04:19

Ruth Deutschmann

Benjamin Epp

Innsbruck

2008-06-17

Sylvia Manning - Baumgartner

Nicole D´Incecco

1925

There are many songs, farmer’s ballads. Do you know Hansl from the Cow Pasture' or Poor Little Mother? There's a whole bunch of these songs. We also knew a lot of Carinthian songs, because my mother knew a Carinthian and she learned many songs like: Little Rose from Wörthersee which aren't sung today anymore - too kitschy. Instead they now sing these modern songs which they call folklore, I would call them fool-lore music. They're sickening. - - - But we sang some nice songs. I could play you the tape of Hansl from the Cow Pasture'. "I am Hansl from the cow pasture, please listen to my tune I would like to sing to you, the very best I can. In times of war my father lost his life. When my mother heard what'd come to pass she wanted to take her precious life. Her only boy Hans, that is me, kept her from this stupidity. Her only boy Hans, that is me, kept her from this stupidity. The years then went by really quickly and I had to" ? I can’t do it well if I'm not singing. I’d have to sing it. But I still remember all the lyrics. "The year of my physical for the army, they kept me without hesitation. When my mother heard that, she collapsed on her way to pray. And I said, dear mother, you will see, I'll come back, count on me. And time went past, the years went by fast." They had to stay with the military for eight years back then, when they were drafted. "And I was going on leave then, but in the last year war broke out. I had to be a sentry to my men And a bullet came flying, I thought I was dying. When I came to my senses, I was missing my right leg." Hmm, how do I go on? - - - I can’t remember how it went, when he came home to his mother? "My right leg was missing. I was thinking of my poor little mother and of the medal 'round my neck. I was thinking of my poor little mother and of the medal 'round my neck." More? "And when I was healthy again, I wandered home on my peg leg, I returned to the cow pasture, Came back to my parent’s house. My mother recognized my voice, So, she reached out to me. That I was missing a leg she didn’t see, Because both her eyes were blind. Oh God, oh God, I am a cripple and my poor mother is blind Oh God, oh God, I am a cripple and my poor mother is blind. That's it. That was one, I know many.