German-American Folklore Through Song

Abstract

song-1

German American folklore has numerous examples of songs which are distinct to this group and share common themes. Often-times these themes include beer and brewing, being a good entrepreneur, and concepts of adventuring into a new, unfamiliar but exciting land. Usually, these songs are upbeat and are sung by groups of people. These are often call and response songs, which are sometimes hung up in German American bars. These songs convey the feeling that Germans are at home wherever they are, and that new beginnings are good. But it also shows that while German Americans are willing to adapt to a new environment, they don’t want to give up everything they had known before. The song “Un als mir komen in Bremen” shows this well, with the titular line translating to "Hurrah! Now we're in America." They are in America, they are happy to be, and they’re making a new community out of the old. The songs in the article “German Folklore in Ontario” are listed with sheet music, and is very simple, but fun to play with the new-to-me German lyrics. So, it’s simple to see how this disseminated and propagated through German groups.


Link to Anthropology 452 class site here