Lyr/Tune Req: My Yiddishe Momme (Yellen, Pollack)

Subject: My Yiddishe Momma
From: Laoise, Belfast
Date: 26 May 98 - 09:39 AM

Ok so it's not strictly folk or blues but its a lovely song and I'm trying desperately to get the lyrics (and tune) to My Yiddishe Momma. It's my ma's 60th Birthday in July and I would like to sing it to her now she's 'come of age'. Well it should squeeze a few tears anyway.

Also, Hello to anyone still in the forum who remembers me from last year. Sorry for my long absence but I've had my work cut out for me these past few months. I've missed the craic on these threads.

Slan go foill

Laoise.

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: MY YIDDISHE MOMME (Yellen, Pollack)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 May 98 - 02:18 PM

Welcome back Laoise! We've missed you. I wish your mother the best on her birthday - and you can tell her I think this song is a little "old" for a woman who's only sixty.

MY YIDDISHE MOMME
Words by Jack Yellen
Music by Lew Pollack and Jack Yellen
Copyright © 1925 by DeSylva, Brown & Henderson, Inc.

My Yiddishe Momme, I need her more than ever now.
My Yiddishe Momme, I'd love to kiss that wrinkled brow.
I long to hold her hands once more as in days gone by
And ask her to forgive me for things I did that made her cry.
How few were her pleasures, she never cared for fashion's styles
Her jewels and treasures, she found them in her beby's smiles
Oh, I know that I owe what I am today
To that dear little lady so old and gray;
To that wonderful Yiddishe Momme of mine.

ABC format:

X:1
T:My Yiddishe Momme
M:4/4
Q:1/4=120
K:Bb
D2GDG2B2|-B2G5B|ABcBAGA2|-A8|D8|-D2ADA2c2|
-c2A5c|BcdcBAB2|-B8|B8|-B2c2d2e2|e2e2e2e2|
fed2_d2d2|-d8|G8|-G2A2B2c2|c2c2c2c2|dcBAGAB2|
-B8|D8|-D2GDG2B2|-B2G5B|ABcBAGA2|-A8|D8|-D2ADA2c2|
-c2A5c|BcdcBAB2|-B8|B2c6|-c4d2e2|fed2cde2|
c2c2Bcd2|edc2Bcd2|B2B2ABc2|dcB2AGg2|-g2e6|
d2e2d2g2|-g7/2||

---

Click to play

To play or display ABC tunes, try concertina.net

Subject: RE: My Yiddishe Momma
From: alison
Date: 26 May 98 - 07:44 PM

"Bout ye" Loaise,

Long time no see. How was Belfast at the weekend? Were many people sober around th university area. They didn't cover it much on the news here.

Slainte

alison

Subject: RE: My Yiddishe Momma
From:
Date: 26 May 98 - 08:13 PM

To hear the song at its schmaltziest, listen to the Sophie Tucker version. I don't know where it was recorded, but she was doing it in nightclubs and TV into the '70s.

Murray

Subject: RE: My Yiddishe Momma
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Dec 02 - 06:29 PM

It is the subject of a bizarre recollection by Arthur Koestler in his autobiography _The Invisible Writing_. He was in a hostel in Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan, in 1932:

"As I lay on the sheetless bed, enveloped by gloom and stench, counting the familiar stains on the wall which crused bed-bugs leave behind, I heard the sound of a gramophone in the next room. The record was cracked, and it played the then popular tear-jerker sung by Sophie Tucker, `My Yiddishe Momma'. It sounded eerie in the _dom sovietov_ of Ashkhabad, and I got up to find out who my neighbour was. I knocked at his door and found a young American Negro squatting in front of a portable gramophone in a bare room similar to mine. He turned out to be the poet Langston Hughes, whose `Shoeshine Boy' I had read in Berlin and greatly admired...."

