Having a song about a German watch winder doing his job in Ireland is a bit dark… usually soldiers, magicians, extraordinary folk characteristics in popular songs. Or strange events. But the mundane task of winding a watch and outsourcing a foreigner in Dublin to everyone? That wouldn’t be material for a song, would it?
Ah, but I would… because “The German Clockwinder” has a lot less to do with timers than you think. It’s actually one of the most important things in many people’s lives, even in Merrion Square. Sex. There, I said it… and here he presents extramarital sex, that the Irish are happy to make a great song and dance, just go “Seven Drunken Nights” if you don’t believe me.
But before we discuss this cardinal sin and sex in Ireland in general, let’s see what the lyrics actually tell us:
The German Clockwinder – Letras
Once a German watch came to Dublin,
Benjamin Fuchs was the name of the old German,
and while I was circling the earth
he played his flute, and the music was great!
I went:
Coro :
Toora lumma lumma toora lumma lumma toora-li-ay
Toora-li oora-li oora-li-ay
Toora lumma lumma toora lumma lumma toora-li-ay
Toora-li oora-li oora-li-ay
There was a young lady from Merrion Square
who said his watch needed repair.
Well, that German came in, and to his delight!
In less than five minutes, he had it screwed!
Singing:
chorus
Well then there they were, sitting on the floor.
Then there was a loud knock on the door.
Her husband came in and it was a big scare
see that old German finish his wife’s watch.
He was:
Chorus
Then her husband said, “Now, my dear Mary Ann,
Don’t let that old German come in here again!
Your watch is tight while mine is on the shelf.
If your old watch needs winding, I’ll do it myself. ! »
He:
chorus
The German Clock Winder: A Hidden Meaning?
Well, obviously, a good husband should be able to turn the clocks in the house. That said, in Merrion Square it would be more of a case to have a servant doing this job routinely and unobtrusively. So we could understand why the man of the house is a bit upset that his wife hired a traveling Continental to do this job. After all, unnecessary expenses!
But that’s not the point … obviously there is a subtext here …
So this German “played his flute, and the music was great.” Enter Dr. Freud, noting that the flute could well be a phallic symbol, and the music it produces would be the groan of delight a lady emits when she receives her administrations. After lighting a cigar (and sometimes a cigar really is a cigar), Dr. Freud would perhaps point out that the very act of ‘winding the clock’ has a sexual connotation … turning a knob, turning a key, turning a bit. So, when the young woman has “her watch” (obviously a symbol of female sexuality, perhaps the sexual organs themselves) “hurt” in five minutes …
You just witnessed a quickie.
The reaction of the shocked husband to discover that his wife was still “hurt” by the German, on the floor, however, also reveals a thing or two. Obviously, marital intercourse has not been as frequent (or satisfying) as the goal of both parties. Witness the husband’s ‘clock sitting on the shelf’, which we might take as a cipher because his sexual organs are quite underused and he is not ‘hurt’ at all. They are just part of the furniture, so to speak.
So yes, “The German Clockwinder” has a hidden meaning … wink-wink, nudge-nudge … and the name of the rover could even be a gift, “Fuchs” is German for the fox, a cunning creature that gets stuffed up hidden. Of course, when asked to pronounce ‘Fuchs’, most Irish people substitute ‘c’ for ‘k’ and go with the flow …
Where did “The German Clockwinder” originate?
We don’t know… it has existed for centuries, in various versions, with changing geographical indicators… but the central theme of German wind-up watches is constant. Except not necessarily, a very similar song called “The German Musicianer” was collected in Norfolk (UK) in the 1950s, while “The German Clockmender” is a slight variation on the clock work as well. We could say that the basic story of a vivacious German wandering around and satisfying the needs of lonely ladies is a staple in the folk songs of Great Britain and Ireland.
Why German?
Here’s the riddle I’m always trying to solve… Germans aren’t really known as the great lovers, are we? I mean, if I were a French (“Oh-la-la, senora!”), An Italian (“Ciao, bella, cara mia …”) or a Spaniard (“Olé!”), I would understand. But a German watch sounds as sexy as a Polish plumber.
But then again, there is this thought that keeps nagging in the back of my mind… maybe it was just » Vorsprung durch Technik » that made the German watch so unforgettable for the ladies of Dublin. It hit the spot, so to speak. Gee, genius!
