Ven ikh bin 15 yor alt gevorn (When I was 15 years old). Abe Schwartz tells a man's life story in 18 lines
Poking through the Library of Congress Yiddish sheet music collection I found this one. It was published (and copyrighted) in 1922, and it says Abe Schwartz wrote the words and music, but it sure sounds like a folk song to me. Maybe he stole it, or maybe he wrote it in a folk style. I'm 72 now and my voice is shot but there is still music in me so I will still share it with whoever is interested. I did this in my living room with my concertina.
Ven ikh bin fuftsn yor alt gevorn
Ven ikh bin fuftsn yor alt gevorn
Geshtorbn iz mayn foter, dan oy dan
Far mayn mamen hob ikh keyn moyre gehat
Bin ikh gevorn nisht keyn fayner man
Far mayn mamen hob ikh nisht keyn moyre gehat
Bin ikh gevorn nisht keyn fayner man
Di ershte tsayt iz mir gevezn shlekht
Fir monatn iz dos gevezn shver, oy shver
Az Got vet helfn, az ikh vel af der fray aroys
Ganvenen vel ikh shoyn nisht mer
Az Got vet helfn, az ikh vel af der fray aroys
Keynem vel ikh shoyn nisht ton keyn shlekhts
Ven ikh bin tsvantsik yor alt gevorn
Hot mikh Fonye gemakht far eyn soldat, oy vey
Di dinst iz mir gevorn tsugegesn
Hob ikh mir a pleytele gemakht
Ven ikh bin keyn Amerike gekumen
Tsu der arbet hob ikh mir gegebn a nem
Ikh hob fargesn in ale mayne tsores
Yetst hob ikh shoyn do a guter shem
When I was 15 years old my father died
I didn't worry about my mother
I became a bad man
The first time things went badly for me
I did four hard months
If God helps me, if I get free
I won't do any more stealing
If God helps me, if I get free
I won't do anything bad to anybody again
When I was twenty years old the Russians made me a soldier
Serving in the army was tiresome so I ran away
When I came to America I took to [honest] work
I forgot all my troubles, now I have a good reputation here