Moishe the Peddler
Music and lyrics by Elisa Korenne
I’m Moishe, I’m a peddler
Haberdasher, all goods seller
Going farm to farm for weeks
With all the goods the farmers need.
For payment I’ll take money
Geese or ducks or maybe chickens
Eggs, tomatoes, or even a calf (but…)
If it’s a pig that you endeavor
To pay with I can’t ever
It’s a good pig, however
You’ll be begging forever
Because my faith I cannot sever
And the Torah tells me never
I can in no way whatever
Eat a pig
German Yiddish and English
And I even speak some Finnish
Russian Polish and Rumanian
I’d see what they can hear me in
Put the wares up on my wagon
Ask the horse to pull me, dragging
All the things the farmers had to have (I’d say…)
CHORUS
Metal buttons tinkled,
Chinese silks twinkled
Japanese embroideries
I’d bring them anything they’d need
Barrels, cases, notions, laces
Put smiles on farmers faces
Neckties collars ribbons trimmings
Thread pins needles hats and herring
Clothing goods staples
Crates of fruit, the meat was pickled
Frozen fish from Canada
Spanish wool jackets (but…)
CHORUS
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