View source for Ich bin ein Musikante

{{Short description|Cumulative folk song}}
"'''{{lang|de|Ich bin ein Musikante|italics=no}}'''" ({{lit|I am a musician}} or {{gloss|minstrel}}) is a German [[cumulative song|cumulative]] [[folksong]], first published in 1838. It has been loosely translated into many languages, including two English translations: "'''I Am a Fine Musician'''" (1949) popularised by ''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]'', and "'''The Music Man'''" (1951), which has become a well known song in England.

== History ==
"{{lang|de|Ich bin ein Musikante|italics=no}}" was collected in [[Silesia]] by [[Ludwig Erk]] and [[Wilhelm Irmer]], and published in {{lang|de|Die deutschen Volkslieder mit ihren Singweisen}} (1838).<ref name="Erk & Irmer 1838">{{cite book | editor1-first=Ludwig | editor1-last=Erk | editor1-link=Ludwig Erk | editor2-first=Wilhelm | editor2-last=Irmer | chapter=No. 22: Musikantenlied | title=Die deutschen Volkslieder mit ihren Singweisen | volume=2 | year=1838 | publisher=Plahn'sche Buchhandlung (Louis Nitze) | publication-place=Berlin | lang=de | pages=18–19 | chapter-url=https://digitale-sammlungen.de/view/bsb11160859?page=20%2C21 }}</ref>

== Song structure and lyrics ==
The original German version begins with the first person in the group singing:
{{verse translation|lang1=de|Ich bin ein Musikante und komm' aus Schwabenland.|I am a musician and come from [[Swabia]].}}
The rest of the group then sings:
{{verse translation|lang1=de|Wir sind auch Musikanten und kommen aus Schwabenland.|We are also musicians and come from Swabia.}}
The first person then sings:
{{verse translation|lang1=de|Ich kann auch blasen/schlagen/etc.,|I can also play [blow/hit/etc.],}}
Then the group:
{{verse translation|lang1=de|wir können auch blasen/schlagen/etc.,|we can also play [blow/hit/etc.],}}
The first person then sings the name of an instrument, which the rest of the group repeats, followed by a comical version of the sound the instrument makes.

The above verse is then sung by the second person in the group, who chooses a different instrument. At the end of each verse, each person who has already sung then sings the sound of their own instrument, starting with the first person who sang, and ending with the person who just sang the verse.

The example instruments given in Erk and Irmer's 1838 version are:
* {{lang|de|die Trompete}} ({{gloss|the [[trumpet]]}}): "tengteng-tereng"
* {{lang|de|die Posaune}} ({{gloss|the [[trombone]]}}): "pumpumberum"
* {{lang|de|die Flöte}} ({{gloss|the [[flute]]}}): whistles
* {{lang|de|die Clarinette}} ({{gloss|the [[clarinette]]}}): "he he he he"
* {{lang|de|das Fagott}} ({{gloss|the [[bassoon]]}}): purrs with lips
* {{lang|de|die Pauken}} ({{gloss|the [[kettledrums]]}}): "berumbumbum"
* {{lang|de|der Triangel}} ({{gloss|the [[Triangle (musical instrument)|triangle]]}}): "tingtingterling"
* {{lang|de|das Klavier}} ({{gloss|the [[piano]]}}): "didideldidi"
* {{lang|de|die Violine}} ({{gloss|the [[violin]]}}): "simsimserlim"<ref name="Erk & Irmer 1838"/>

