Abschied (Muss i denn)
Song
Text: Heinrich Wagner, stud. theol., Tübingen 1824
Melody: From Remsdal in Zwaben
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Aditional info
"Muss i denn" (German for "must I, then") is a German or Swabian folk song adapted by Friedrich Silcher and first published in 1827. Two English-language adaptations under the title Wooden Heart by Elvis Presley in 1960 and Joe Dowell in 1961 each made it a worldwide bestseller and thus became one of the most internationally known German folk tunes.
It first appeared on page sixteen of Friedrich Silcher's collection of popular songs, Volkslieder, gesammelt und für vier Männerstimmen gesetzt, Opus 8, Nr. 12 (folk songs, collected and set for four male voices). Silcher mentioned to Ludwig Uhland that the melody was "an old melody from Württemberg", referring to the Rems valley as the place of origin. The origin of the song, however, is obscure and the original text has not survived.
The content of the song, entitled "Abschied" by Silcher but "Der wandernde Liebhaber" by Wagner, are the parting words of a young man who has to leave his beloved. He promises to be faithful to her and to marry her when he returns "a year from now". Even before the middle of the 19th century, the song was included in a number of songbooks. In 1892, August Holder described Muss i denn ... as "the best, most powerful and most popular folk song of the Swabian people. It has long since spread all over the globe". How early the international reception began is shown, for example, by an early English translation titled "Must I, then? Must I, then? From the town must I, then?" made by Henry William Dulcken in 1856.
The song became famous in the mid-19th century. It soon was especially well-liked among the German military as well as among excursion groups and thus was early on considered a patriotic song. It also became popular among German merchant seamen as a capstan shanty, and has been played as a naval quick march since the days of the Imperial German Navy. Some "Muss i denn" versions were widely popularized in the 20th century; those interpreted by German-American actress Marlene Dietrich and by Greek singer Nana Mouskouri deserve mention.
Different versions
Afrikaans
The African version is titled "In die Mei"
- In die Mei, in die Mei, in die najaar se Mei,
najaar se Mei, liefste nooi, sal ons moet skei.
Ek moet weg, ek moet weg, ek moet ver, ver weg,
ver, ver weg, maar my hart sal by jou bly!
En al gaan my pad ook wie weet waar,
eendag keer dit t'rug na jou;
as ek kom, as ek kom, as ek eendag weer kom,
eendag weer kom, is dit liefste net na jou.
- Moenie treur, moenie treur nie al moet ons skei,
moet ons skei, ons liefde is nie verby;
is ek ver, is ek ver, is ek baie ver,
baie ver, bly jou beelt'nis steeds by my.
Moenie dalk oor ander liefde dink,
net aan jou bly ek getrou.
As ek kom, as ek kom, as ek eendag weer kom,
eendag weer kom is dit liefste net na jou.
- Oor 'n jaar, oor 'n jaar, met die najaar se Mei,
najaar se Mei, is ek weer hier aan jou sy;
is ek dan, is ek dan nog die kêrel vir jou,
kêrel vir jou, vier ons bruilof in die Mei.
O die vreugde in ons harte dan
as geen afstand meer kan skei!
As ek kom, as ek kom, as ek eendag weer kom,
eendag weer kom sal ek altyd by jou bly.
Sources
- Holder, August 'Muss i denn, muss i denn zum Städtele naus'. Ein schwäbischer Beitrag zur Naturgeschichte der Volksliederdichtung". In: Alemannia 19 (1892), pp. 144–148.
- Widmaier, Tobius, Von Silcher zu Elvis. Metamorphosen eines schwäbischen 'Volksliedes'In: Vom Minnesang zur Popakademie. Musikkultur in Baden-Württemberg. Katalog zur Großen Landesaustellung Baden-Württemberg 2010, edited by the Badischen Landesmuseum Karlsruhe. Karlsruhe 2010, pp. 347–50.
- Willems, Akim (v. Herr W.), De Studentencodex 1955-2003. Vergelijkende studie met betrekking tot de studentenliederschat in de verschillende edities + Addendum bij de Studentencodex 2003, Belgium, Antwerp, 2004.