Yiddish Curiosities: a library of wonderful but forgotten Yiddish songs from the late 1920s and after (includes Polish Jewish Cabaret). Have a listen!

UPDATE: Now recorded. See newer post: Nerven, nerven.

There is a song called "Nerven, Nerven" at the Library of Congress and I now realize that, although the words are not the same, it is the same song. Zylbercweig indicated that Lindenfeld wrote it, but it was Aaron Lebedeff who submitted it to the U.S. copyright office, with the two verses at the bottom of this post. This is the only song I know that's about electroshock therapy!

Also, as Anonymous pointed out in the comments, Jacob Zanger sang this song and his version can be heard on the "Great White Way" cd. His version is called Gevalt! Di Nerven!

Nerven Nerven
by Shlomo Lindenfeld

Hert nor menshn oys a zakh, vos pasirt hot zikh mit mir
Ikh bin a mensh mit ale glaykh
Nor di tsayt kvelt mikh on a shir
Plutsim ver ikh krank un shvakh
Mayn vayb tut mikh tsum doktor firn
Az ikh bin nerveish - zogt er glaykh
Un nemt mikh elektriziren

ref
Nerven nerven nerven nerven
Zey zenen bay mir dort un do
n n n n
Ikh hob fun zey keyn ruike sho
n n n n
Oy gevald s'iz nisht gut
Oy di nerven, gevald! di nerven
Lebn lozn zey mikh nit!

Ven ikh hoyb zikh nor oyf in der fri
Gey ikh mir in der gas aroys
Zey lozn mikh zhoyn nit tsore, mayne nerven durkhoys
Der konduktor fun tramvey
Klingt mitn glekel dzshing-dzshing-dzshing
Plutsling her ikh a geshray, a mensh flit fun a shtok zeyer plink

ref

Ikh gey mir arayn in a restoran
Un es mir mitog shoyn mit glik
Plutsling derher ikh gor dan, oyf der gas a muzik
Ikh loyf aroys un loz shteyn di yid
Flit adurkh a oytomobil. er lozt mir unter a damf a roykh
Ikh blayb shteyn meshuge dil
ref

In baynakht ven ikht leyg mikh shlofn
Ikh makh nor di oygn tsu, plutsim hoyb ikh on tsu muffen
Di nerven lozn mikh shoyn histh tsuru
Ikh ver oyfgeregt in gantsn, un poshet vi tsu ?
Ikh gib a kuk in bet fil vantsen
Un mayne nerven hobn zikh tsushpilt
ref

Ven ikh gey adurkh di nalevki gas
Her ikh dort vi menshen ployshn
Yungelayt dar un blas, fregn mikh: oyb ikh vil toysn
Plutsim derze ikh vi me shteyt
Es vert tsvishn di sokhrim a gehole!
Eyner shrayt: der ekzekutor teyt
Un m'loyft nokh grabskis egleh
ref

---

Lebedeff's two verses:

Ven ikh shtey oyf in der fri
un gey mikh nokh in gas aroys
Lozn mikh dan nit tsuru
Mayne nerven mishn durkh oys
Der konduktor oyf der konker
Klingt zayn glekel dzin dzin dzin
Fun velocipedn vert a honker
Me loyft vi hener her un hin
Plutsim vi a fayl fun boygn
Flit an otomobil farbay
Es heybt on shvindlen in di oygn
Der kop fardreyt zikh mikh, ay ay
Dervayle brent a fayer oys
Mentshn heybn on loyfn bald
Bay eynem shlept men gelt aroys
Vert dort bald a nayer gevald

Nerven nerven do un dort
Nerven nerven kh'hob fun zey keyn ort
Nerven nerven gevald, nit git
Oy di nerven lebn lozn zey mikh nit

In der heym iz ? ? zitsn
Ikh hob a vayb a tsore a klog
Zi heybt on mit tseyndlen kritsn
Un shit mit kloles a gantsn tog
Tomer vert zi a bisl shtiler
Shpilt der shokhn? oyfn trombeyn
Tomer hert shoyn oyf der diler
Heybt on shpiln a gramafeyn
Oyfn hoyf shpilt a ? mayner
Kinder loyfn zikh on bald
S'heybt on tantsn a tsigayner
S'vert dan dort a nayer gevald

Labels: humor & satire, modernity