Oh du lieber Augustin
Encyclopedia
"Oh du lieber Augustin" ("Oh, you dear Augustin") is a Viennese song, composed by Marx Augustin
in 1679.
At this time Vienna was struck by the bubonic plague
(see Great Plague of Vienna
) and Augustin was a ballad singer and bagpiper, who toured Vienna‘s
inns entertaining people. The Viennese loved Augustin because of his charming humour in bitter times and they called him "Lieber Augustin" (Dear Augustin). Once he was drunk and on his way home he fell in the gutter and went to sleep. He was mistaken for a dead man by the gravediggers patrolling the city for dead bodies. They picked him up and dumped him, along with his bagpipes which they presumed were infected, into a pit filled with bodies of plague victims outside the city walls. Next day when Augustin woke up, he was unable to get out of the deep mass grave. He was shocked and after a while he started to play his bag pipes, because he wanted to die the same way he lived. Finally people heard him and he was rescued from this dreadful place. Luckily he remained healthy despite having slept with the infected dead bodies and Augustin became a symbol of hope for Viennese people.
The story lives on in the song Oh du lieber Augustin ("Oh, you dear Augustin"), which is still popular in Austria
. The tune is nearly identical to the tune of Did You Ever See a Lassie?, as they share the same notes, but the only difference is that it is longer and more melancholy than that song.
Text and melody: Marx Augustin
(1679)
Ach, du lieber Augustin,
Augustin, Augustin,
Ach, du lieber Augustin,
Alles ist hin!
1. Geld ist hin, Mädl ist hin,
Alles ist hin, Augustin!
Ach, du lieber Augustin,
Alles ist hin!
Refrain
2. Rock ist weg, Stock ist weg,
Augustin liegt im Dreck.
Ach, du lieber Augustin,
Alles ist hin!
Refrain
3. Und selbst das reiche Wien,
Hin ist's wie Augustin;
Weint mit mir im gleichen Sinn,
Alles ist hin!
Refrain
4. Jeder Tag war ein Fest,
Jetzt haben wir die Pest!
Nur ein großes Leichenfest,
Das ist der Rest.
Refrain
5. Augustin, Augustin,
Leg' nur ins Grab dich hin!
Ach, du lieber Augustin,
Alles ist hin!
O, you dear Augustin,
Augustin, Augustin,
O, you dear Augustin,
All is lost!
1. Money's gone, girlfriend's gone,
All is lost, Augustin!
O, you dear Augustin,
All is lost!
Refrain
2. Coat is gone, staff is gone,
Augustin lies in the dirt.
O, you dear Augustin,
All is lost!
Refrain
3. Even that rich town Vienna,
Broke is like Augustin;
Shed tears with thoughts akin,
All is lost!
Refrain
4. Every day was a feast,
Now we just have the plague!
Just a great corpse's feast,
That is the rest.
Refrain
5. Augustin, Augustin,
Lay down in your grave!
O, you dear Augustin,
All is lost!
featured it in orchestral variations, in variations for xylophone, strings, trumpet and drums, and as the trio to the menuetto of his Symphony op 33 no 3. Johann Nepomuk Hummel
wrote S 47, WoO 2 - Variations for orchestra on "O du lieber Augustin" in C major.
The tune appears quoted (recognisably, but in a dissonant context) in the midst of the 2nd movement of Arnold Schoenberg
's 2nd Quartet
, written a month before the height of Schoenberg's marital crisis. An additional significance attaches to the quotation in view of the quartet being the work in which Schoenberg decisively abandons the traditional key-system and embraces consistent atonality
.
(1805-1875) uses a moderated form of its refrain in his fairy tale The Swineherd
from 1841. It goes as this: "Ach, du lieber Augustin/Alles ist weg, weg, weg!"
The Johns Hopkins University
band plays the song whenever the Blue Jays lacrosse team scores a twentieth goal against an opponent. The tradition was started by the school's longtime Bavarian-born band leader, Conrad "Gebby" Gebelein. Scoring at least twenty goals was a regular occurrence for the Blue Jays during the 1950s and 1960s.
