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Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)

25 Sep 97 - 04:14 PM (#13190)
Subject: Lyric: Castles in Tovishka?
From: Nonie Rider

I've combed the database for the following camp song, and had no luck:
    Tovishka, Tovishka
    Castles in Tovishka
    Were there no lassies,
    I'd ne'er be a soldier

    Hoo ya, hoo ya ya,
    Hoo ya, hoo ya ya,
    Hoo ya, hoo ya ya ya,
    Hoo ya.

Anybody know more about this one?


26 Oct 04 - 04:00 PM (#1307919)
Subject: RE: Lyric: Castles in Tovishka?
From: GUEST

HI. I REMEMBER THIS SONG FROM EARLY GRADE SCHOOL WHICH WOULD BE 1958 OR SO. STILL HUM IT OCCASIONALLY. NICE TO FIND IT IS STILL AROUND. ANDY DESMARAIS


26 Oct 04 - 05:15 PM (#1307972)
Subject: ADD: Toviska
From: Joe Offer

The Girl Scouts have this in their Sangam GIT songbook, titled "Toviska."
    Toviska
    (Moravian folk song)

    Toviska, Toviska
    Castles in Toviska
    Were there no lassies
    I'd ne'er be a soldier.

      Hoo-ya, hoo-ya-ya,
      Hoo-ya, hoo-ya-ya,
      Hoo-ya, hoo-ya-ya,
      Ya-ya-ya

    Toviska, Toviska
    I will sing Toviska
    Sweetheart at home
    I will never forget you.
Pronounced "Toh-vish-ka." Clap hands on knees on "Hoo." Clap hands together on 'ya'

So, where's Toviska? Anybody have more information on this song? It's also in the Happy Meeting (Czech) songbook from World Around Songs, same lyrics and tune.
-Joe Offer-

Click to play


13 Feb 08 - 01:46 PM (#2261560)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Bill H.

I remember it from the late 1950's or early 60's.
I sang it in elementary school music class in Cleveland,OH Public Schools.

I remember the Lyrics as:

Toviska, Toviska.
Castles in Toviska.
We'll go a walking
And talking forever.

Hoo-Ya, ...........


13 Feb 08 - 10:56 PM (#2261943)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: Melissa

Our version had three verses:

1) Huts in Toviska
2) Castles in Toviska
3) I will sing Toviska

The 'hoo ya' part had actions...slap the table on 'hoo' and clap hands with your neighbors on both sides on 'ya'---or 'hoo' on your legs if you were somewhere other than the dining hall.


14 Feb 08 - 01:33 PM (#2262406)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Volgadon

I tried tovishka, toviska, toviska (with the little thingy on top of the s), tovisko, tovishko, tovisko (little thingy again), tavishko, tavishka, tavichka, tavicka (with the thingy this time on top of the c), without much luck. I did, however. have a blast comparing Czech to Russian.


07 May 08 - 07:43 AM (#2334751)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST

Have no idea where 'Tovishka' is,BUT we're hoping to sing it at our school concert this year. I sang it at school and so did my mother!

In my song book "Ohio Fellowship Songs", they call it a Moravian Folk song.

Rose


25 Feb 11 - 01:17 PM (#3102700)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,R. Wright

I also sang that song in the early 60's at Boulevard Elementary School East Side in Cleveland, Ohio. My teacher was Mrs. Kurpansky. I really enjoyed singing that song and now I am sharing it with my pre-school class.


28 Feb 11 - 03:57 PM (#3104506)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: Jim Dixon

TOVISKA has already been mentioned at Mudcat here. It is listed in the table of contents of a book called "The Bridge of Song" (Delaware, Ohio: Cooperative Recreation Service, Inc., 1957)—as well as the "Sangam GIT" songbook that Joe already mentioned.

A search in Google Books for "toviska moravia" brings up 2 more books:

Music for Young Americans, Vol. 6: Studying Music by Richard C. Berg et al. ([New York]: American Book Co. [1966-])

The American Singer, Vol. 7 by John Walter Beattie and William Charles Bridgman (New York: American Book, 1950).

I even did some browsing in the Czech version of Wikipedia. All I could find was some references to people named Tobiška, for example, here: http://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohuslav_Tobi%C5%A1ka

It seems absurd that, if Toviska is a real place, we can't find it in any gazetteer.


01 Mar 11 - 07:05 AM (#3104859)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Grishka

Jim, obviously the title is corrupted. "to výška" - "this height" may have been the original text.


01 Mar 11 - 01:14 PM (#3105069)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Seonaid

I now know the real origin of this songs, but when I first heard it years ago, it was called "Troiska", and passed off as Norwegian or Swiss (or something). These are the lyrics I recall (and I wonder who put this pastiche together!):

In Troiska, in Troiska,
There are castles in Troiska,
If I were King there,
I'd make you my queen....

Chorus:
O, Hoo-ya, hoo-ya, hoo-ya, hoo-ya,
Hoo-ya, ya, ya, ya, ya -- hoo ya!

In Troiska, in Troiska,
The meadows in Troiska,
Little white flowers
On carpets of green....

In Troiska, in Troiska,
The rivers in Troiska,
Run like mint juleps
On mountains of ice....

(Mint juleps in Norway? C'mon, they don't even have verandahs there!)


02 Mar 11 - 04:49 AM (#3105444)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: Jim Dixon

I can't find a place called Troiska either.


