Lyr Add: Parody: The Ballad of Baron Herzog

Subject: Lyr Add: Parody: The Ballad of Baron Herzog
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 04 Aug 04 - 07:02 PM

This song is a parody of Tommy Makem's "Paddy Kelly's Brew" and is sung to the same tune. I believe a little background information is necessary for the understanding of this parody. Many of you have seen the KEDEM brand label on kosher wine as well as many other food products. Ernest Herzog, who was given the title of Baron in Europe, was an orthodox Jewish wine maker who came to the USA after WWII, as a Holocaust survivor. He started the Royal Wine Corp. in the upstate village of Milton, N.Y., located in the Hudson Valley. Today, the KEDEM brand, which is owned by the Herzog family enjoys a virtual world wide monopoly in the kosher wine market. They swallowed up every other wine company with the exception of Manichewitz. Their most recent acquisition was the Carmel Wines of Israel. They have the most reliable Rabbinical certification or Hashgocho (in Hebrew), that is universally trusted by all spectrums of the Jewish community. In fact they have 2 such certifications. One is from the Orthodox Union known as the OU. This endorsement appears as a U within a circle on the label. The other is a Hasidic certification from the Grand Rabbi of the Celem (pronouced as Tselem in Hungarian) Hasidic Dynasty. This appears in Hebrew writing on the label. These 2 facts are mentioned in the chorus. I am the proud author of this song, which I wrote 12 years ago. It is my most requested song when I perform before Jewish audiences.

THE BALLAD OF BARON HERZOG (also known as BARON HERZOG'S BREW)

                                 Copyright 1992 by Sol Zeller

Ernest Herzog was his name
And from Hungary he came
Emigrating from the old world to the new
He spent one night at the Hilton
Then he went upstate to Milton
Where he started making Baron Herzog's brew

         CHORUS: It comes in many flavors
                  And many colors too
                  Hashgochos from the Celem and OU
                  If they call you Sir or Madam
                  You can celebrate with KEDEM
                  Won't you try a glass of Baron Herzog's brew

Oh he cultivates the vines
That produce the finest wines
There's Concord and Sangria, Champaigne too
You can sip some Bartenura
Drink le'chayim on Malaga
All varieties of Baron Herzog's brew

                CHORUS

When a boy is eight days old
He is brought into the fold
It's his Bris that really makes him for a Jew
There's the Mohel and the Kvata
The Sandik and the Tata
And a Kos (goblet) that's full of Baron Herzog's brew

                  CHORUS

Shabbos starts on Friday night
With the candles burning bright
It'a holy time for each and every Jew
And soon it's Kiddush time
So we pour the KEDEM wine
And we fill our kos with Baron Herzog's brew

                  CHORUS

Shabbos morning it's the rule
When we all come home from Shule
That we pour another cup of Herzog's brew
We make Kiddush once again
Ladies hear it from the men
And we give three cheers for Baron Herzog's brew.

                   CHORUS

Yes Havdollah we say too
When the Shabbos it is thru
And we usher in the working week anew
Oh the candle we do light
And the cloves they smell just right
Then we drink another glass of Herzog's brew

                     CHORUS

At the seder Pesach night
When the men all dress in white
We sing praise to Hakadosh Boruch Hu (God)
We have matza, we have karpas
we dip maror in charoses
And we drink four cups of Baron Herzog's brew

                        CHORUS

Ernest Herzog went to heaven
After four score years and seven
Now he's smiling down on each and every Jew
For the folks are living longer
and their frumkeit's (faith is) getting stronger
Cause they keep on drinking Baron Herzog's brew

                         CHORUS

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Parody: The Ballad of Baron Herzog
From: Peace
Date: 04 Aug 04 - 11:38 PM

Hey, Rebbe, you have written a good song. I like it very much. What I need to do is find the melody. I have to ask: is this stuff really sweet? Like the Manichewitz? If so, four glasses would lead to

1) sugar shock
2) really bad headaches

Thanks for posting this. I hope it gets added to the DT.

Bruce M

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Parody: The Ballad of Baron Herzog
From: Ellenpoly
Date: 05 Aug 04 - 04:02 AM

Good song!

Brucie-I have yet to drink a Jewish wine that wasn't sweet, so I think you'd be safe in thinking the "Brew" is as well.

For me, a sip goes a long way!

L'Chaim!

..xx..e

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Parody: The Ballad of Baron Herzog
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 05 Aug 04 - 01:23 PM

I found a thread on the DT that deals with Makem's song "Paddy Kelly's Brew", along with a midi file of the tune. The melody is very similar to "The Ballad Of Jesse James". KEDEM makes so many wines under different labels. Not all of them are the sweet Concord or Malaga that are usually associated with kosher wines. They have a very wide selection of white and dry wines as well. The last list I saw listed over 100 varieties. If anyone does not understand any of the Jewish words in the song, just ask and I will be glad to translate. SOL ZELLER

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Parody: The Ballad of Baron Herzog
From: Joe_F
Date: 05 Aug 04 - 06:41 PM

Perhaps there should also be a stanza about that other great drinking occasion -- Purim. Surely you can find a rhyme for ad-lo-yadah! %^)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Parody: The Ballad of Baron Herzog
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 05 Aug 04 - 06:58 PM

Joe F. I was really thinking about that, but I thought that at 8 stanzas the song was already too long for an audience to sit through.
For those of you who do not know what Joe is talking about, "ad-lo-yadah" literally translated from the Hebrew means "until one does not know." Purim is the Holiday when the Jews were rescued from the evil Haman by Queen Esther and her righteous uncle Mordechai. Although Jews are not encouraged to get drunk, Purim is the one Holiday when one is commanded to imbibe "until he does not know" the difference between "cursed be Haman" and "Blessed be Mordechai". SOL ZELLER

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Parody: The Ballad of Baron Herzog
From: Ellenpoly
Date: 06 Aug 04 - 05:29 AM

I remember Purim with my family. It may well be why I no longer drink!

..xx..e