LYRIC
EAST SIDE ANTHEM- Sung & Composed by Shmuel Kunda- When Zaidy Was Young 1
When I was just a little boy
and life was full of fun and joy,
So many things that could be tried
When I grew up on the East Side.
Every face was full of smiles
Laundry hanging out for miles
and you never ate a pickle with a fork,
People ‘handled’ on the price
Then returned the merchandise
In that crowded little corner of New York.
When we were all just little guys
and we were still small for our size,
and our hearts were full of pride
that we grew up on the East Side.
With a nickel you were rich
You could buy a red hot knish
and a chocolate flavored egg cream full of foam,
No, we didn’t own a fridge
But we owned the Brooklyn Bridge
and the fire escape became our summer home.
When we were all just little tykes
We went and borrowed some old bikes,
The other kids made me the guide
To show them all that old East Side.
We saw peddlers push their wares
Yidden schmoozing on the stairs
The East River bouncing boats up like a cork,
From Delancey Street to Grand
Everybody waved a hand
They all knew me on the East Side of New York.
When all the streets were cobblestone
We hardly used a telephone,
When neighbors had something to tell
They’d open windows wide and yell.
The Italian who sold fish
Put up a sign in Yiddish
Mammeh Loshon was the language they would use,
We played marbles with no room
Stickball, with a cut off broom
In that crowded little corner of New York.
When I was just a little youth
and I still had a shaky tooth,
When I was still a little kid
The funny things I saw and did.
We built castles in the snow
Then played Ringolevio
Friday night we took a frosty midnight walk,
We put out the welcome mat
In front of our apartment flat
and our guests felt right at home here in New York.
Every face there had a smile
For a friend you’d walk a mile
You would even eat a pickle with a fork,
Every neighbor was a friend
and the memories never end
Of that Lower East Side corner of New York.