Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah:
I listen (ugh) religiously to the Nextbook podcast, which is all about contemporary Jewish literature and culture. Recently they had an episode about Allan Sherman, a former television producer who later made his name writing song parodies by giving european standards Jewish American themes. His version of Frere Jacques went like this…
Sarah Jackman,
Sarah Jackman,
How’s by you? How’s by you?
How’s by you the family? How’s your sister Emily?
Still a Jew?
This was the early 1960s where you could still get away with advertising a job or an apartment as “Gentiles Only.” How to assimilate, how not to appear “too Jewish” weighed heavily on the minds of Allan Sherman and his contemporaries. Most of songs reflected the awkwardness and humor in these situations.
His most famous creation “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah” has become a campfire classic. I always thought it was a Downey detergent commercial but I didn’t spend a lot of time at summer camp.
Sherman didn’t have a very happy life: failed marraiges, alcoholism, classic success gone-to-your-head story. But did create a few doopy little tunes that endure.
The whole story is here. Listen. It’s thrilling.