The song has been adapted as a Scouting
campfire song with the title "Fish and chips and vinegar". Fish and chips and vinegar.
In Dutch
-speaking countries the melody is used for the Sinterklaas
song: "Daar wordt aan de deur geklopt." (http://kristinhall.org/songbook/ForeignSongs/AchDuLieberAugustin.html)
The tune is often used as background music in animated cartoons whenever a German character is introduced. It can be heard in a comedic, almost taunting version to mark the appearance of Hitler in 1940s World War II propaganda cartoons like The Blitz Wolf, The Ducktators
, Tokio Jokio
,...
This song is featured during "Disorder in the Court
," a Three Stooges
short subject
, Moe swallows a harmonica
, and emits different notes depending on where Larry and Curly touch him. They use this to their advantage and begin playing the song.
In the animated show Animaniacs
the song is also often played in the background when German
, Swiss or Austrian characters are introduced. In a similar way, Alouette
would be used when introducing French persons or places.
In The Simpsons
episode "The Otto Show
", the children sing a song called "Hail To The Bus Driver" under the tune of "Oh du lieber Augustin".
The song also occurs in the Bob Hope
movie My Favorite Spy
where one of the characters is named Augustine. When Bob Hope's character finds him lifeless, he says: "Ach, du Lieber! Augustine!"
The melody appears, somewhat deconstructed, in the song "Spinning Wheel
" by Blood, Sweat and Tears.
The children's song "The More We Get Together," is also sung to the same tune.
Marx Augustin
Marx Augustin was an Austrian minstrel, bagpiper, and improvisatory poet most famous for the song, O du lieber Augustin, which is attributed to him.-References:*Marx Augustin . Accessed June 10, 2009.*. Accessed June 11, 2009....
in 1679.
At this time Vienna was struck by the bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
(see Great Plague of Vienna
Great Plague of Vienna
The Great Plague of Vienna occurred in 1679 in Vienna, Austria, the imperial residence of the Austrian Habsburg rulers. From contemporary descriptions, the disease is believed to have been bubonic plague, which is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, carried by fleas associated with the black...
) and Augustin was a ballad singer and bagpiper, who toured Vienna‘s
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
inns entertaining people. The Viennese loved Augustin because of his charming humour in bitter times and they called him "Lieber Augustin" (Dear Augustin). Once he was drunk and on his way home he fell in the gutter and went to sleep. He was mistaken for a dead man by the gravediggers patrolling the city for dead bodies. They picked him up and dumped him, along with his bagpipes which they presumed were infected, into a pit filled with bodies of plague victims outside the city walls. Next day when Augustin woke up, he was unable to get out of the deep mass grave. He was shocked and after a while he started to play his bag pipes, because he wanted to die the same way he lived. Finally people heard him and he was rescued from this dreadful place. Luckily he remained healthy despite having slept with the infected dead bodies and Augustin became a symbol of hope for Viennese people.
The story lives on in the song Oh du lieber Augustin ("Oh, you dear Augustin"), which is still popular in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. The tune is nearly identical to the tune of Did You Ever See a Lassie?, as they share the same notes, but the only difference is that it is longer and more melancholy than that song.
Text of the song
-
- O, du lieber Augustin, Augustin, Augustin,
- O, du lieber Augustin, alles ist hin.
-
- Geld ist weg, Mensch ist weg,
- Alles hin, Augustin.
- O, du lieber Augustin,
- Alles ist hin.
-
- Rock ist weg, Stock ist weg,
- Augustin liegt im Dreck,
- O, du lieber Augustin,
- Alles ist hin.
-
- Und selbst das reiche Wien,
- Hin ist's wie Augustin;
- Weint mit mir im gleichen Sinn,
- Alles ist hin!