== Translations ==
=== "I Am a Fine Musician" ===
"I Am a Fine Musician" is an American translation of this song, by Felix Günther for The Children's Record Guild (starting "I am a fine musician, I travel through the world"), and sung by [[George Rasely]] and Mardi Bryant as "The Musicians" on the record ''Sing Along'' (1949).<ref>{{cite web | title=George Rasely And Mardi Bryant - Sing-Along - The Children's Record Guild | website=78 RPM | url=https://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/record/722 | access-date=2024-03-19 }}</ref> [[Charles Randolph Grean]] decided to produce a version of this song; he recruited [[Tom Glazer]] to write it (starting "I am a fine musician, I practice every day"), and it was performed by [[Dinah Shore]], [[Betty Hutton]], [[Tony Martin (American singer)|Tony Martin]], and [[Phil Harris]] as ''The Musicians'' (1951). This was later performed on ''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]'' (6 March and 18 December 1963),<ref>{{cite book | first=Vince | last=Waldron | chapter=Nuts | title=The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book | edition=Revised and Updated | year=2011 | isbn=9781569768396 | publisher=Chicago Review Press | url=http://thedickvandykeshow.com/ | chapter-url=https://www.facebook.com/DickVanDykeShowBook/posts/following-up-on-our-recent-post-about-the-musicians-the-iconic-bandleader-number/1308468639177533/ }}</ref> and [[Sesame Street]] (21 November 1969). A variant of the song, ("I am a fine musician; I travel 'round the world.") was included in Marion Grayson's ''Let's Do Fingerplays'' (1962),<ref>{{cite book | editor-first=Marion | editor-last=Grayson | chapter=I Am a Fine Musician | title=Let's Do Fingerplays | publisher=Robert B. Luce | publication-place=Washington | year=1962 | page=87 | chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/letsdofingerplay00gray/page/87 }}</ref> and was mentioned by [[Henry Miller]].<ref>{{cite book | first=Henry | last=Miller | author-link=Henry Miller | chapter=The Unilateral, Multilingual, Sesquipedalian Activity | title=Henry Miller on Writing | year=1964 | publisher=New Directions Book | publication-place=New York | page=127 | isbn=978-0-8112-0112-4 | chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/henrymilleronwri0000mill/page/127 }}</ref> A related version "I am a young musician, from London I have come", was published in {{lang|de|Die schönsten Lieder 2}} (1995), with the first line rhyming with the instrument ("from London I have come ... drum"; "I come from old Berlin ... violin", and so on).<ref>{{cite book | title=Die schönsten Lieder 2 | year=1995 | lang=de | publisher=KDM Verlag | publication-place=Berlin | pages=52–53 | url=https://www.deutscheslied.com/en/search.cgi?cmd=reqsong&ID=354067 }}</ref>

The song was also prominent on ''[[Barney & Friends|Barney and Friends]]'' and used in different ways. In the episode ''Practice Makes Music'', Barney demonstrates various instruments (violin, clarinet, trumpet, trombone). In ''Hola, Mexico!'', the children demonstrated fiesta instruments ([[guitar]], [[Güiro|guiro]], [[claves]], [[Maraca|maracas]]) and the song was arranged in a salsa style. The song was also used in ''Barney's Magical Musical Adventure'' and ''[[Barney Live in New York City]].'' 

=== "The Music Man" ===
A British version, "The Music Man" was translated and arranged by George Coote and Harold Packham in 1951, for the Tonic Music Company of London.<ref>{{cite book | chapter=Packham, Harold | title=Catalog of Copyright Entries Third Series: Published Music: January–June 1951 | year=1951 | publisher=Copyright Office | publication-place=Washington D. C. | volume=5, Part 5A, Number 1 | page=167 | chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/catalogofcopyr355libr/page/167 }}</ref> It was recorded in May that year by [[Billy Cotton]] and his band,<ref name=Cotton>{{cite web | title=Billy Cotton - The Music Man / Bless 'Em All - Decca | website=78 RPM | url=https://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/record/f9663 | access-date=2024-03-19 }}</ref> and in October by [[The Radio Revellers]].<ref>{{cite web | title=The Radio Revellers - The Music Man / Sweet Violets - Columbia | website=78 RPM | url=https://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/record/db2922 | access-date=2024-03-19 }}</ref> [[The Irish Rovers]] covered the song for ''[[Children of the Unicorn]]'' (1976). By the time of [[Barbara Ireson]] and Christopher Rowe's book ''Over and Over Again'' (1978), it was thought to be a traditional song.<ref name="Ireson & Rowe 1978">{{cite book | editor1-first=Barbara | editor1-last=Ireson | editor2-first=Christopher | editor2-last=Rowe | chapter=The Music Man | title=Over and Over Again | year=1978 | publisher=Beaver Books | publication-place=London | pages=100–101, 219 | isbn=978-0-600-35534-2 | chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/overoveragain0000ires/page/100 }}</ref> The song was recorded by [[Black Lace (band)|Black Lace]], a British pop group from [[Ossett]] in [[West Yorkshire]], in 1989 and reached #52 in the UK singles charts.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423014752/https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/17550/black-lace/|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/17550/black-lace/|title=BLACK LACE {{!}} Full Official Chart History|archive-date=23 April 2023|website=[[Official Charts Company|officialcharts.com]]|accessdate=2023-05-11}}</ref>

