Golem is a rock-klezmer band from New York City. They mix traditional Eastern European Jewish music with original material sung in Yiddish, English, Russian, as well as Ukrainian, French, Serbian-Croatian, and Romani.
Golem was created in November, 2000 by Annette Ezekiel Kogan, bandleader, vocalist and accordionist. The group describes itself as “Eastern European Jewish folk-rock”. The group performs internationally throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, as well as France, Germany, Ukraine, the U.K, Poland and Sweden.
Ekh Odesa, mayn Odesa, tayer bistu mir,
Vi ikh gey un vi ikh shtey, trakht ikh nor fun dir.
Dayne gasn , dayne masn, vi ikh hob farbrakht
Kh’benk nokh dir bay tog un oykh bay nakht.
Ekh, yablochka, ikh nem di sheyne Tzipe.
Dushenka mayn mamele, shtel mit ir a khupe.
Ikh hob gehert fil lider zingen gute
Men zingt zey ale, mit groys interes,
Fun Slutsk, fun Belz, fun Zhlochev un fun Lite,
Nor nisht gehert hob ikh fun mayn Ades.
Vi ken men gor fargesn aza shtot a sheyne?
Vi oysgevaksn bin ikh, vi iz dort mayn heym.
S’iz in der gantser velt Odesa du nor eyne
Dermonen vel ikh aykh atsind in dem.
Ekh Odesa….
Ekh yablochkо, kuda ty katish’sya?
Pod klosh popadesh’ – ne vorotish’sya!
Mayn moldavanke, vi ikh bin dertsoygn
Vi hot ir in der velt aza dimant?
Un der fasad, er shteyt mir far di oygn,
Un der hurbater fremder shvartser yam.
Af der Bulgarsker zey ikh zikh a bokher geyn,
Er filt a meydl, georimt, semochkes er knakht.
Git ir a kush, fartift, az keyner zol nisht zeyn,
Un zingt er tsu a lidele tsum tak.
Ekh Odessa….
Ah Odessa, my Odessa, you are so dear to me.
Wherever I go, wherever I am, I still think of you.
Your streets and alleyways, where I had so much fun,
I yearn for you by day and by night.
Hey little apple, I’m taking pretty Tzippe for a bride.
Dear mama, put up the chuppah for us.
I’ve heard many good songs
All very interesting
About Slutsk, Belz, Zlochev and Lithuania,
But I haven’t heard any about my Odessa.
How can one forget such a beautiful city,
The place where I grew up, my home?
There is only one Odessa in the whole world
And now I’ll tell you about it.
Ah Odessa…
Eh little apple, where are you twirling?
If you get caught up in my flared sailor pants, you’ll never get out!
My neighborhood, Moldavanka, where I was so happy,
Where else can you find such a jewel?
The boardwalk stands before my eyes
And the waves of the Black Sea.
On Bulgarsker Street, I see myself as a young man
With a girl, arm in arm, crunching sunflower seeds.
I sneak a kiss, so no one can see,
And I sing her this little tune.
Ah, Odessa…
Delìrivm Còrdia 