The hallmark of the Comedian Harmonists was its members' ability to blend their voices together so that the individual singers could appear and disappear back into the vocal texture and were noted for using their voices to imitate musical instruments. Their repertoire was wide, ranging from the folk and classical songs arranged by Frommermann to the more appealing and witty popular songs of the day by writers such as Peter Igelhoff, Werner Heymann and Paul Abraham.
In 1927, actor Harry Frommermann was inspired by The Revelers, a United States jazz-influenced popular vocal group, to create a German group of the same format. After some initial failures, the Harmonists soon found success, becoming popular throughout Europe, touring the United States, and appearing in 21 movies.
The group's success continued into the early 1930s, but eventually ran into trouble with the Nazi regime: three of the group members - Frommermann, Collin, and Cycowski - were either Jewish or of Jewish descent, and Bootz had married a Jewish woman. The Nazis progressively made the group's professional life more difficult, initially banning pieces by Jewish composers, and finally prohibiting them from performing in public. The group's last concert was in Munich on March 25, 1934.
Mein Kleiner Grüner Kaktus
Comedian Harmonists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Von Rosen, Tulpen und Narzissen
Leisten sich heute die kleinsten Leute
Das will ich alles gar nicht wissen
Mein kleiner grüner Kaktus
Steht draußen am Balkon
Hollari, hollari, hollaro
Was brauch' ich roten Mohn?
Hollari, hollari, hollaro
Und wenn ein Bösewicht
Was Ungezogenes spricht
Dann hol' ich meinen Kaktus
Und der sticht, sticht, sticht
Mein kleiner grüner Kaktus
Steht draußen am Balkon
Hollari, hollari, hollaro
Man find't gewöhnlich
Die Frauen ähnlich
Den Blumen, die sie gerne haben
Doch ich sag' täglich
Das ist nicht möglich
Was sollen die Leut'
Sonst von mir sagen?
Mein kleiner grüner Kaktus
Steht draußen am Balkon
Holla-hollari, holla-hollari, holla-hollaro
Was brauch' ich rote Rosen?
Was brauch' ich roten Mohn?
Holla-hollari, holla-hollaro, holla-hollaro
Und wenn ein Bösewicht
Was Ungezogenes spricht
Dann hol' ich meinen Kaktus
Und der sticht, sticht, sticht
Mein kleiner grüner Kaktus
Steht draußen am Balkon
Hollari, hollari, hollaro
Piek, piek, piek, piek
Piek, piek, piek, piek
Heute um viere
Klopft's an die Türe
Nanu, Besuch so früh am Tage?
Es war Herr Krause
Vom Nachbarhause
Er sagt: „Verzeihen Sie, wenn ich frage
Sie haben doch einen Kaktus
Auf ihrem kleinen Balkon?
Hollari, hollari, hollaro
Der fiel soeben runter
Was halten Sie davon?
Hollari, hollari, hollaro
Er fiel mir aufs Gesicht
Ob S's glauben oder nicht
Dann weiß ich, dass ihr kleiner grüner Kaktus sticht
Bewahren Sie Ihren Kaktus
Gefälligst anderswo
Hollari, hollari, hollaro“
The song Mein kleiner grüner Kaktus by Comedian Harmonists is a humorous and playful commentary on social conventions and expectations surrounding gift-giving and personal preferences. The lyrics describe a world where people commonly give expensive gifts of various flowers to each other, but the singer takes pride in having a small green cactus on his balcony instead, which he values more highly than any of the other flowers. The cactus becomes a symbol of his individuality and defiance of social norms. The narrative also includes a confrontation with a neighbor who is not impressed with the cactus and suffers the consequences of underestimating its power.
The lyrics use a great deal of wordplay and exaggeration to convey humor and irony. For example, the singer claims that he does not want to know about the flowers that others have because he is so content with his cactus, and he dismisses expensive gifts of flowers as unnecessary when he has his trusty cactus to protect him from bad people. The repetition of the melody and refrain, accompanied by the sound of a needle scratching a record at the end of the song, add to the playful vibe.