Each verse begins with the following chorus lines, divided between the lead singer ("The Music Man") and the audience. There are variations which follow roughly the same tune:
::The Music Man: "I am the music man, And I come from down your way and I can play!"
::Audience: "What can you play?"<ref>{{cite book | first=Debra | last=Potter | title=I Am The Music Man | publisher=Peter Haddock Publishing | location=United Kingdom | isbn=0-710-51376-3 | year=1990 }}</ref>

The line "I come from down your way" is found in the original 1951 recordings.<ref name=Cotton/> Some later versions change this line to "I come from far away".<ref name="Ireson & Rowe 1978"/>

For each verse the participants act out different [[instrument (music)|instrument]]s with specific actions.  Some of the actions for the adult version can be rude or crude. They may also attempt to imitate the sound of each instrument. It is sometimes performed in cabaret with the audience challenging the artistes to ever more extravagant – and difficult – renditions of, for example, the [[flugelhorn]].

After each verse, singers sing the previous verses in reverse order before singing the main chorus lines again.

=== "{{lang|sv|Vi äro musikanter|italics=no}}" ===
"{{lang|sv|Vi äro musikanter|italics=no}}" is a Swedish translation, typically sung when dancing around the [[Christmas tree]] and the [[maypole|Midsummer pole]]. It was written down early in {{lang|sv|[[Folklekar från Västergötland]]}} (1908–1934), published by [[Sven Lampa]]. It is a so-called "mimic song", where those singing it can mimic playing the different musical instruments mentioned in the song lyrics.

An early recording was done by [[Gösta Jonsson]] and [[Britt Berg]], appearing in a medley of Christmas songs recorded in [[Berlin]] in September 1933, and released on a record later that year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://smdb.kb.se/catalog/id/000077957|title=Stort julpotpourri|publisher=Svensk mediedatabas|language=Swedish|date=1933|accessdate=18 May 2011}}</ref>

The song has been published several times, including:
* {{lang|sv|[[Julens önskesångbok]]}}, 1997, under the title "{{lang|sv|Tjugondag Knut dansar julen ut|italics=no}}", credited as a "folk game"
* {{lang|sv|[[Barnens svenska sångbok]]}}, 1999, under the title "{{lang|sv|Sång med lek och dans|italics=no}}"

== Related songs ==
Other similar songs, perhaps based to varying extents on the original German version, include [[Peter Kennedy (folklorist)|Peter Kennedy]]'s "The German Musicianer" in ''Folk Songs of Britain and Northern Ireland'' (1975),<ref>{{cite book | editor-first=Peter | editor-last=Kennedy | editor-link=Peter Kennedy (folklorist) | chapter=201: The German Musicianer | title=Folksongs of Britain and Ireland | year=1975 | publisher=Cassell | publication-place=London | page=478 | isbn=978-0-304-93754-7 | chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/folksongsofbrita0000unse/page/478 }}</ref> and [[Walter Greenaway]]'s "The Wonderful Musician" (1871), which has a chorus that begins: "A big drum, a kettle drum, the fiddle, flute, and piccolo, piano, harp, harmonium and many more beside".

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us6VcFg4DPY "The Music Man"] by [[Billy Cotton]] and His Band (1951) on [[YouTube]]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLYo6-gaFsA&t=15 "The Music Man"] by [[The Irish Rovers]] (1976) on [[YouTube]]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4LJrGsRvSY "The Musicians"] by [[George Rasely]] and Mardi Bryant (1949) on [[YouTube]]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh4bHuajKgo "The Musicians"] by [[Dinah Shore]], [[Betty Hutton]], [[Tony Martin (American singer)|Tony Martin]], and [[Phil Harris]] (1951) on [[YouTube]]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Songs about musicians]]
[[Category:Black Lace (band) songs]]
[[Category:Cumulative songs]]
[[Category:Drinking songs]]
[[Category:Year of song unknown]]
[[Category:Songs with unknown songwriters]]