A Yiddish Melody in Swing

Were you there for the wedding
The night Klezmer married Swing
When Goodman’s clarinet
Taught the Rambam how to sing
Cheery beery bim bom
On methamphetamine?
At a night club in Harlem
They danced to Yiddish Swing
Only in America
You get to see such a thing!
By Mir Bist Du Shoen!
Maxene! Patty! And Laverne!
The first big Yiddish smash!
They were raking in the cash!
Sung by the ganse velt!
They were swimming in the gelt!
Ella! Judy! Louie!
Even Norman Felt!
Hear it play!
Start to sway!
Boychick Bennie
Take it away!
It don’t mean a thing
If it ain’t got that swing!
Swing Heil!
Swing Heil!
Swing Heil!

j.h.markowitz
Philadelphia, Pa. 2011