Subject: RE: My Yiddishe Momma
From: Genie
Date: 28 Dec 02 - 10:41 PM

Either Sophie Tucker or Jan Peerce, murray. I understand when he sang the song there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

The lyrics I know are slightly different: (Italics added)



My Yiddishe Mame,* I miss her more than ever now.
My Yiddishe Mame, I'd love to kiss her wrinkled brow.
I long to hold her close once more as in days gone by
And ask her to forgive me for things I did that made her cry.
How few were her pleasures; she never cared for fashion's styles.
Her jewels and treasures, she found them in her baby's smiles.
Oh, I know that I owe what I am today
To that dear little lady who's young, yet gray;
To that wonderful Yiddishe Mame,
Ma-a-a-a-a-a-me mine.

If someone like Masato doesn't beat me to it, I'll post the Yiddish lyrics later.

Genie

Subject: RE: My Yiddishe Momma
From: Genie
Date: 29 Dec 02 - 12:30 AM

click here

Vi shayn vi likhtig iz in hoyz
Ven di mame iz du.
Vi troyerik biter vert
Ven got nemt ir oyf olam habo.
                                                            
How beautiful and full of light is the home
When mother is here
How gloomy and bitter it is
When God takes her to the next world.
      
N vaser in fayer - volt zi gelofen far ir kind
Nit haltn ir tayer, dos volt geven di greste zind
Oy vi gliklakh un raykh iz der mentsh vos hot
Az a sheyner matone geshenkt fun got
Nor an altichke yiddishe mame
Mamenyu mayn


A Yiddishe Mame (A Jewish Mother)    

By J.Y. Polack and J. Yellen

My Yiddishe mama - I miss her more than ever now.
My Yiddishe mama - I long to kiss her wrinkled brow.
I long to hold her hand once more as in days gone by
And ask her to forgive me for things I did that made her cry
                  
How few were her pleasures;
She never cared for fashion styles.
Her jewels and her treasures,
She found them in her babiesÕ smiles.
Oh I know that I owe all I am today
To that dear little lady whoÕs old and gray,
My wonderful Yiddishe mama
Ma-a-a-a-a-menyu mayn

(Dear mama of mine)
                  

    more complete English lyrics

Subject: ADD: My Yiddishe Mama (Lew Pollack & Jack Yellen)
From: Haruo
Date: 29 Dec 02 - 01:11 AM

Here's a set of English lyrics from Zemerl (Princeton):

MY YIDDISHE MAMA
(Lew Pollack and Jack Yellen)

Of things I should be thankful for I've had a goodly share
And as I sit here in the comfort of my cosy chair
My fancy takes me to a humble eastside tenement
three flights up in the rear to where my childhood days were spent
It wasn't much like Paradise but 'mid the dirt and all
There sat the sweetest angel, one that I fondly call

My yiddishe mame I need her more then ever now
My yiddishe mame I'd like to kiss that wrinkled brow
I long to hold her hands once more as in days gone by
and ask her to forgive me for things I did that made her cry
How few were her pleasures, she never cared for fashion's styles
Her jewels and treasures she found them in her baby's smiles
oh I know that I owe what I am today
to that dear little lady so old and gray
to that wonderful yiddishe mame of mine

My yiddishe mame I need her more then ever now
My yiddishe mame I'd like to kiss that wrinkled brow
I long to hold her hands once more as in days gone by
and ask her to forgive me for things I did that made her cry
How few were her pleasures, she never cared for fashion's styles
Her jewels and treasures she found them in her baby's smiles
oh I know that I owe what I am today
to that dear little lady so old and gray
to that wonderful yiddishe mame of mine

Sophie Tucker Recording (YouTub)e

And here are two more sets (one in Yiddish, the other an odd mishmash of English and Yiddish) from the same archive, supposedly transcribed from a Connie Francis tape (found on the jewish-music list archive at http://www.shamash.org/lis tarchives/jewish-music/971120)...

