Dimitri BurkhardMir Senne heis luschtig
Another song that celebrates the good life of a farmer. According to the lyrics of “Mir Senne heis luschtig”, farmers sing and yodel all day long. All that cheese and butter make for a joyful life. And when they finally get married, the wedding gifts include a spinning wheel and a cow...
De Elefant
Schlieremer Chind is the successful children’s choir that was a big part of my childhood. Their songs played nonstop in my cassette player, and the song “De Elefant” from the album “Mir gönnd in Zoo” was one of my favorites. This song in typical Zürich dialect is a dedication to the elephant.
Wenn eine tannigi Hose hät
Describing a hunter’s outfit, this popular song mentions “tannigi Hose” (green pants) and "hagebuechig Strümpf” (scratchy tights). The fun part begins when it is performed as a canon. Believe me when I say that it is really hard not to make a mistake...
Mini Farb und dini
The rainbow song in Swiss German dialect is an ode to diversity. The message for even the littlest singers is understandable: whether you’re young or old, wear glasses or have a crooked back, we’re all part of a colorful rainbow…
And finally: Oh läck du mir
Trio Eugster has reminded my generation of how to swear in my grandparents’ Swiss German dialect: “Lick my vest”, “slide down my back” and “blow into my shoes” are all terms to tell someone to take a hike...
Walter Schärer
Good afternoon,
My grandmother spoke what she called “German Swiss” but I see on the 1920 US Census she indicated French, which I think may have had more to do with the state of the world than her actual spoken language. (I never heard her speak French but she was able to talk to my other German grandmother.)
I am looking for a poem/nursery rhyme that she used to recite to us and I was under the impression that it was about fleas. Do you have any idea what this poem could be?
Maybe it’s one of these (Floh is German for flea):
https://liederladen.ch/tag/floehe.html
Do you know how the Swiss nursery rhyme about a cobbler goes:
Shu makerli, Schuhe makerli
Was costed Mir fir Schuhe
Or something like that
Thanks for asking! We know exactly which one:
Schuehmächerli, Schuehmächerli,was choschted mini Schueh?
Drü Bätzeli, drü Bätzeli und d’Negeli dezue.
Drü Bätzeli, drü Bätzeli, das isch mer wärdi z’tüür,
da lauf-i lieber barfuess durs Wasser und durs Füür!
My best childhood friend was Swiss. I spent a lot of time with her family (7 of them) and they would sing as they walked. One song they sang went kind of like this:
Schwitzilandli ist so klee
aber schon Mann kannst noch see gangiwaltzo wietowie
Schwitzilandli ist so klee
My father spoke German and I learned a lot after we moved across the country (US) and I studied German in school for 3 years. This has possibly affected my spelling of these words but I have tried to write it phonetically. Can you tell me how it should be written and what is the name of it.