A couple of years back I got a cassette of Andrews Sisters’ classic hits. And I am glad I did. They were really great singers, and had a real ecletic mix of songs, from the calypso “Rum and Coca-Cola” to the ethnic “Beer Barrel Polka”. But one thing has always perplexed me. What does “Bei Mir Bist du Schon”, from one of their songs, mean?
Most people hear it incorrectly as “my dear Mr. Shane”. But a couple of years ago on television, I recall hearing it was a Yiddish phrase. They either didn’t tell what it meant, or I forgot in any event. (There would be no point in my using Intertran or Babelfish, because it is Yiddish, and they don’t have the language for translating.)
It’s basically perfectly good German – spelled “Bei mir bist Du schön” in German (or בייַ מיר ביסט דו שיין in Hebrew letters as used by Yiddish).
It means “To Me You’re Beautiful”.
Fascinating. It’s originally by Sholom Secunda (which I knew) from a Yiddish musical he wrote. Here’s what I did not know: according to Wiki, Sammy Cahn heard the song at the Apollo in Harlem! Secunda sold the rights to the song for $30, which he split with the lyricist! Cahn, Chaplin, and their publishers made the big bucks.
I am not making this up. Back around (IIRC) 1970, Shasta used this song in one of their root beer comercials, set in an Old West slaoon. The lyrics went something like “Root beer, Mister Shane / Please let me explain / Shasta makes the finest in the land.”
