Sunday, December 6, 2015

Al Jolson's SONNY BOY in GERMAN

Jolson's films and music were seen and heard all over the world. Ever wondered if some iconic Jolson tunes were covered in different languages? Here is one of them.


The German version of SONNY BOY, THE SINGING FOOL'S (1928) theme song, was sung by German bariton singer HEINZ MARIA LINS in the 1950s. Lins famously sang for many German movies in the 1950s; he sang at American night clubs as a young student and later signed a contract for DECCA Records. Many thanks to the saxophonist and organist Markus Emanuel Zaja who found Lins' version of SONNY BOY and forwarded it to us.



Here's a translated excerpt from the description as it appears on the LP cover:

Sonny Boy
sung by: Heinz Maria Lins
Orchestra: Wilfried Krüger

"One of the first American talkies that were seen around the world was 'The Singing Fool', produced in 1928, which elated the German audience under the title 'Der singende Narr'. Al Jolson played the starring role. Everybody had tears in their eyes when the singer sang his favorite song to his terminally ill son. There were only a few people who didn't see this heartrending film back in the day! More than 300,000 people had watched it only in Berlin. Not to mention the huge success in record selling - it was almost 12 million records that landed upon turntables in a little while."

The meaning of the German lyrics differ slightly from the original English lyrics. Here is the English translation of the German lyrics:

Sleep and have sweet dreams, Sonny Boy!
Close your eyes, Sonny Boy!
Put your hands silently in mine
Sleep and have sweet dreams, Sonny Boy!

Bright stars are gleaming in the distance
Gleaming for you, Sonny Boy!
Bells are ringing, thousand birds are singing
Singing for you, Sonny Boy!

But only one heart will always beat for you
And that is my heart
Who loves you as much as I do?
Oh, believe me!
More than my life I want to give you
You are my happiness, Sonny Boy!

But only one heart will always beat for you
And that is my heart
Who loves you as much as I do?
Oh, believe me!
More than my life I want to give you
You are my happiness, Sonny Boy!

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