What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?

Subject: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Sep 04 - 11:03 PM

In the song The Happy Wanderer, the words "Valderi, Valdera" are in the chorus. What do those words mean or are they just nonsense words?

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 14 Sep 04 - 01:04 AM

Val-De-Ri, Val-De-Ra has no meaning. Just sounded good to the German lyricist.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: AKS
Date: 14 Sep 04 - 03:29 AM

Well, exactly, it means 'whack-fol-da-dee-doo-dah-doodah' or perhaps (in Finnish) 'huh-hei-ja-hilipatipippaa' ;-)

AKS

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Wolfgang
Date: 14 Sep 04 - 03:30 AM

the German transliteration usually is 'falleri, fallera', seldom 'faleri, falera'.

Q may be right about it having no meaning at all, but I have a long shot guess:

'Vale' or 'Valete' is the Latin for 'so long' in the sense of goodbye. In a song about wandering it could be a German rendering of the Latin for Goodbye.

What speaks against this guess is that 'falleri, fallera' comes in a lot of German songs that are not about wandering.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Turlough
Date: 14 Sep 04 - 12:11 PM

Hm, interesting, Wolfgang. In Dutch, "falderi faldera" is most common, although you could also write "valderi valdera" in some Dutch accents where there is almost no difference between the "f" and the "v" sounds (for example the Amsterdam accent). I always thought that these words were directly borrowed from German, but it seems they aren't.

T.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 14 Sep 04 - 12:16 PM

Abnd I always thought it was German for Hey Nonny Nonny No

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Nerd
Date: 14 Sep 04 - 12:18 PM

In english we have folderol and also "wack folthedol folthedidoday," so I suspect this is just old Germanic nonsense!

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 15 Sep 04 - 03:17 AM

Valleri, vallera - like falala fala fala in ye olde English madrigals.
An onomatopoetic filler; sometimes joined with a yell of glee: Juchheissa, juchheirassa, juchheirassassa as in the song: Auf der Lüneburger Heide (on Luneburg Heather) where the chorus goes: Valleri, vallera, und juchheirassa ...

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 15 Sep 04 - 03:21 AM

Re: falala - What I had precisely in mind is "Now is the month of maying", by Thomas Morley. One od my favoutite pieces.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: pavane
Date: 15 Sep 04 - 04:48 AM

Wasn't that George Martin's first hit?

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Joybell
Date: 15 Sep 04 - 09:14 PM

There's Weggis Song that has Hol di ri di a Hol di ri ah (or however you spell it) all through it. They taught it to us at school. We were told it was fake yodelling. I'd rather REALLY yodel except I've tried and I can't. Joy

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Sep 04 - 09:40 PM

Yo-del-lay ee hoo,
Yo-del-lay ee haw
??
Doesn't sound quite right.

Of course it's a clandestine Irish song- (Eamon de) Valeree, Valera!

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 02:41 AM

Holleridihi-a-ho, holleriaho (germ. i = engl. ee). Nothing to do with yodelling or engl. to holler; just another onomatopoetic filler.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: MaineDog
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 11:26 AM

In my limited experience "wack" seems to have to do with sexual activity, and so appears more often in bawdy ballads.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 11:47 AM

isn't wald wood - I always figured they were woodland folks in lederhosen and yodelling like heidi as the song Germans goes.
Udo Linderburg?

or

there could be a missing m


valderma - a skin cream that was around at the time

no thats rubbish - they were making a joyful noise cos it was the 1950's and Billy Cotton was in his hey day, I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts etc.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 02:06 PM

Why not Tweedledee, Tweedledum.

I love to go a-wandering
With a flatfoot floogie and a floy floy

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Bill D
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 05:11 PM

when I was small, my mother would quote that, and I thougt she said "flatfoot floozie", which gives a different slant on it....'street walker's disese'...

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 06:18 PM

This embarrassing explanation is:

F.F.F. is a tune, originally written and performed by Slim & Slam (Slim
Gaillard and Slam Stewart) that got very popular in the 40's. A floogie is a
lady of easy virtue -- the floy is V.D. Not an elegant lyric, but succinct at
any rate.

Slam Stewart, who died only a couple of years ago, was a very active bass
player in the late swing and early bebop period. He would improvise double
bass solos arco, and sing along with himself an octave higher: in-tune,
musical as all get-out (catch him on 'Dizzy Atmosphere', with Parker and
Gillespie). It was a great sound -- like St. Colombe and one of his daughters,
all in one.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 07:12 PM

Wi' a ri-do-a-dum, wi' a ri-do-a-day
And a wee bird cam tae ma apron.

Just another version!

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Joybell
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 07:43 PM

My mother did sing "Flat Foot Floozie", Bill. It was 20 years before I heard it sung any other way. It sings rather better that way anyway, I reckon. Joy

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Sep 04 - 08:02 PM

Slim and Slam (Gaillard and Stewart) would be amused by JTT's explanation. They took language apart and put it together again in nonsensical ways to create a jive language with nonsense text. Gaillard called it 'vout.'
Someone else thought it meant a female cop (flat foot) who liked to play around.
These interpretations were all after the fact. (A word, ain't it? it gotta have meaning!). Now valderi ---

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 17 Sep 04 - 04:07 AM

Derek Brimstone used to say it was about a hooker with a social disease and fallen arches.....

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,Baz
Date: 18 Apr 05 - 02:26 PM

For your information: Falderi, Faldera (this is the right pronunciatio) doesn't mean anything. I'm from Belgium and I speak fluent Dutch and German

Baz

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From:
Date: 18 Apr 05 - 03:52 PM

Thanks, Baz. Nice to have confirmation.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Apr 05 - 03:57 PM

All of the the common American versions have 'valderi, valdera'; this is the version that was sung by Bing Crosby and others when the song became a hit in 1954. 'Valeri, valdera' also is sung by American Scouts. Happy Wanderer

The Happy Wanderer

I love to go a-wandering,
Along the mountain track,
And as I go, I love to sing,
My knapsack on my back.

Chorus:
Val-deri,Val-dera,
Val-deri,
Val-dera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha
Val-deri,Val-dera.
My knapsack on my back.

I love to wander by the stream
That dances in the sun,
So joyously it calls to me,
"Come! Join my happy song!"

I wave my hat to all I meet,
And they wave back to me,
And blackbirds call so loud and sweet
From ev'ry green wood tree.

High overhead, the skylarks wing,
They never rest at home
But just like me, they love to sing,
As o'er the world we roam.

Oh, may I go a-wandering
Until the day I die!
Oh, may I always laugh and sing,
Beneath God's clear blue sky!

The old German melody was slightly revised by Henri René and English words were written by Antonia Ridge.
Frank Weir lyrics (also 1954) differ in a word or two; he also used the Henri René arrangement.
In verse two, 'joyously' sometimes appears as 'joyfully.' Anyone have the René - Ridge sheet music?

The DT version differs from the published texts in that in the third verse, a 'bluebird calls,' but in both the Ridge and Weir lyrics, 'blackbirds call.' The 'bluebird' is someone's preference or a mis-hearing.

See the Bing Crosby lyrics here (scroll down): Crosby lyrics

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: sian, west wales
Date: 18 Apr 05 - 04:03 PM

From www.llangollen.com:

"Pigtailed Angelsâ€쳌 is how Dylan Thomas described the Children's Choir from Obernkirchen in Germany when they won the Children’s Choirs Competition in 1953. As its 'own choice' item they sang a then unknown German folk song which later became known and popular the world over as ‘The Happy Wanderer’. Fame enabled them to make international tours singing in concerts to raise funds for an orphanage in Germany.

The Obernkirchen Children’s Choir under their Conductor Edith Môller returned to Llangollen in 196O the principal attraction of the Sunday Evening Concert.


siân

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Apr 05 - 04:41 PM

"Der Fröhliche Wanderer" is a composed song." and was well-known in Europe before the Obernkirchen Childrens Choir brought it to attention in the UK and America. Froehlicher Wanderer

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Apr 05 - 04:42 PM

Oops! Froehliche

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 19 Apr 05 - 02:48 AM

Not Oops, Q!
Indefinite: Fröhlicher Wanderer
Definite: Der fröhliche Wanderer. This is the correct title; we use the article here.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Flash Company
Date: 19 Apr 05 - 10:13 AM

I was taught German at school, which was unusual so soon after WW2, we had another german song with 'Hop-sa-sa, Ta-ra-ra-ra' in the refrain.

FC

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,Bill the Collie
Date: 20 Apr 05 - 01:11 AM

With me deerstalker hat
And me fal-the -diddle-dee
I was the lover of Lady Chatterlee



says it all I think.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 20 Apr 05 - 02:46 AM

FC - Hussassa, tirallala: from a German hunter song (a hunter blew his horn ...).