MY YIDDISHE MOMME

1. (Introduction) Ich vill bay aych a kashe freygen,
Zugt mir ver es ken,
Mit vifl tayere farmaygns,
Bensht Gott allamen?
Men kriegt dus nit far kayne gelt,
Dus krigt men nur im zist,
Und der vus hot verloren,
Der vays shoyn vus ich mayn.
2. A yiddishe mamma,
Nisht du kein besser in der welt.
A yiddishe Mamma
Oy vey tzis bisser ven zie fehlt,
Vie shayn und lichtig tzis in Hois,
Ven die mama's du,
Vie traurig finster tzvert,
Ven Gott nehmt ihr oyf Oylam habu.
3. In vasser und fayer,
Vollt sie geloffn fahr ihr kind,
Nisht halt'n ihr tayer.
Dos iz geviss der greste Zind.
Oy vie gliklach und raych
Is der Mensch vus hut,
Az a tayere matune geschenkt fun Gott,
Wie an altechke Yiddishe Mamma,
Mamma, oy Mamme mein.

(To the best of my recollection this yiddish version was sung by
Sophie Tucker on a 78 RPM RCA Victor recording circa 1929-1932.
Submitted by [e-mail])

Of things I should be thankful for,
I've had a goodly share;
And as I sit here in the comfort,
Of a cozy chair;
My fancy takes me to a humble,
East-side tenement;
Three flights up in the rear,
To where my childhood days were spent.

It wasn't much like paradise,
But mid the dirt and all;
There sat the sweetest angel,
One that I fondly call;
A Yiddishe Momme,
Tse kimpt nisht besser in der velt??? <------------------------
A Yiddishe Momme,
Oy vey ve bitter ven ze felt.

Vie sheyn und lichtig is in hoys.
Ven di mame's doo,
Vie troirig finster vert,
Ven Gott neymt ihr oyf Oylam HaBo

In vasser und fayer,
Volt sie geloffen far ihr kind,
Nisht halten ihr tayer,
Dus iz geviss der grester zind,
Oy vie gliklach und reich ,
Iz der mensch vos hot,
Az a shayne matone,
Geschenkt fun Gott,
Nur an altichke Yiddishe Mamma,
Mamma oy mama mein.

Nisht halten ie tire,
Dost is geven der greste zin,
O vi gliklaht, on shein is der mench vos hot,
A za shena matona ge shempt fon got,
Vi an altecha yidesha moma
Momma of mine. <------------------------

Her jewels and her treasures;
She found them in her baby's smiles;
Oh I know that I owe what I am today;
To that kind little lady so old and gray;
To that wonderful Yiddishe Momme,
Momme Of mine.

I have no idea what the hyphenated arrows mean, nor where the transcriber got her or his ideas about how to romanize Yiddish. Nor how the two parts of the second set are related to each other, to Connie Francis, etc.

Haruo

Subject: RE: My Yiddishe Momma
From: Garry Gillard
Date: 29 Dec 02 - 09:45 AM

You can hear the song sung by Leo Fuld here: http://members.lycos.nl/jiddish/Track01.mp3

at this site: http://members.lycos.nl/jiddish/fuld00.htm.

---

Garry

Subject: RE: My Yiddishe Momma
From: GUEST,Abraham Diner
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 07:26 AM

EXcellent french version, recorded by CHARLES AZNAVOUR. What a
feeling/ what words of appraissal. I found it on the internet
and was able to download it. " Enjoy, enjoy".
    Although the sophie Tucker original version is good, it sounds
dated. A new version is desperately needed? Where are you Bette
Midler, Barbra Streisand, Masdonna (she's jewish now) when we need
you?

Subject: RE: My Yiddishe Momma
From: M.Ted
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 10:24 AM

So, you don't like Connie Francis?

Subject: RE: My Yiddishe Momma
From: GUEST,Abraham Diner
Date: 03 Oct 04 - 11:07 AM

Yes, Connie Francis bilingual version is excellent.
it was recorded in the l960's. There is also a version
by french personality Regine which was included in an
album entitled HEBREW NATIONAL KOSHER Delights or some similar
title. Any other versions?

