bell Bell

Disc2 01. Particle Man - They Might Be Giants Flansburgh

02. Sensitive New Age Guys - Christine Lavin Gorka/Lavin 03. The Hunting Song - Tom Lehrer With Orchestra Lehrer 04. Achy Breaky Song - 'Weird Al' Yankovic 05. In Heaven There Is No Beer - Clean Living Newbach/Siegel 06. I Gotta Get A Fake I.D. - Barnes & Barnes, With Friends Barnes/Barnes 07. Peter The Meter Reader - Meri Wilson Bearman 08. Everybody Wants My Fanny - Benny Bell Bell

09. Entering Marion - John Forster Forster 10. 'Cause I'm A Blonde - Julie Brown Brown/Coffey

11. Leader Of The Laundromat - The Detergents Pockriss 12. Song Of The Sewer - Art Carney Dubey/Karr 13. Mr. Custer - Larry Verne Darion/DeLory 14. Second Week Of Deer Camp - Da Yoopers DeCaire/Potila 15. Timothy - The Buoys Holmes 16. Stardrek - Bobby Pickett & Peter Ferrara Ferrara/Pickett 17. Three Little Pigs - Green Jelly Levinthal/Manspea

18. Moose Turd Pie - Utah Phillips Public Domain

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven there is no Beer
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 14 May 00 - 08:34 PM

Yup, this thread caught my eye! I checked with the resident expert to get the facts. My husband Frank was bass player and vocalist in the band "Clean Living" which recorded this song on the Vanguard label in 1971. It was on the self-named album as well as a single, and apparently was pretty popular.

He says it was written by two guys named Ralph Segal and Ernst Neubach.

The Clean Livers claim that they used to goof off with this song to loosen up before a gig. At this, their first recording session, the producer gave them buckets of cheap wine and told them to loosen up with a few tunes. They cranked out this one, with the engineers, producers, hangers-on, everyone singing and yelling and having a grand old time. Didn't know it was being recorded, and never expected it to be a hit! So then this serious, folk/rock band had to live down this song that has forevermore followed them.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven there is no Beer
From: jets
Date: 14 May 00 - 07:14 PM

I always thought Frankie Yankovic wrote it .If not, he sure did a lot to make it popular.

Subject: Lyr Add: IN HEAVEN THERE IS NO BEER (Brave Combo^^
From: Stewie
Date: 14 May 00 - 07:13 PM

The Brave Combo adaptation goes as follows:

IN HEAVEN THERE IS NO BEER
(Traditional, arranged and adapted C. Finch)

In heaven there is no beer [no beer!]
That's why we drink it here
And when we are gone from here
Our friends will be drinking all the beer

In heaven there is no wine [no wine!]
So we drink till we feel fine
And when we leave this all behind
Our friends will be drinking all the wine

In heaven there is no fear [no fear?]
So we worry too much here
And we drink ourselves full of beer
To help us when we deal with the fear

In heaven there are no drugs [no drugs!]
It's why we hang with thugs
And when the lord pulls the plug
All the thugs will still be selling drugs

In heaven there is no sex [oh, no!]
So let's do that next
And when our muscles no longer flex
Someone else will be having sex

In heaven there are no wars [no wars]
Or cars or movie stars
And when we no longer are
The world will probably still be having wars

They note: 'Famous old Czech song about beer. We've expanded the theme a little, but it's all the same. What the heck'.

--Stewie. ^^

Subject: Lyr Req: IM HIMMEL GIBT'S KEIN BIER (E Neubach)^^
From: Ship'scat
Date: 14 May 00 - 06:46 PM

Folks,

I'd always thought it was an old (or at least oldish) German beer garden song. I haven't the foggiest of who Ernst Neubach is or when he wrote this or if he wrote it. I do think its older than Tom T. Hall. Look at http://www.ingeb.org/Lieder/imhimmeg.html for an umpah midi. Note the verse is different from the chorus.

Regards, KC

IM HIMMEL GIBT'S KEIN BIER
Ernst Neubach

Im Himmel gibt's kein Bier,
Drum trinken wir es hier.
Denn sind wir nicht mehr hier,
Dann trinken die andern unser Bier.

Sicher muß der Wein vom Rhein
Etwas Wunderbares sein.
Sicher ist ein feiner Sekt etwas,
Was besonders schmeckt.
Sicher ist der Schnaps so scharf,
Daß man einen heben darf.
Aber heut' seid's gescheit, liebe Leut'.
Im Himmel gibt's kein Bier . . . .

Jeder Mensch hat seinen Tick
Und seine Eigenart.
Eine fliegt auf glatt rasiert,
Die and're auf den Bart.
Einer möcht' nur Fußballspiel,
Dem andern ist das Wurst.
Ich allein gesteh' es ein,
Ich hab' immer einen Durst.
Im Himmel gibt's kein Bier . . . . ^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven there is no Beer
From: Stewie
Date: 14 May 00 - 06:21 PM

Carl Finch of the marvellous dance band from Texas, Brave Combo, adapted it from Czech traditional song. You'll find it on Brave Combo 'Polkas for a Gloomy World' Rounder CD 9045. As they say, 'with its relentless tension and release, polka has fun with life'.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven there is no Beer
From: Dale Rose
Date: 14 May 00 - 06:14 PM

I expect you'd best wait for Barbara Shaw to do this. I imagine she has heard it more times than anyone else here. Clue: it wasn't Tom T. Hall.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven there is no Beer
From: Gary T
Date: 14 May 00 - 06:11 PM

Well shoot, I couldn't find it on Cowpie. They did have "I Like Beer" by Tom T. Hall, which makes me think I might have confused the two songs. I distinctly remember it as a country chart song, possibly a minor hit. I believe the artist was at least reasonably well-known, but now I have doubts as to whether it was Tom T. Hall.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In Heaven there is no Beer
From: Gary T
Date: 14 May 00 - 06:03 PM

Margo, I know it as a country chart hit by Tom T. Hall. It's a virtual certainty he wrote it. Chances are it's on Cowpie.

Subject: In Heaven there is no Beer
From: Margo
Date: 14 May 00 - 05:37 PM

I've heard this sung locally. A verse I remember is:

In heaven there is no beer,
that's why we drink it here
When we are gone from here
All our friends will be drinking all our beer

The verses continue with rum, whiskey, etc. Anyone know this one? Or do you know who wrote it?

Thanks, Margo