Family weddings tended to have lots of dancing to the Polka—and drinking. Here's some of the songs that were played.
In Heaven There is No Beer - Frank Yankovic
Pije Kuba with lyrics
Pije Kuba English lyrics
Kuba drinks to his friend Jacob Jacob drinks to Michael I drink to you, you drink to me This is so delightful! Refrain: If there would be one of us Who our drinks refused to touch Hupaj siupaj, siupaj hupaj We'll smart you with our cane's touch (repeat last two lines) So here we are like our grandfathers Each one to his measure We drink for fun, drink for pleasure Refrain In olden days of lofty days Noble men did rock it
Pennsylvania Polka - Lawrence Welk
Johann Strauss
by Ed Sawicki
There's been a persistent claim among us Strauss ancestors that famous composer Johann Strauss (1925-1899) is our relative. Johann was Austrian, and he composed polkas, as well as other music. It's difficult to prove this link, given that Polish ancestry records are not online, but perhaps our aunts and uncles had information that we don't.
It's coincidental that, as a young teen, I listened to humorist Jean Shepherd on WOR Radio in New York for many years, and the opening music for Shepherd's show was the Bahn frei polka. I didn't know until I started researching our family history that the polka was written by Johann's brother, Eduard Strauss. It would be fun to know that I was listening to music composed by a relative all those years.
Just for fun, here's Sweet Georgia Brown sung in Polish by Melvin James Kaminsky (Mel Brooks) whose family is from Gdansk, Poland and his wife, Anne Bancroft (1931‑2005). Mel and Anne never performed at a Strauss family wedding. 😁
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