Tiralla = an onomatopoetic filler like Falleri, Fallera (or Valleri; both characters are used in German for the unvoiced labiodental).

Hussa(ssa): A hunters cry, where ssa means go on!
Another composition with ssa is: Hopsa(ssa), used in dancing songs, where hop is the English hop! (imperative)

Where did you learn German? UK or USA?

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Flash Company
Date: 20 Apr 05 - 10:24 AM

Hi Wilfried, UK but have to admit I've forgotten most of it now, pity really, I was quite good at it at school. I think, from memory, that 'Hunting Song' sounds about right, Something about 'Ich habe grosse hunden' springs to mind.

FC

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,I have that programme!
Date: 16 May 05 - 04:43 AM

Whilst researching The Obernkirchen Children's Choir for an Ebay listing, I came across Sian's reference to the concert in Llangollen (Llandudno?) in 1960, which is precisely the item I will be offering for auction shortly! I have the original 78 somewhere, must dig it out and play it again!

Peter

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Flash Company
Date: 16 May 05 - 07:54 AM

GUEST... Llangollen is a fair way from Llandudno, and hosts an International Music Eistedfodd( Hope I spelt it right!) in July every year.
I haven't been for a long time now, must make the effort before I get too old!

FC

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Kaleea
Date: 17 May 05 - 12:02 AM

I was mentioning this thread to a buddy of mine who is orig from Germany & even older than me! He recalls singing "falleri, fallera" as a kid 70some years ago. He suggested that when someone "flipped" the "R" in "falleri, fallera" and it was sung that way, & someone continued the mispronunciation a step further especially when brought to America. Incorrect pronounciation is quite common in America--especially in the "midwest" where I come from.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,Miriam
Date: 17 May 05 - 12:22 AM

In the recording I heard in the 50's the refrain went:

Falderi, faldera,
Faldera, faldera ha ha ha ha ha

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST
Date: 17 May 05 - 01:21 PM

Perhaps this thread and 39537, Happy Wanderer, should be united. Although this one seems to be chasing its tail.
Happy Wanderer

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,Joe Offer
Date: 17 May 05 - 05:31 PM

Somewhere, I picked up the the habit of singing that "ha-ha-ha-ha-ha" as a stage laugh. I wonder if that's a standard way of singing it, or just a perverted aberration I picked up in some alley.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST, Ebbie
Date: 17 May 05 - 11:13 PM

Well, I guess my own (private) interpretation of valdera, valderi is incorrect. I always assumed (as suggested also by weelittledrummer/BIG Al- are you identical twins? *G*)that it devolved in an adulterated form from 'wald', as in 'I love to go hiking through the forest' but if the Deutsche amongst us say No Way, No Way it is.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,Rusty Dobro
Date: 18 May 05 - 03:39 PM

At the Eels Foot in Eastbridge on Thursday nights, it's sung as a comic song: 'adulteree adultera!'

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,JR
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 03:11 PM

Valdera is a town or region in Tuscany. (See Porta Valdera.) No idea where Valderi comes from or why. Reminds me of a quote from a WWI British fighter pilot, something from a letter to his wife about singing a song with a chorus of "Skiboo, skiboo!" He mentioned he had no idea what it meant, but it was great for shouting loudly when drunk out of your mind.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 12:59 PM

I doesn't mean anything, it's like rama lama ding dong or give peace a chance.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,Mark 42
Date: 07 Oct 08 - 03:11 PM

Yippee-i-o-ki-ay

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 07 Oct 08 - 03:39 PM

And Yiddish has na-na-na-na-nanay and yam-tari-tari-tums.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: bubblyrat
Date: 08 Oct 08 - 01:55 PM

Actually, it's "Valdeera", which is an anagram of De Valera, so obviously there is a strong Irish link.Also, ha-ha three times means three ditches, meant for keeping deer out of country houses.So everything is not as simple as one might suppose.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,Cassandra
Date: 26 Nov 10 - 04:36 AM

You're all wrong....not surprising in this half0educated age. Val-de_Ra means "to seek the valley (Vale) of the Sun God (Ra)", Valderi means that this valley (Vale) may be found in Rhode Island (RI)--not the Rhode Island that is one of the original 13 Colonies which became the nucleus of the United States but the actual Island of Rhodes where the Colossus of Rhodes (one of original Seven Wonders of the World)once stood. Now, the Colossus was, of course, a statue of the Greek God "Helios" (aka "The Sun" aka "RA"). All of this is in the Hidden Texts of the Sons of the Illuminati Volume 23 Chapter 19.

