Der Deitcher’s Dog

“Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?”
A funny song from 1864
words and music by Septimus Winner

A comic ballad written in Philadelphia which had a large German community. It has a rather crude dialect text which is original. The melody is borrowed from the German folksong “Lauterbach.” The song’s “Tra-la-la” chorus is a Bavarian yodel that evokes an oom-pah-pah beer garden band.

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The sheet music:

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Accompaniment by Werner Tomaschewski:

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Lyrics

1. Oh where, oh where ish mine little dog gone
   Oh where, oh where can he be
   His ears cut short und his tail cut long
   Oh where, oh where ish he

Chorus
Tra la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la
Tra la la la la la la la la la la
Tra la la la la la la

2. I loves mine lager ’tish very goot beer
   Oh where, oh where can he be
   But mit no money I cannot drink here
   Oh where, oh where ish he
3. Across the ocean in Garmanie
   Oh where, oh where can he be
   Der deitcher’s dog ish der best companie
   Oh where, oh where ish he
4. Un sasage ish goot, bolonie of course
   Oh where, oh where can he be
   Dey makes um mit dog und dey makes em mit horse
   I guess de makes em mit he

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Sung here by Fred Feild: