Bei Mir Bist Du Shein

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Bei Mir Bist Du Shein (Yiddish: בייַ מיר ביסט דו שיין, bay mir bist tu sheyn, or To Me You're Beautiful) is a popular Yiddish song originally composed (with the title Bei Mir Bistu Shein) by Jacob Jacobs (lyricist) and Sholom Secunda (composer) for a Yiddish musical, I Would if I Could, (in Yiddish, Men Ken Lebn Nor Men Lost Nisht) in 1932 that opened and closed after only one season. Secunda sold the publishing rights to the song for a mere US$ 30.

The song became famous with English lyrics but using the German title Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen (Anglicised spelling of German Bei mir bist Du schön).

In 1937, Sammy Cahn heard a performance of the song, sung in Yiddish by African American performers Johnnie and George at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, and on seeing the response, got his employer to buy the rights so he (together with Saul Chaplin) could rewrite the song with English language lyrics. He then convinced The Andrews Sisters to perform the song (recorded November 24, 1937), and it became a major hit.

A parody of this song, "The Bear Missed the Train", was written by the Smith Street Society Jazz Band in 1964 and became a favorite on Jean Shepherd's radio narratives.

[edit] Recorded versions

• The Andrews Sisters
• Ray Anthony
• Belle Baker
• The Barry Sisters
• Dan Barrett
• Acker Bilk
• Acme Swing Company
• Al Bowlly
• Teresa Brewer
• Sammy Cahn
• June Christy
• The Clark Sisters
• Buddy Clark
• Billy Cotton & His Band
• Tom Cunningham
• Dukes of Dixieland
• Booker Ervin
• Giora Feidman
• Ella Fitzgerald
• Slim Gaillard
• Judy Garland
• Terry Gibbs
• Benny Goodman
• Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra
• Dick Hyman
• Gordon Jenkins
• Leroy Jones
• Greta Keller
• Klezmer Conservatory Band
• Steve Lawrence
• Zarah Leander
• Ramsey Lewis
• Listen Up!
• Guy Lombardo
• Shelly Manne
• Glenn Miller
• Moreno
• Arthur Murray Orchestra
• Louis Prima
• Adrian Rollini & His Novelty Trio & Quintet
• Janis Siegel
• Willie "The Lion" Smith
• Jack Teagarden
• Martha Tilton
• Leonid Utesov
• The Village Stompers
• Bob Wilber
• Garland Wilson
• Teddy Wilson
• The Puppini Sisters
• The Red Elvises
• Waldeck
• Quadro Nuevo
• Nina Hagen (2006)
• Robin Mckelle
• Charlie and his Orchestra
• The Harlem Experiment [1]
• Thomas Nöla et Son Orchestre
• Mayane Delem

[edit] External links

• Original title page Richard Schwartz, The non-bloggish blog
• Page on the song at Yiddish Radio Project site
• Sholom Secunda - The Story of Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen
• Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen - Sholem Secunda, Jacob Jacobs, Sammy Cahn and Saul Chaplin (Lyrics and Chords)
• Bay Mir Bist Du Sheyn Original lyrics in Yiddish