But naturally none of you people read books anymore.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 26 Nov 10 - 11:45 AM

Wow, Cassandra, that's amazing!

We do read books, though. At least some of us.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 26 Nov 10 - 01:08 PM

It is short for Latin "valde rideo, valde rarus!", which translates "LOL, very good!".

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: gnu
Date: 26 Nov 10 - 01:32 PM

Thanks Grishka. You illuminating input is greatly appreciated.

Here in Canucikstan, any word close conjures up this.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 26 Nov 10 - 01:52 PM

Valdera is an area in the Province of Pisa (Tuscany); Xenia Valderi was a film actress from there.
The song was written to promote her films.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 06:27 PM

gnu, you're welcome. Hope the illumination doesn't blind you. Thanks for the link to Valdy, I didn't know him before and I'm quite impressed.

I read the other threads about Der Fröhliche Wanderer and talked about it with a German friend of mine who is a real expert. We agree that the song, admittedly somewhat superficial (as has been complained about in other threads), may have conveyed a special meaning in 1810. Wandering for pastime was an attribute of a rebellious bourgeois youth then, as previously only journeymen would travel by foot. During such walks, young men conceived the revolution that culminated in 1848.

The Fa-la was not an English or "Germanic" invention; it was adopted from Italian models, which probably were not the first ones either.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Dec 10 - 01:44 PM

Shame on you Cassandra,

1. Your smugness and bullying attitude is not a lesson on how to win friends gain influence. Your generalization to these posters that they don't read books is obnoxious. How would you know? The info that posters seek is highly specialized. Your reference isn't likely to have been read by the vast majority of the public, let alone lit specialist like myself, who've gone to excellent colleges and ready everything from the classics, Chaucer, Shakespeare, to Morrison, Faulkner and Bellow, and everything in-between in the fields of American, World and English lit.

2. Your answer posits to be the absolute answer. How about a reference citation: Author, Title, Year, page, etc. Without it, you're just another blowhard bore. And while we're at it, drop the attitude.

3. If you want to educate posters in this forum, it would help you immensely to drop the superior attitude that someone doesn't know what you allege to know. Your smugness is off-putting. I would never speak to students in such a fashion, and the people in the posts are for the most part are students seeking answers, which you purport to have. You're an educational smug-ass bully. Shame on you

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 03 Dec 10 - 03:33 PM

Dear anonymus guest, it is customary to choose a nickname here (to be entered into the "From:" box). Also, some important genres of "lit" seem to have escaped your studies hitherto: satire, irony, and parody. See also my post of 26 Nov 10 - 01:08 PM.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Dec 10 - 04:21 PM

Here's what Wikipedia has to say about Cassandra:

Her beauty caused Apollo to grant her the gift of prophecy. In an alternative version, she spent a night at Apollo's temple, at which time the temple snakes licked her ears clean so that she was able to hear the future. This is a recurring theme in Greek mythology, though sometimes it brings an ability to understand the language of animals rather than an ability to know the future. However, when she did not return his love, Apollo placed a curse on her so that no one would ever believe her predictions. She is a figure both of the epic tradition and of tragedy, where her combination of deep understanding and powerlessness exemplify the tragic condition of humankind.

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I've been misled by Apollo, but I think Cassandra is pulling our leg.

Besides, everybody knows what "valeri, valdera" means: it means, "Musha ringum durum da."

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Dec 10 - 07:45 PM

Shame on you Grishka,

I make several valid points on Cassandra's lack of courtesy, etc., none of which you, Grishka, address.

Your response is to attack me argumentum ad hominem instead with your highly erroneous perception of my perceived educational deficiency. This is how you counter a valid argument/position. If you were one of my Rhetoric students, you'd get an UF, for utter failure.

If I am wrong in my judgement of Cassandra, your inappropriate sarcasm renders you another bore, rather than someone who could be right and show me the error of my ways. What a pity. As I tell my lit students, sarcasm, wit, irony should be a thread to weave through an argument/position, not the sole material of one.

