Ich bin der Doktor Eisenbart
{{Short description|German folk song}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
File:Ich bin der Doktor Eisenbart (1840).jpg
"Ich bin der Doktor Eisenbart" ("I am the Doctor Eisenbart"), also called Eisenbart-Lied ("Eisenbart Song"), is a German-language folk song associated with students and first published in 1814.{{cite web|title=Liederlexikon: Ich bin der Doktor Eisenbart|publisher=|url=http://www.liederlexikon.de/lieder/ich_bin_der_doktor_eisenbart|url-status=|access-date=28 April 2016|last=|date=|pages=}} Other variants include a Dutch variant titled "Ik ben Doktor Grijzenbaard" and a Pennsylvania Dutch variant titled "Ich bin der Doktor Witzelsucht". It deals with the treatment methods of Johann Andreas Eisenbarth, who is depicted in the song as a quack. There are numerous variations, of which the earliest dateable publication of 1814 comes from the commercial book of the student association Germania from Göttingen.{{cite web|title=Liederlexikon: Edition A|publisher=|url=http://www.liederlexikon.de/lieder/ich_bin_der_doktor_eisenbart/editiona/|url-status=|access-date=28 April 2016|last=|date=|pages=}} The first publication with melody appeared in 1840.{{cite web|title=Liederlexikon: Edition B|publisher=|url=http://www.liederlexikon.de/lieder/ich_bin_der_doktor_eisenbart/editionb/|url-status=|access-date=28 April 2016|last=|date=|pages=}} In the 20th century the song became popular among children, and the melody was also adapted for the equally popular "Ein Mann, der sich Kolumbus nannt".{{cite web|title=Liederlexikon: Edition D|publisher=|url=http://www.liederlexikon.de/lieder/ich_bin_der_doktor_eisenbart/editiond/|url-status=|access-date=28 April 2016|last=|date=|pages=}}
Creation
The humorous song "Ich bin der Doktor Eisenbart" was probably written around 1800 by Göttingen students. A popular destination for them was nearby Hann. Münden, the home town and burial place of Johann Andreas Eisenbarth.
{{stack|{{listen|type=music|filename=Ich bin der Doktor Eisenbart.mid|title=MIDI arrangement}}}}
The song begins with the verse
widewidewitt, bum, bum,
kurier die Leut' auf meine Art,
widewidewitt, bum, bum.
Kann machen, dass die Blinden geh'n,
widewidewitt, juchheirassa,
und dass die Lahmen wieder seh'n,
widewidewitt, bum, bum.
widewidewitt, boom, boom,
will cure the people in my way,
widewidewitt, boom, boom.
Can make it that the blind will walk,
widewidewitt, whoopee hurrah,
and that the lame can see again,
widewidewitt, boom, boom.{{clear|left}}
and has countless other verses that have been added to the original twelve over time.{{cite web|title=Volksliedsammlung: Ich bin der Doktor Eisenbart|publisher=|url=http://www.volksliedsammlung.de/ichbinde.html|url-status=dead|access-date=28 April 2016|last=|date=|pages=|archive-date=19 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180619065811/http://www.volksliedsammlung.de/ichbinde.html}}
Impact
This song, in turn, inspired various authors to write novels to this day ({{ill|Agnes Harder|de}}, 1897; Josef Winckler, 1928; Otto Weddigen, 1909; Fritz Nölle, 1940; Hanns Kneifel, 2002), plays (for example Otto Falckenberg, 1908), operas (Alfred Böckmann and Pavel Haas) and Nico Dostal's operetta {{ill|Doktor Eisenbart|de}} (1952). The school opera Der Arzt auf dem Marktplatz (1957) by East Germans Hanna and {{ill|Siegfried Stolte|nl}}, was also based on motifs from the life of Doctor Eisenbarth.Arthur Kopp: "Neues über den Doktor Eisenbart". In: Zeitschrift für Bücherfreunde 7,1 (1903–1904), [https://archive.org/stream/bub_gb_NdkcAQAAMAAJ#page/n249/ p. 217–226].
Dutch-language variation
A Dutch-language variation of the song exists too, "Ik ben Doktor Grijzenbaard", removing all references to the real Eisenbart by calling him grijzenbaard (grey beard).{{Cite web |url=https://www.uzleuven.be/sites/default/files/Centraal/Over_ons/Publicaties/uzmagazine/uz-magazine-201606-frieda.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=13 November 2019 |archive-date=13 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191113132540/https://www.uzleuven.be/sites/default/files/Centraal/Over_ons/Publicaties/uzmagazine/uz-magazine-201606-frieda.pdf }} In 1978 the Flemish comedy band {{ill|De Strangers|nl|De Strangers (muziekgroep)}} recorded a parody song of "Ik ben Doktor Grijzenbaard", titled "Ik ben Vader Grijzenbaard", which satirized the popularity of Vader Abraham's The Smurf Song, as well as The Muppets.[http://www.destrangers.org/v10/txt/arch/disco.html "Discografie: hitlijsten – Singles"], destrangers.org (in Dutch)[http://muziekarchief.be/trackdetails.php?ID=70189 "Vader grijzenbaard"], muziekarchief.be (in Dutch)
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
Further reading
- Arthur Kopp: Eisenbart im Leben und im Liede. Berlin 1900 Internet Archive.
- {{Cite ADB|48|301|317|Eisenbart, Johann Andreas|Paul Mitzschke|ADB:Eisenbart, Johann Andreas|ref=none}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{YouTube|v7w8Cz-jQ2E|Audio}}, Gerd Martens, Evi Arendt
- [https://ingeb.org/Lieder/IchBinDr.html 13 verses, MIDI sound files], ingeb.org
- [https://www.lieder-archiv.de/ich_bin_der_doktor_eisenbart-notenblatt_300591.html Score, 5 verses, sound file], lieder-archiv.de
- [https://www.volksliedsammlung.de/e-ichbinde.html 7 verses, history] by Tobias Widmaier, February 2009, volksliedsammlung.de (in German)
Category:Songs about physicians