Lyrics
(Pennsylvania German folk song)
1. When I first came to this land, I was not a wealthy man.
Then I got myself a shack, I did what I could.
And I called my shack, “Break my back.”
Refrain
For the land was sweet and good, I did what I could.
2. When I first came to this land, I was not a wealthy man.
Then I got myself a cow, I did what I could.
And I called my cow, “No Milk Now,”
and I called my shack, “Break My Back” Refrain
3. When I first came to this land, I was not a wealthy man.
Then I got myself a duck, I did what I could.
And I called my duck, “Out of Luck,” and I called my cow…
4. When I first came to this land, I was not a wealthy man.
Then I got myself a wife, I did what I could.
And I called my wife, “Run for Your Life,” and I called my duck…
5. When I first came to this land, I was not a wealthy man.
Then I got myself a son, I did what I could.
And I called my son, “Your Work’s Done,” and I called my wife…
See also
- Culture: Pennsylvania German
- Subject: silly
- Form: cumulative / AB
- Harmony: chords I IV V
- Melody: D,E,F#,G,A,B / tonic triad
- Meter: 2
- Scale: hexachord
- Tones: drmfsl
- Source: Sail Away: 155 American Folk Songs to sing, read, and play, Eleanor G. Locke, 1981
- Pennsylvania German version: Wann Ich Vun Dem Land Rei Kumm
YouTube
or purchase here (printables only)
- Printable & Digital Visuals
- Song with chords, Lesson ideas for Form (Cumulative) (PDF)
- MIDI file
- Listen to the song
3 thoughts on “When I First Came to this Land”
I’m so glad you posted this! I love this song and didn’t know it was out in a book. I was surprised to see it called a folk song because a series I had many years ago had this song attributed to Oscar Brand, who I knew had written music for Broadway. Evidently he was the translator of the lyrics into English from the Pennsylvania Dutch.
I have really enjoyed your postings of cowboy songs and Goin’ Down to Cairo,too. With my shortened class time I don’t get to some of these old stand-bys that I love.
Oscar Brand translated it in 1957 from a Pennsylvania Dutch folk song. I love these folk songs, too! I want to help keep them alive!
I’m so glad you posted this! I love this song and didn’t know it was out in a book. I was surprised to see it called a folk song because a series I had many years ago had this song attributed to Oscar Brand, who I knew had written music for Broadway. Evidently he was the translator of the lyrics into English from the Pennsylvania Dutch.
I have really enjoyed your postings of cowboy songs and Goin’ Down to Cairo,too. With my shortened class time I don’t get to some of these old stand-bys that I love.