From the recording Michael V. Ficocelli: A Songwriter's Sampler
From my musical ‘Medinah: A Dream Fulfilled’ based on ‘Exodus’ by Leon Uris, performed at Temple Sharey Tefilo Israel, South Orange, NJ (1998). Although several of the words cited in the song have Hebrew origin, they were greatly used in Yiddish culture.
Lyrics
You tell me that I can't speak Yiddish
My mama's turning in her grave now
I never though you'd be so callous
You've changed so suddenly
But it's all right just have your way now
It's not important what I'm feeling
But before I faint and die just answer this for me
What would we do without Yiddish
How would we ever convey
The feelings we're feeling, the things that we do
How would we know what to say
Imagine our lives without Yiddish
How would we ever survive
Hebrew is the rule, when praying in a Schul
But Yiddish keeps our culture alive
Think of a day without 'noshing
A wedding without 'Mazel Tov
Think of a heavenly match without
A 'yenta' to give them a shove
Think of our rich, Yiddish culture
Brought here from European soil
Think of my head without a 'schmatte
Or if you will a circumcision minus a 'mohel
What would we do without Yiddish
How would we ever convey
The feelings we're feeling, the things that we do
How would we know what to say
Imagine our lives without Yiddish
How would we ever survive
Hebrew is appealing when religious we are feeling
But Yiddish keeps our culture alive
Think of a day without 'schmoozing
A 'Shabbos' without a 'Shalom
Imagine a day without 'schlepping
To market and then 'schlepping' home
Think of a 'mensch' without 'chutzpah
It's silly to even attempt
A wedding not under a 'chuppah
'Oy,' thinking of our wedding
Always makes me 'verklempt
What would we do without Yiddish
How would we ever convey
The feelings we're feeling, the things that we do
How would we know what to say
Imagine our lives without Yiddish
Struggling desperately
Hebrew's very nice, I've read it maybe twice
But Yiddish is the language for me