-
- Jeder Tag war ein Fest,
- Und was jetzt? Pest, die Pest!
- Nur ein groß' Leichenfest,
- Das ist der Rest.
-
- Augustin, Augustin,
- Leg' nur ins Grab dich hin!
- O, du lieber Augustin,
- Alles ist hin!
Text and melody: Marx Augustin
Marx Augustin
Marx Augustin was an Austrian minstrel, bagpiper, and improvisatory poet most famous for the song, O du lieber Augustin, which is attributed to him.-References:*Marx Augustin . Accessed June 10, 2009.*. Accessed June 11, 2009....
(1679)
Another Version
Refrain:Ach, du lieber Augustin,
Augustin, Augustin,
Ach, du lieber Augustin,
Alles ist hin!
1. Geld ist hin, Mädl ist hin,
Alles ist hin, Augustin!
Ach, du lieber Augustin,
Alles ist hin!
Refrain
2. Rock ist weg, Stock ist weg,
Augustin liegt im Dreck.
Ach, du lieber Augustin,
Alles ist hin!
Refrain
3. Und selbst das reiche Wien,
Hin ist's wie Augustin;
Weint mit mir im gleichen Sinn,
Alles ist hin!
Refrain
4. Jeder Tag war ein Fest,
Jetzt haben wir die Pest!
Nur ein großes Leichenfest,
Das ist der Rest.
Refrain
5. Augustin, Augustin,
Leg' nur ins Grab dich hin!
Ach, du lieber Augustin,
Alles ist hin!
Translation
Refrain:O, you dear Augustin,
Augustin, Augustin,
O, you dear Augustin,
All is lost!
1. Money's gone, girlfriend's gone,
All is lost, Augustin!
O, you dear Augustin,
All is lost!
Refrain
2. Coat is gone, staff is gone,
Augustin lies in the dirt.
O, you dear Augustin,
All is lost!
Refrain
3. Even that rich town Vienna,
Broke is like Augustin;
Shed tears with thoughts akin,
All is lost!
Refrain
4. Every day was a feast,
Now we just have the plague!
Just a great corpse's feast,
That is the rest.
Refrain
5. Augustin, Augustin,
Lay down in your grave!
O, you dear Augustin,
All is lost!
Use in other musical works
During the classical era the song was a popular theme for variations. E.g. the composer Paul WranitzkyPaul Wranitzky
Pavel Vranický was a Moravian classical composer. His brother, Antonín, was also a composer.-Life:...
featured it in orchestral variations, in variations for xylophone, strings, trumpet and drums, and as the trio to the menuetto of his Symphony op 33 no 3. Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Johann Nepomuk Hummel or Jan Nepomuk Hummel was an Austrian composer and virtuoso pianist. His music reflects the transition from the Classical to the Romantic musical era.- Life :...
wrote S 47, WoO 2 - Variations for orchestra on "O du lieber Augustin" in C major.
The tune appears quoted (recognisably, but in a dissonant context) in the midst of the 2nd movement of Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg was an Austrian composer, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School...
's 2nd Quartet
String quartets (Schoenberg)
The Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg published four string quartets, distributed over his lifetime. These were the String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, Op. 7 , String Quartet No. 2 in F sharp minor, Op. 10 , String Quartet No. 3, Op. 30 , and the String Quartet No. 4, Op...
, written a month before the height of Schoenberg's marital crisis. An additional significance attaches to the quotation in view of the quartet being the work in which Schoenberg decisively abandons the traditional key-system and embraces consistent atonality
Atonality
Atonality in its broadest sense describes music that lacks a tonal center, or key. Atonality in this sense usually describes compositions written from about 1908 to the present day where a hierarchy of pitches focusing on a single, central tone is not used, and the notes of the chromatic scale...
.
