Oh, Mein Papa

Label

Columbia Records

Genre

Instrumental pop

Media Type

45

Composer(s)

Paul Burkhart

Entered Chart

Dec 5, 1953

Released

1954

Recorded

Unknown

Catalog #

Essex 336

B-Side

Mystery Street

Original Artist

Eddie Fisher

This song was originally written in the 1940s by Paul Buckhard for a stage musical, Der Schwarze Hecht (The Black Pike). In 1949 it became a European hit for Lys Assia, who later won the first ever Eurovision Song Contest with "Refrain" in 1956. In 1953 the British producer, Norrie Paramour asked trumpeter Eddie Calvert to make a solo record. Despite being released as the B-side of the single "Mystery Street," this song caught on and it became the first UK #1 to be recorded at EMI's Abbey Road studios. This remained UK #1 for nine weeks, a record in the UK for an instrumental. The second longest lasting UK #1 instrumental, 'Wonderful Land' by The Shadows (#1 for eight weeks) was also produced by Norrie Paramor. In the US, Eddie Fisher's version topped the US charts and reached #9 in the UK, thus making it the first song to chart as both instrumental and vocal in the UK. Eddie Calvert came to hate this song. According to 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh, in the '70s he said, "Hearing 'Oh Mein Papa' is like having a 6-inch nail jammed through my head."

Oh, my pa-pa, to me he was so wonderful
Oh, my pa-pa, to me he was so good
No one could be, so gentle and so lovable
Oh, my pa-pa, he always understood

Gone are the days when he would take me on his knee
And with a smile he'd change my tears to laughter

Oh, my pa-pa, so funny, so adorable
Always the clown so funny in his way
Oh, my pa-pa, to me he was so wonderful
Deep in my heart I miss him so today
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricF