The Bluegrass Messengers
Beer Barrel Polka

Beer Barrel Polka

"Skoda Lasky" by Czech composers Jaromir Vejvoda, Wladimir A. Timm, Vasek Zeman, 1934 . English Lyrics by Lew Brown- 1939. CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes. DATE: 1934.

RECORDING INFO: Andrew Sisters. 25 Polka Greats. Vol 1, K-Tel NC420, LP (1971), cut# 13; Clark, Roy; and Buck Trent. Banjo Bandits, ABC AY 1084, LP (1978), cut# 8; F & W String Band. F & W String Band, F & W FW-1, LP (1969), cut# 10;Tibor Brothers. Tibor Brothers, JOMAR, LP (198?), cut#A.04

OTHER NAMES: There’s a Garden; Skoda Lasky SOURCES: Mudcat Discussion Forum

NOTES: 'Beer Barrel Polka' was said to have been called 'Skoda Lasky' in the original Czech. This is true as far as the song is concerned, but the tune was originally written without words and was titled 'Modrany Polka', (Modrany being a geographical location). The title 'Skoda Lasky' for the song is, as is often the case with another language, not exactly translatable. A literal translation is 'Pity Love' but 'Hurt Love' might be a nearer meaning. A free translation of the original Czech lyric of Skoda Lasky is:

Pity the love which I gave to you,
Today these eyes of mine would cry.
My youth fled like a dream 
All that remains to me is only a memory in my heart.

Lyrics to 'Beer Barrel Polka'

There's a garden, what a garden, 
Only happy faces bloom there 
And there's never any room there 
For a worry or a gloom there. 
Oh! there's music and there's dancing 
And a lot of sweet romancing 
When they play a polka they all get in the swing: 
Ev'ry time they hear that oom-pa-pa 
Ev'rybody feels so tra-la-la 
They want to throw their cares away 
They all go lah-de-ah-de-ay, 
Then they hear a rumble on the floor 
It's the big surprise they're waiting for 
And all the couples form a ring 
For miles around you'll hear them sing: 

Chorus: Roll out the barrel  
We'll have a barrel of fun 
Roll out the barrel 
We've got the blues on the run. 
Zing! Boom! Tar-rar-rel 
Ring out a song of good cheer! 
Now's the time to roll the barrel 
For the gang's all here. 













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