Song: Revised tune of Jingle Bells

“Late one morning, early that night, two dead boys began no fight, back to back, they faced each other, through their swords, they shot each other, two dead policeman heard the noise, and started to chase the two dead boys, one went around the corner in the middle of the block, the other ran up into the short building in a vacant lot.”

Terry told me that he learned this version of the jingle bells tune when he was a child at Catholic grade school in a town of about thirty thousand people in the middle of the cornfields in Iowa. He said that he and his buddies were always teaching each other these little songs that they had learned from other people. When he was a child, they would always play little games and sing songs to keep themselves entertained throughout the day. The students would sing loud and jump around to make sure that whoever was around watched their performance. Terry told me that this song is not primarily sung during the winter months like the original jingle bells tune. Instead, it was sung all throughout the year whenever the children wanted to sing it. However, he did say that a good time to sing this song would be at recess, where many of the kids are playing outside on the playground. This was a good time because students were not in the classroom so they were not disrupting class by singing it.

Terry says that this song really does not have any meaning to it. Instead, it just rhymes and flows nicely within the song itself. He said that he really never thought about what the words actually meant in broader themes. He just always thought it was clever but it did not make any sense whatsoever. He thinks that at this age, kids are always relating their stories and songs to things they are interested in.

I agree with Terry along the lines that this version of jingle bells does not make much sense. However, I do believe that the reason the children sang this song was to feel rebellious by singing about death and cops. A very common game amongst youth is “cops and robbers.” The purpose of this game is that the cops are chasing the robbers with toy guns and handcuffs. So, there is a possibility that this song helps reiterate that purpose. As Terry mentioned, kids like to sing songs about activities they are interested in. By singing about dead boys and policeman, they are showing their ability to relate songs to games. Children always say “you’re dead” and “I shot you” while playing cops and robbers. I think this song helps reflect their liking of fake shooting games because it gives them a chance to play and sing with their friends.

Song-Grandma

German:

“Meine Oma fährt im Hühnerstall Motorrad, Motorrad, Motorrad, meine Oma fährt im Hühnerstall Motorrad, meine Oma, meine Oma ist modern. Und da kann ich mich so schrecklich drüber ärgern… Meine Oma hat an Nachttopf mit Beleuchtung… Meine Oma hat Klosettpapier mit Rüscherln… Meine Oma hat ein Himmelbett mit Brause… Meine Oma hat im hohlen Zahn ein Radio… Meine Oma hat an Unterrock aus Wellblech… Meine Oma hat im Strumpfband an Revolver… Meine Oma hat an Bandwurm, der gibt Pfote… Meine Oma führt den Opa an der Leine… Und mein Opa hat a Glatze mit Beleuchtung… ja mein Opa, ja mein Opa ist modern.“

Literal:

“My grandma goes is in the coop motorcycle, motorcycle, motorcycle, my grandma modern in the coop motorcycle, my grandma, my grandma.  And there I can become angry so terribly about that…My grandma has at night pot with illumination…My grandma has lavatory paper with Rüscherln…My grandma has a sky bed with Brause…My grandma has a radio in the hollow tooth…My grandma has at petticoat out of Wellblech…My grandma has in the garter at revolver…My grandma has gives paw at volume worm, that…My grandma leads the grandpa at the line…And my grandpa has a bald head with illumination…  yes my grandpa, yes my grandpa is modern”

English:

“My grandmother runs in the chicken coop motorcycle, bike, motorcycle, my grandmother runs in the chicken coop motorcycle, my grandmother, my grandmother is modern. And since I can forget it so terribly upset… My grandmother has participated in chamber pot with lighting… My grandmother has Rüscherln with toilet paper… My grandmother has a four-poster bed with Brause… My grandmother has a radio hollow tooth… My grandmother has petticoat made of corrugated tin… My grandmother has garter to revolvers… My grandmother has tapeworm, gives paw… My grandmother, the grandfather on a leash… And my grandfather has a bald with lighting… Yes my grandfather, my grandfather is so modern.”

Xan said he learned this song from his mom whenever he was a child in Hermosa Beach, California. She would sing this song to him in German to the point where he picked up the phrases as well. His mother is originally from Pennsylvania but he thinks that she learned it from her side of the family that is of German descent. At one point in her life, she lived in Germany so she probably heard it performed from the German people living there. However, he also said that she may have heard it directly from her family that is from right outside of Munich. Xan said that the song has been passed down from generation to generation. Before Xan’s mom sang it to him, her mom sang it to her, and so on and so forth. Therefore, this song has been passed down orally from parent to child.

When I asked Xan when this song is usually performed, he said that his mom used to sing it to him right before he went to bed when he was child. He said this is most likely the way most German families sing it as well. He thinks a nice little nursery rhyme to sing to a young German because it is catchy and upbeat. When he sang it to me, he even clapped a little bit, showing how parents can entertain young ones to make it easier for them to go to sleep. Just as American parents sing little jingles and tell nursery rhymes, German parents are able to sing this song to their children.

Xan said that on a personal note, this song meant a lot of tradition and family. He said it brought a special connection between him and mother when he was child. He liked how it was in a different language also because it made it more exciting. His friends who have never heard this song before didn’t understand it like he did, making it unique to him and his mom. On a broader scale, he thinks that this song is just a funny, catchy tune. He says it doesn’t make any sense but he knows that children like it. Children enjoy songs such as these because it is easy to perform and it is fun. It doesn’t matter to them that a Grandma typically would not ride a motorcycle without any breaks. It’s just a way for them to connect with their family and friends.

When I listened to this song for the first time, I was confused by both the German and English translation. I did not understand why a Grandma would ever ride a motorcycle or have all of those interesting characteristics. However, I did laugh and realize that this was just a child’s folk song. It doesn’t make sense but like most childish songs, none ever do. That is probably one of the reasons children like them so much. Additionally, I agree with Xan that this song represents tradition. I can see how generations of families can pass along songs such as these to their children. It is a simple way of connecting with children because it pleases them. There are plenty of other examples of these songs around the world that parents sing to their kids. In America, a good example would be “Mary had a little lamb” or “Rock-a-bye Baby.” My parents as well as many I know used to sing these songs to their children before bed. Therefore, it is easy to say that no matter where you are in the world, there will always be folk songs such as these that will help bring families closer together.