What's your favorite Country Yossi song?

amother

↑ Cerulean

Tue, Oct 08 2024, 11:05 pm

amother Amethyst wrote:

I don't speak Yiddish and for nearly 30 years I have been bothered by what in the world these words are and what they mean.

You would do be doing me a favor. If you would give me the original and the translation. Then I can listen to it on Spotify and actually understand it!

I'd really enjoy doing that actually.
Love Country Yossi, and the unPC lyrics.

rachelbg

Wed, Oct 09 2024, 12:43 am

I love Give it Back (if you find something lying on the street…)

Don’t talk Lashon Harah Don’t!

Seven Little Kids was the anthem of my childhood!!

I also can’t get over the dialogue of Tuki in the Sedra Song… as a teacher it makes me laugh out loud!

↑ Ihatepotatoes ↓

Wed, Oct 09 2024, 12:46 am

amother Firebrick wrote:

Shmelkie's Niggun was composed by Rabbi Shmuel Brazil. Fun fact - he and Country Yossi were roommates in Yeshiva Sh'or Yoshuv!

Right, he sang it for R' Brazil on Ohr Chodosh.

I stand corrected.

*Sits down*

I sit corrected.

amother

↑ OP

Wed, Oct 09 2024, 1:02 am

amother Amethyst wrote:

I found the lyrics online. I'm going to try my best to translate at the end of every yiddish passage, but anyone can feel free to correct me

On a warm summer’s evening,
On a ride to Monticello,
I sat next to a rabbi,
We were both too tired to sleep,
So we took turns at staring,
Out the window to the darkness,
Till boredom overtook us,
And he began to speak.

He said,
יא איך בין אן אלטער, אין ס׳טיט מיר וויי די ביינער
אין כאטש די בארד איז לאנג אין גרוי, איך האב אסאך געזעהן
גיב אהער אביסל ברוינפן, וועל איך געבן גיטע עצות
ווייל איך זעה אויף דיינע פלייצעס, וואס איז ביי דיר געשען

Yes, I'm an old man, and my bones hurt, and since my beard is long and gray, I have seen a lot in my day
So hand over some whiskey, and I'll give some good advice, because I can tell from your face, what happened with you [ie that you've been through a lot]

So I handed him my bottle,
And he drank down my last swallow,
Then he mooched a cigarette,
And asked me for a light,
And the night got deathly quiet,
And his face lost all expressions..
He said,
איך גיי דיר יעצט זאגן
דעם יסוד פון אידישקייט

Now I will tell you the foundation [yesod] of yiddishkeit

CHORUS:
מ׳דארף וויסען ווען צו קויפן, וויסען ווען צו לויפן
וויסען ווען צו דרייען גוט, אין ווען צו האנדלן פיין
בעסער, רעדט נישט וואס מ׳דארף נישט, אין גיי נישט ווי מען טאר נישט
יא, ס׳איז גיט צי פארן, בעסער איז צו בלייבן אין דערהיים

You've got to know when to buy
Know when to run
Know when to twist things well
And when to deal fine (ie, in a straightforward manner)
It's better not to talk unnecessarily
And don't go where you aren't allowed to go
Yes, it's good to travel, but even better to stay home

יעדער חכם ווייסט, אז א איד מיז זיין בשמחה
דאנקן בורא עולם, פאר אלעס וואס מען האט
אין האלט די תורה טייער, ווייל דארטן ברענט א פייער
אין גיב אסאך צדקה, ווייל פרנסה קומט פון גאט

Every smart person (chacham) knows
That a Yid must be besimcha
Thank the Creator of the world
For all that we have
And hold the Torah dear
For there burns a fire
And give a lot of tzedaka,
Because parnassa comes from G-d

And when he finished speaking,
He turned back to the window,
Said Borei Nefashos,
And faded off to sleep,
And somewhere in the darkness,
My soul, it started burning,
For in his final words,
I found a strength that I could keep.

CHORUS:
מ׳דארף וויסען ווען צו קויפן, וויסען ווען צו לויפן
וויסען ווען צו דרייען גוט, אין ווען צו האנדלן פיין
בעסער, רעדט נישט וואס מ׳דארף נישט, אין גיי נישט ווי מען טאר נישט
יא, ס׳איז גיט צי פארן, בעסער איז צו בלייבן אין דערהיים
(x2)

↑ Ihatepotatoes

Wed, Oct 09 2024, 1:03 am

rachelbg wrote:

"I need a shave?!"

"Right".

youngishbear

Wed, Oct 09 2024, 1:14 am

Little One is such a sad song. Gets me every time - especially when there is war in EY...

And for the fun ones... the 7 kids in the backseat (making me meshugah in the head) - and (the chasssidishe driver going) beep beep are always fun in the car.

amother

↑ Babyblue

Wed, Oct 09 2024, 2:21 am

Ihatepotatoes wrote:

"I need a shave?!"

"Right".

"Chaya Leah..."

"You mean Chaya Sarah!"

"No, no, no, her name was Chaya Leah!"

"Fishlach...that's the one about the little fishies!"

Cracks me up every time.

↑ Ema of 5

Wed, Oct 09 2024, 8:39 am

amother Babyblue wrote:

"Chaya Leah..."

"You mean Chaya Sarah!"

"No, no, no, her name was Chaya Leah!"

"Fishlach...that's the one about the little fishies!"

Cracks me up every time.

Bereishis
Noach
Luchenkup
(Don’t remember vayeira)
Chaya Leah
Cold toes
Pizza day
Fishlach
I need a shave
Hiccups
Oh my gosh
Vayechoo

Shmooze
Yiray

amother

↑ Amethyst

Wed, Oct 09 2024, 6:26 pm

amother OP wrote:

Wow thank you.
I just listened to it (called The Rabbi on Greatest Hits). For the first time I left I actually understood what it's saying. It's very meaningful happens to be.