Enough of this for now, I'm off to finish Twain's Auto. ciao

---

I suggest you choose a user name and use it consistently. Anonymous posts have a threatening tone to them, whether intended or not. Thank you.
-Joe Offer, Forum Moderator-

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Darowyn
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 04:01 AM

Actually Cassandra is nearly correct, though in the fine tradition of plausible internet nonsense, I have to assert confidently that the actual origin of Valderi valdera is in the French Alps.
A favourite wandering place close to the Swiss/French border is the beautiful valley of the River Riante. This is actually called after the Rianti, allies of the Helvetii tribe, described in Caesar's Gallic Wars. (and thoroughly massacred by him during Pompey's consulship)
Taking the obvious French pun, locals call the valley Val de Rire, Laughing Valley, or even more jokily, Val d' Ha Ha Ha.
So there you have it Val de rire, Val de Ha, Val de Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.
And if you believe that then Cassandra's curse is broken!
Cheers
Dave

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 06:06 AM

Anonymous guest (07 Dec 10 - 07:45 PM), I had hinted that you misjudged the literary genre of Cassandra's contribution, that's all. No "argument/position", no attack, no pleading. Obviously you have taken the hint, though tracheally. Well, I can live with the shame.

Are you quite sure your own writing makes you appear dignified? Or popular, the opposite of a bore?

Errors are for learning. Have fun with Twain.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 09:42 AM

It's fun to speculate that Val-de-ri has something to do with a valley, but there are two problems with that.

In German, V is pronounced like F in English. If you search on YouTube, you can hear a delightful recording by the Obernkirchen Children's Choir where you can clearly hear the F sound.

The German for valley is Tal. So if the Happy Wanderer wanted to evoke valleys, he would have sung 'Tal-de-ri, tal-de-ra.'

I agree with Joe. It's merely a nonsense refrain, but a particularly charming one.

This is a great little song for fretted dulcimer.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 11:22 AM

leenia, there seems to be a general consensus here that those words are generic expressions the of joy found in singing and wandering, like interjections. However, similar collections of syllables, such as horridoh, are known to be corrupted versions of meaningful words, often from other languages. Hence the parodies above. Of course, I am far from an expert.

If anyone feels I should explain why I (/we) understand Cassandra's post to be a parody, I shall be glad to oblige. Sometimes the "obvious" is not obvious to everyone and indeed hard to rationalize.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 01:47 PM

'generic expressions of joy'

Very well put!

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: bbc
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 06:56 AM

Gee, it doesn't mean "with my knapsack on my back"? ;)

best,

Barbara

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 09:51 AM

No.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,Jane Ann Liston
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 05:46 PM

The words of 'Mary had a little lamb' also fit the tune, by the way.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Feb 13 - 06:14 PM

Val-deri,Val-dera,
what do the words mena/\?

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Don Firth
Date: 11 Feb 13 - 08:59 PM

I was a little squirt when I first heard it on the radio, but I remember it as "Flat-foot floogie with the floy floy."

It was one of a spate of songs about that time, packed with such deathless lyrics as "Boop boop diddum daddum waddum choo." The "Hut-Sut Song" came along about the same time.

Kids got a snort out of them, but—well—don't look for Shakespeare. He ain't there!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 11 Feb 13 - 10:38 PM

Hi, Guest. They don't mean anything, they are nonsense syllables, like 'fa la la la' (in Deck the Halls) and 'ee'-i-ee-i-o' (in Old McDonald Had a Farm.)

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,Oldtimer
Date: 12 Feb 13 - 03:34 PM

Direct translation in N.C. speak is thus-----
Ter rittzly , rittzly , rustical quality ,
Ink-addy, ank-addy, uh dom dovis ,
And nickitty nackitty nah, nah-nah

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 13 Feb 13 - 05:38 AM

"Nonsense" can have a different kind of meaning than language. I think "fa la la" means: "This imitates a wind instrument in the tradition of Italian madrigals"; "E-I-E-I-O" may mean "all moving their jaws heavily" or "from tip to toe" (whereas a well-known joke makes it a "farming degree" analogous to PhD or MSc). "Valderi, valdera": "Be it here, be it there" (German "hier und da"). "Ink-addy, ank-addy": hopping or bouncing merrily as if on a trampoline. "Dom dovis" may again be mock-Latin.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Mo the caller
Date: 13 Feb 13 - 09:24 AM

I enjoyed the posts by Cassandra and Guest 03 Dec 10 - 01:44 PM, both of which I read as being tongue in cheek.