Use in popular culture
Danish poet and author Hans Christian AndersenHans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
(1805-1875) uses a moderated form of its refrain in his fairy tale The Swineherd
The Swineherd
"The Swineherd" is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a prince who disguises himself as a swineherd to woo an arrogant princess. The tale was first published 20 December 1841 by C. A. Reitzel in Copenhagen, Denmark in Fairy Tales Told for Children. New Collection. The...
from 1841. It goes as this: "Ach, du lieber Augustin/Alles ist weg, weg, weg!"
The Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
band plays the song whenever the Blue Jays lacrosse team scores a twentieth goal against an opponent. The tradition was started by the school's longtime Bavarian-born band leader, Conrad "Gebby" Gebelein. Scoring at least twenty goals was a regular occurrence for the Blue Jays during the 1950s and 1960s.
The song has been adapted as a Scouting
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
campfire song with the title "Fish and chips and vinegar". Fish and chips and vinegar.
In Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
-speaking countries the melody is used for the Sinterklaas
Sinterklaas
Sinterklaas is a traditional Winter holiday figure still celebrated today in the Low Countries, including the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as French Flanders and Artois...
song: "Daar wordt aan de deur geklopt." (http://kristinhall.org/songbook/ForeignSongs/AchDuLieberAugustin.html)
The tune is often used as background music in animated cartoons whenever a German character is introduced. It can be heard in a comedic, almost taunting version to mark the appearance of Hitler in 1940s World War II propaganda cartoons like The Blitz Wolf, The Ducktators
The Ducktators
The Ducktators is a Looney Tunes black and white cartoon that was produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions and was released in 1942 by Warner Bros. Directed by Norman McCabe, the cartoon satirizes various events of World War II. The title is a pun on dictator.-Story:The cartoon takes place on a...
, Tokio Jokio
Tokio Jokio
Tokio Jokio is a 1943 Looney Tunes short directed by Norman McCabe . It is a propaganda film made during World War II mocking Japan in the style of a supposed Japanese film journal broadcast...
,...
This song is featured during "Disorder in the Court
Disorder in the Court
Disorder in the Court is the 15th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
," a Three Stooges
Three Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce and extreme slapstick. In films, the Stooges were commonly known by their first names: "Moe, Larry, and Curly" and "Moe,...
short subject
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
, Moe swallows a harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, and emits different notes depending on where Larry and Curly touch him. They use this to their advantage and begin playing the song.
In the animated show Animaniacs
Animaniacs
Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs, usually referred to as simply Animaniacs, is an American animated series, distributed by Warner Bros. Television and produced by Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. The cartoon was the second animated series produced by the collaboration of Steven...
the song is also often played in the background when German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, Swiss or Austrian characters are introduced. In a similar way, Alouette
Alouette
Alouette is the French word for a lark.Alouette or alouettes may also refer to:In music and literature:*"Alouette" , a children's song...
would be used when introducing French persons or places.
In The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "The Otto Show
The Otto Show
"The Otto Show" is the twenty-second episode of The Simpsons third season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 23, 1992. In the episode, Bart decides that he wants to become a rock star after attending a Spinal Tap concert, so Homer and Marge buy him a guitar...
", the children sing a song called "Hail To The Bus Driver" under the tune of "Oh du lieber Augustin".
The song also occurs in the Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
movie My Favorite Spy
My Favorite Spy
My Favorite Spy is a 1951 comedy film starring Bob Hope and Hedy Lamarr. The movie was directed by Norman Z. McLeod.-Cast:*Bob Hope as Peanuts White/Eric Augustine*Hedy Lamarr as Lily Dalbray*Francis L...
where one of the characters is named Augustine. When Bob Hope's character finds him lifeless, he says: "Ach, du Lieber! Augustine!"
The melody appears, somewhat deconstructed, in the song "Spinning Wheel
Spinning Wheel (song)
"Spinning Wheel" is the title of a popular song from 1969 by the band Blood, Sweat & Tears. The song was written by band member and Canadian musician David Clayton-Thomas and appears on their self-titled album....
" by Blood, Sweat and Tears.
The children's song "The More We Get Together," is also sung to the same tune.