Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen

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"Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen" is a popular song, the title meaning "to me you are beautiful." In correct Yiddish the title would be rendered Bei Mir Bistu Shein, or ביי מיר ביסטו שיין.

It was originally composed by Jacob Jacobs (lyricist) and Sholom Secunda (composer) for a Yiddish musical, I Would if I Could, (in Yiddish, Men Ken Lebn Nor Men Lost Nisht) in 1932 that opened and closed after only one season. Secunda sold the publishing rights to the song for a mere US$30.

In 1937, Sammy Cahn heard a performance of the song, sung in Yiddish by African American performers Johnnie and George at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, and on seeing the response, got his employer to buy the rights so he (together with Saul Chaplin) could rewrite the song with English language lyrics. He then convinced The Andrews Sisters to perform the song (recorded November 24, 1937) , and it became a major hit.

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