"O mein Papa" is a nostalgic German song, originally as related by a young woman remembering her beloved, once-famous clown father.
It was written by Swiss composer Paul Burkhard in 1939 for the musical Der schwarze Hecht [de] (The Black Pike), reproduced in 1950 as Das Feuerwerk (The Firework) to a libretto by Erik Charell, Jürg Amstein, and Robert Gilbert.
An instrumental version of "Oh, mein Papa" was released by trumpeter Eddie Calvert in late 1953.
Calvert's version was the first UK number one hit recorded at Abbey Road Studios.
[1] The song returned to Abbey Road when Brian Fahey conducted an instrumental version in 1960, to be used as a backing track for Connie Francis' English-Yiddish recording for her album Connie Francis Sings Jewish Favorites.
In June 1966, Francis overdubbed the same playback once more, this time with the original German lyrics for her German concept album Melodien, die die Welt erobern.
It was adapted into English by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons under the title "Oh!
[2] A recording by Eddie Fisher with Hugo Winterhalter's orchestra and chorus that was made at Webster Hall, New York City, was released backed with "Until You Said Goodbye".
The song has been performed and recorded by numerous artists since its debut, including Lys Assia,[5] Siouxsie and the Banshees (on Join Hands (1979), as "Mother/Oh Mein Papa"), Björk (on Gling-Gló, as "Pabbi minn"), Rolf Harris (on The BBC Rolf Harris Show LP on Columbia OSX6216 in 1968, as "O Mein Papa, sung in the original German),[6] and many others.
The opening stanza was momentarily quoted in Frank Zappa's song "Billy the Mountain" (1972) in place of the word "fissure", a reference to Eddie Fisher.
[9] The original German version of the song contains passages that more fully give the context to the listener; these don't appear in the English translation.
It contains grammar errors (confusing masculine and feminine nouns and adjectives) and is sung with a foreign accent appropriate for the role of the Eastern European woman it is written for.
Refrain: —Oh, mein Papa war eine wunderbare Clown.
—Hoch auf die Seil, wie war er herrlich anzuschau'n!
—Hoch auf die Seil, wie war er herrlich anzuschau'n!
He spread his legs apart very wide, jumped high into the air, and stood on his hand.
He made them dance in the glowing light, and beamed with happiness all across his face.