15 Apr 11 - 03:47 PM (#3135908)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,bedrnov

real name of this place is Tovaèov (Hana region in central Moravia, Czech republic), song is known in original as "Tovaèov, Tovaèov"


16 Apr 11 - 10:49 AM (#3136334)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Grishka

bedrnov, thanks for giving us that hint. It should read Tovačov, pronounced "Tovachov".

Could you please give us the lyrics? Unfortunately we need HTML escapes here, see this thread. Perhaps you also know about "Stodola pumpa", see here and here?


16 Apr 11 - 03:24 PM (#3136479)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,bedrnov

lyrics in czech:



Tovaèov, Tovaèov, tovaèovský zámek

nebyl bych vojákem dyby ne galánek.

Hujá, hujaja, hujá, hujaja

hujá, hujaja, hujajaja.



Tovaèov, Tovaèov, tovaèovský hatì

nemohu, má milá, zapomenout na tì.

Hujá, hujaja, hujá, hujaja

hujá, hujaja, hujajaja.



Jednou zapomenu, po druhé vzpomenu,

po tøetí chodníèek slzama poleju.

Hujá, hujaja, hujá, hujaja

hujá, hujaja, hujajaja.


This traditional moravian song is very old, originally in the special Haná dialect.


16 Apr 11 - 04:29 PM (#3136519)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Grishka

Thank you, bedrnov. I transcribed your contribution to "HTML escapes" – you may not see any difference, but he rest of the world will:
Tovačov, Tovačov, tovačovský zámek
nebyl bych vojákem dyby ne galánek.
Hujá, hujaja, hujá, hujaja
hujá, hujaja, hujajaja.

Tovačov, Tovačov, tovačovský hatě
nemohu, má milá, zapomenout na tě.

Jednou zapomenu, po druhé vzpomenu,
po třetí chodníček slzama poleju.
Now we would be grateful for a translation. Obviously the song is about a soldier, as in the above English version.


17 Apr 11 - 06:04 AM (#3136751)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Grishka

Like gallant soldiers, verses of folk songs tend to float from one to the other. Here is another Czech song I found:
Voděnka studená, jako led, jako led, nemožu, má milá, na Tebe zapomnět,
jednú zapomenu, po druhé vzpomenu, po třetí, má milá, slzy mě polejú,
jednú zapomenu, po druhé vzpomenu, po třetí, má milá, slzy mě polejú.
The payoff is: "I cannot forget you, my dear. – If I forget one, I remember another one, and for a third one I shed tears."


17 Apr 11 - 08:53 AM (#3136808)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,bedrnov

The most known version of "Tovacov, Tovacov" is in every czech school song-book. I found this example on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KRVaDUoD_Y&feature=related


05 Dec 11 - 12:24 PM (#3268794)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Ted Freeman

I was humming this song this morning on my way to work. I first heard it in music class in elementary school in Olmsted Falls (Cleveland) Ohio. I was in 3rd or 4th grade at the time, which would be 1959 - 1961. I remember that our teacher played a recording of the song to introduce us to it. We used to sing the song as a round-robin chorus, where three groups in the room would each start the song at a different time.

After 50 years I remember the words to be something like - -
"Tovishka, Tovishka,
Castles in Tovishka,
if you leave now,
I'll be sure to forget you."


15 Apr 16 - 10:12 PM (#3785558)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Pat in Missouri

Tovishka, Tovishka, Castles in Tovishka!
Where there's no lassies I'd ne'er be a soldier.
Huya, Huya-ya, Hu-ya, Huya-ya, Huya, Huya-ya-ya, ya-ya!

Tovishka, Tovishka, I wll sing Tovishka!
Sweetheart at home I would never forget you.
Huya, Huya-ya, Hu-ya, Huya-ya, Huya, Huya-ya-ya, ya-ya!


29 Jan 18 - 05:36 PM (#3902690)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Craig

Just today, I found the song apparently copied by hand by me from a song book, probably fifty or more years ago. I too was exposed to it in elementary school. In the version I have, it appears there are five verses, with the first four having separate verses for boys and girls, and the final verse sung by both. BOYS: Toviska, Toviska, Castles In Toviska; GIRLS: Toviska, Toviska, I Will Sing Toviska; BOYS: Were There No Lassies I'd Not Be A Soldier; GIRLS: If You Leave Now I Am Sure To Forget You; BOYS: Toviska, Toviska, Hear Me Sing Toviska, There Is No Hurry, I Might Change My Mind For You; GIRLS: Toviska, Toviska, Who's Singing Toviska?, Are You Still Here Though I've Said My Good-Bye To You?; ALL: Toviska, Toviska, Castles In Toviska!, We'll Go A Walking And Talking Together, Hoo-Ya Hoo-Ya-Ya, Hoo-Ya Hoo-Ya-Ya, Hoo-Ya Hoo-Ya-Ya-Ya, Ya-Ya.


28 Sep 19 - 09:37 PM (#4010979)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Bernard

We sang the version GuestPat in Missour listed. I lived in Michigan at the time.


30 Sep 19 - 02:18 PM (#4011247)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Starship

Well, here's a photo of the castle.


23 Apr 20 - 07:10 PM (#4047965)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST

We used to sing this song at campfires at our annual church reunion gatherings over the week between Christmas and New Year. I remember watching everyone of all ages enjoying this song - little babies on the laps of the Great Grandparents doing the knee-slap hand-clap actions to hoo-ya, hoo-ya-ya.
Such happy memories ...


12 Dec 20 - 10:10 PM (#4083184)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Castles in Tovishka? (Toviska)
From: GUEST,Val

Sang it in music class in early 6O’s
Two nights ago when I couldn’t sleep, it was loudly playing in my head—totally not what you want when trying to sleep!