Line by Line Meaning
Blumen im Garten, so zwanzig Arten
There are twenty different types of flowers in the garden
Von Rosen, Tulpen und Narzissen
Including roses, tulips, and daffodils
Leisten sich heute die kleinsten Leute
Even the smallest people can afford these flowers these days
Das will ich alles gar nicht wissen
But I don't want to know anything about that
Mein kleiner grüner Kaktus
My little green cactus
Steht draußen am Balkon
Is standing outside on the balcony
Hollari, hollari, hollaro
A joyful exclamation
Was brauch' ich rote Rosen?
Why do I need red roses?
Was brauch' ich roten Mohn?
Why do I need red poppies?
Und wenn ein Bösewicht
And if a villain
Was Ungezogenes spricht
Says something rude
Dann hol' ich meinen Kaktus
Then I'll get my cactus
Und der sticht, sticht, sticht
And it will prick, prick, prick
Man find't gewöhnlich
One usually finds
Die Frauen ähnlich
That women are similar
Den Blumen, die sie gerne haben
To the flowers that they like
Doch ich sag' täglich
But I say every day
Das ist nicht möglich
That it's not possible
Was sollen die Leut'
What are people supposed
Sonst von mir sagen?
To say about me?
Piek, piek, piek, piek
Prick, prick, prick, prick
Heute um viere
Today at four o'clock
Klopft's an die Türe
Someone knocks on the door
Nanu, Besuch so früh am Tage?
Surprise! A visitor so early in the day?
Es war Herr Krause
It was Mr. Krause
Vom Nachbarhause
From the neighboring house
Er sagt: „Verzeihen Sie, wenn ich frage
He says, "Excuse me for asking
Sie haben doch einen Kaktus
You have a cactus
Auf ihrem kleinen Balkon?
On your small balcony?
Der fiel soeben runter
It just fell down
Was halten Sie davon?
What do you think about that?
Er fiel mir aufs Gesicht
It fell on my face
Ob S's glauben oder nicht
Whether you believe it or not
Dann weiß ich, dass ihr kleiner grüner Kaktus sticht
Then I know that your little green cactus pricks
Bewahren Sie Ihren Kaktus
Keep your cactus
Gefälligst anderswo
Somewhere else, if you please
Hollari, hollari, hollaro
A joyful exclamation
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Andre Gaston Paul Chevrier De Choudens, Hans Herda, Andre Jaques Joseph Leroy, Albrecht Marcuse, Michael Ort, Louis Eugene Bernard Poterat, Bert Reisfeld
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BoxJoe136
I found the lyrics in english.
Flowers in the garden, about twenty species
Roses, tulips and narcissi
The rich people buy for themselves these days
I don't want to know this at all
My small green cactus stands outside on the balcony
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
What do need red roses for, why do I need red poppy
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
And when a villain speaks something nasty
I get out my cactus and it stings, stings, stings
My small green cactus stands outside on the balcony
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
Most women ressemble each other in case
Of the flowers they like
But I say daily: That's not possible
What should the people say about me then?
My small green cactus stands outside on the balcony
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
What do need red roses for, why do I need red poppy
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
And when a villain speaks something nasty
I get out my cactus and it stings, stings, stings
My small green cactus stands outside on the balcony
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
Today, at four o'clock, there's a knock at the door
Oh, a visitor so early today?
It was Mr. Krause, the neighbour
He says: "Sorry if ask you:
Don't you have this cactus outside on your balcony
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
It just fell down, what do you say about this?
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
It fell on my face, if you believe it or not
Now I know that your small green cactus stings
Please keep your cactus somewhere else
hollari, hollari, hollaro!"
And in German
Blumen im Garten, so zwanzig Arten,
von Rosen, Tulpen und Narzissen,
leisten sich heute die feinen Leute.
