Schnitzelbank facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Schnitzelbank" |
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| Nursery rhyme | |
| Published | By 1900 in U.S. |
| Songwriter(s) | Unknown |
The "Schnitzelbank" is a fun and simple song. It is very popular, especially with German Americans, who are people in America with German heritage. It's often sung to teach kids German words or just for fun!
Contents
What Does "Schnitzelbank" Mean?
The word Schnitzelbank has two main meanings.
A Woodworking Tool
First, a Schnitzelbank can be a special kind of wooden bench. It's a tool that woodworkers used a long time ago, even before big factories made things. It helps them hold wood steady while they carve it. Imagine a bench where you can press down with your foot to clamp a piece of wood. This lets you use tools like a drawknife to shape the wood easily. People used these benches to make things like wooden rakes, forks, or walking sticks. In America, this tool is also called a "shaving horse."
A Humorous Song or Verse
Second, a Schnitzelbank can mean a short, funny song or poem. These songs often rhyme and have a funny surprise at the end of each part. This meaning is mostly used in places like Switzerland and parts of Germany.
In the city of Basel, Switzerland, these funny songs are a big part of their yearly Fasnacht celebrations. People called Schnitzelbänkler sing them, sometimes even showing posters called Helgen that hint at the joke without giving it away! They also sing Schnitzelbänke (that's the plural for more than one) at weddings and other parties.
The Popular "Schnitzelbank" Song
The "Schnitzelbank Song" is a German children's song that many German Americans enjoy. It helps kids learn German words in a fun way. Adults also sing it to remember their childhood. Versions of this song were printed in the United States as early as the 1900s.
Famous Appearances of the Song
This simple song has appeared in many surprising places!
- In 1880, a famous composer named Brahms used parts of this song in his "Academic Festival Overture."
- The well-known comedian Groucho Marx was singing it on stage by 1910.
- In the 1932 movie Downstairs, characters sing the song during dinner.
- The Big Bad Wolf sings a version of the song to his children in the 1936 Walt Disney cartoon Three Little Wolves.
- Actors Cary Grant, Joan Bennett, and Gene Lockhart sing it in the 1936 film Wedding Present.
- In 1942, William Frawley sang an English version in the musical The Yankee Doodler.
- The song appeared with different words in the 1949 cartoon Little Red School Mouse.
- In the 1953 movie Stalag 17, American prisoners of war sing it during a volleyball game to distract guards.
- In 1957, the rock and roll band Bill Haley & His Comets recorded a version called "Rockin' Rollin' Schnitzelbank."
- Bing Crosby included the song in a collection on his 1961 album 101 Gang Songs.
- A singer named John Schmid uploaded a Pennsylvania German version of the song to YouTube in 2010.
- In 1994, the popular cartoon show Animaniacs featured a funny segment using a changed version of the song. The characters Yakko, Wakko, and Dot learn it from a silly professor.
- Comedian Mel Blanc recorded a Christmas song in the 1950s that used the tune of "Schnitzelbank."
- A musician from Pennsylvania, Percy Einsig, also recorded a popular version of "Schnitzelbank."