Subject: RE: My Yiddishe Momma
From: Bill Hahn//\\
Date: 03 Oct 04 - 05:48 PM

And pray tell, wich schmatlzy singer at a Borscht Belt Hotel in the 1940-1960s did not end a set with that number to get a tear in the eye of weekenders?   Now--all together let us go for some Cha Cha lessons---or perhaps play Simple Simon.

I suppose that type of song, seriously, is in many ethnicities---I think here of Mother MacRea. (spelling?)

Bill Hahn

Subject: RE: My Yiddishe Momma
From: M.Ted
Date: 04 Oct 04 - 04:06 PM

Mother Macree--and of course, the Italian favorite, "Mama"--

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: My Yiddishe Momma
From: GUEST,Tamara
Date: 20 Nov 04 - 02:13 AM

I am looking for a recording of My Yiddishe Momma. I have been searching everywhere with no luck. It's for my mum, who fell in love with it when she heard it performed by Tom Jones and an Australian artist John Farnham on a Saturday night Entertainment show in Australia in 1990. I don't think Tom Jones recorded it, but if there is an album by Yellen Pollack or Sophie Tucker that is still available I would appreciate the help.
Thanks

Tamara

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: My Yiddishe Momma
From:
Date: 22 Sep 05 - 03:45 PM

I WOULD LOVE THE ENGLISH VERSION OF MY YIDDISHE MOMMA

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: My Yiddishe Momma/Tom Jones
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Nov 05 - 09:30 PM

This sounds GREAT on "Tom Jones Live at the Talk of the Town"
                      (1967- Parrot label)

---

YouTube recording - Tom Jones!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: My Yiddishe Momme (Yellen, Pollack)
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Aug 10 - 05:19 AM

mp3

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: My Yiddishe Momme (Yellen, Pollack)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Aug 10 - 12:42 PM

I like this YouTube recording by Zully Goldfarb.
This recording is by Sophie Tucker.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: My Yiddishe Momme (Yellen, Pollack)
From: GUEST,3:4
Date: 21 Apr 11 - 10:22 AM

would anyone have the tabs or chords to the Tom Jones or even Tom Jones/john Farnham version of this beautiful piece of the song..My Mother has been singing this song for over forty years and we have probably encountered one jazz quartet that actually managed to hit it right..Now I'm learning it because My Mom turns 70 in a few weeks and it would be a very fitting tribute to actually manage to sing it back to her after forty years of her singing it to me..the chords above to the tucker version have done nothing more than to boggle my mind...any takers?


My Yiddishe Mame, I miss her more than ever now.
My Yiddishe Mame, I'd love to kiss her wrinkled brow.
I long to hold her close once more as in days gone by
And ask her to forgive me for things I did that made her cry.
How few were her pleasures; she never cared for fashion's styles.
Her jewels and treasures, she found them in her baby's smiles.
Oh, I know that I owe what I am today
To that dear little lady so old and so grey;
To that wonderful Yiddishe Mame,
Mame mine.

Subject: Tune Add: MY YIDDISHE MOMME (Yellen, Pollack)
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 21 Apr 11 - 04:19 PM

An ABC version from the above MIDI file with corrected bar line positions (output of MidiZyx2abc):

X:1
T:MY YIDDISHE MOMME
L:1/8
M:C
K:Bb
Q:120
D2GDG2| B4G4-| GBABcBAG| A8| z2D2ADA2| c4A4-| AcBcdcBA| B8| z2B2c2d2| \ % 9
e2e2e2e2| e2fed2^c2| d8-| d2G2A2B2| c2c2c2c2| c2dcBAGA| B8| z2D2GDG2| \ % 17
B4G4-| GBABcBAG| A8| z2D2ADA2| c4A4-| AcBcdcBA| B8| z4c2d2| e2fed2cd| \ % 26
e2c2c2Bc| d2edc2Bc| d2B2B2AB| c2dcB2AG| g4e4| z2d2e2d2| g8-|g2|] % 33