Das will ich alles gar nicht wissen.
Mein kleiner grüner Kaktus steht draußen am Balkon,
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
Was brauch' ich rote Rosen, was brauch' ich roten Mohn,
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
Und wenn ein Bösewicht was ungezog'nes spricht,
dann hol' ich meinen Kaktus und der sticht, sticht, sticht.
Mein kleiner grüner Kaktus steht draußen am Balkon,
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
Man find't gewöhnlich die Frauen ähnlich
den Blumen die sie gerne haben.
Doch ich sag täglich: Das ist nicht möglich,
was soll'n die Leut' sonst von mir sagen.
Mein kleiner grüner Kaktus steht draußen am Balkon,
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
Was brauch' ich rote Rosen, was brauch' ich roten Mohn,
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
Und wenn ein Bösewicht was ungezog'nes spricht,
dann hol' ich meinen Kaktus und der sticht, sticht, sticht.
Mein kleiner grüner Kaktus steht draußen am Balkon,
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
Heute um viere klopft's an die Türe,
nanu, Besuch so früh am Tage?
Es war Herr Krause vom Nachbarhause,
er sagt: "Verzeih'n Sie wenn ich frage:
Sie hab'n doch 'nen Kaktus da draußen am Balkon,
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
Der fiel soeben runter, was halten Sie davon?
Hollari, hollari, hollaro!
Er fiel mir aufs Gesicht obs' glauben oder nicht
jetzt weiß ich, daß Ihr kleiner grüner Kaktus sticht.
Bewahr'n Sie Ihren Kaktus gefälligst anderswo,
hollari, hollari, hollaro!"
Got them from here
http://lyricstranslate.com/en/mein-kleiner-gruener-kaktus-my-small-green-cactus.html
@ThatGreenSpy
Lyrical Arrangement for English-speaking Singers:
Gardens of flowers, 'bout twenty species
Of roses, tulips and narcissi
These days, poor folks, for themselves buy for
But all that knowledge isn't for me
My little verdant cactus stands on the balcony
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
Why would I need red roses, or poppies? Not for me
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
And when a villain speaks some pretty nasty things
I get my little cactus and it stings, stings, stings
My little verdant cactus stands on the balcony
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
The women folk they, would go out each day,
And rearrange the flowers they love
It cannot be done, I say this daily
I wonder just what I am thought of?
My little verdant cactus stands on the balcony
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
Why would I need red roses, or poppies? Not for me
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
And when a villain speaks some pretty nasty things
I get my little cactus and it stings, stings, stings
My little verdant cactus stands on the balcony
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
Prick, Prick, Prick, Prick, Prick, Prick, Prick, Prick,
Today, right at 4, a knock at my door
A visitor so early today?
It's Mr. Krause, my next door neighbour
"If I must ask you, I am sorry
Do not have this cactus out on your balcony
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
It just fell down and struck me, what else is there to say?
hollari, hollari, hollaro!
It fell upon my face, if you'd believe such things
And now I know your little verdant cactus stings
Please keep your little cactus somewhere it won't hit me,
hollari, hollari, hollaro!"
@malcolmjohnson4414
If ever there was an example that you didn't need to speak the language In order to just enjoy the vocal talent then this is it. Tremendously talented.
@metalboy6094
If you would understand the lyrics 😂😂😂
@henryseidel5469
So enjoy the tune as long as you do not understand the meaning of the lyrics! Is is from the time when the Brits sang: "You are the cream in my coffee"
@mathildewesendonck7225
That’s actually sad, because the lyrics make it so much better 😂
@ThelovelyFox
Das war mein Lieblingslied, im Musikunterricht
@leonardr3081
Mein auch
@leilaxoxox7843
The lovely Fox jap. bei mir auch
@toeftel1687
Same
@xxy960
Bei mir nicht
@manuelschlotterflosse1459
@Dominique Dunkel Schäm dich :)