Does the Flat footed floozy fit into this song, or is she just another bit of unexplained nonsense? I don't remember jer.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 13 Feb 13 - 11:51 AM

Mo, that anonymous guest posted back in 2010, but has left a mark in my memory. Indeed s/he would be a perfect specimen for a comedy. I fail to see any sign of parody or tongue-in-cheek in her/his messages, so if they are not serious and real, I would call them fakes or literary fiction. In particular, the message of Dec. 07 cannot be explained as joking. If your argument is "such a person cannot possibly exist" - yes, s/he can. (GUEST, if you are still here, prove me wrong.)

Cassandra, of course, did the usual Mudcat parody.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,Noula
Date: 31 Jan 14 - 03:35 PM

The song was composed in 1810 by Friedrich Sigismund for the text and Johann Michael Anding for the melody, including the common "falleri-fallara" chorus, an onomatopoeia (also written "valleri-vallera" but pronounced the same). In the early 20th century, the song was adopted by the German Scouting Movement and during WWII it became immensely popular with the German paratroopers. After the war, Edith Möller and her brother Friedrich adapted the song to be interpreted by a children's choir and it is this version which became immediately popular around the world. The first adaptation into another language was done by a Belgian woman, Andrée Mazy, who came up with versions in Dutch-Flemish and French. Since in Dutch folk songs "valderi-valdera" (pronounced "falderi-faldera") is more common than the German "falleri-fallera", she used the Dutch model in both versions. Antonia Ridge became acquainted with the French version of the song, with "valderi-valdera", pronounced with a true soft /v/ instead of the voiceless /f/, and borrowed it over into the English version mainly for euphonic reasons (less military, etc.). That's it.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: catspaw49
Date: 31 Jan 14 - 07:23 PM

Valderi means "Scratch My Crotch"
Valdera means "Scratch My Ass"

The ha's are the joy of it all. The knapsack contains a brushes of varying bristle types to accommodate almost any scratching level.

Who could really give a shit anyway?



Spaw

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: Bert
Date: 31 Jan 14 - 09:21 PM

It seems that Wilfred Schaum has given up on us because he is the only one who knows what onomatopoeia means.

Kinda reminds me of the time when I was in Teheran and my boss liked a local delicacy called donbalon. Which is sheep's ball kebabs. I suggested that the word was onomatopoeic because sheep don't wear Y fronts. I could imagine an old ram strolling along going donbalon balon balon.

But by the time that I had explained what onomatopoeia means the point of the joke was lost.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,Tony
Date: 01 Feb 14 - 01:07 AM

I'm surprised Mudcatters don't know this. Valderi was an early 19th century brand of outdoor sporting equipment, manufactured in Italy but owned by a Lithuanian named Firgit Valderius. The song was originally written for an ad campaign, implying that the hiker likes his Valderi brand knapsack so much that he sings about it and breaks into exhilarated laughter. The song was popular but didn't help sales, and the company went out of business soon after.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,dtm
Date: 01 Feb 14 - 06:10 AM

For Cassie ....
I read a book once. It was green.


;-)

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Feb 14 - 10:00 AM

Onomatopoeia? When i can't find the key to the front door in time.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jun 21 - 03:46 AM

Fredrich Sisigmund was a German writer who wrote the German song in 1888 but the song did not become well known until 1954 a teacher called Edith Morak played a guitar and wanted more words they were well put together for the 1950s movement the words that were in English were not written until 1954 and has been sung by many folk from part of the world. In 1986 my teacher wrote the song and transcribed the song in to braille for the kids to sing and it all went well. One day I bought a hits of 1954 hits album and found that the song and the German 1954 song is track 23 on the cd I heard it on radio cent on a program and me friend and I sang it together.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: leeneia
Date: 25 Jun 21 - 11:40 AM

The word 'onomatopoeia ' is showing up here, but the refrain is not onomatopoeia. onomatopoeia is when a word sounds like the thing it represents. Examples are:

woof
splotch
tinkle
boom

Nonsense syllables like Fal-di-ri are called vocables.

Happy Wanderer is a nice song on my mountain dulcimer. I think it's interesting and encouraging that only nine years after World War II ended in Europe, a song in German was a a hit in America.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,#
Date: 27 Jun 21 - 11:12 AM

Valderi is the straight line. Valdera-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah is the punchline.

Subject: RE: What Does Valderi, Valdera Mean?
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 09 Jul 21 - 12:14 PM

I believe Valderi, Valdera simply means “Be it here, or be it there”.