Karaoké Prologue: Tradition Un violon sur le toit

A fiddler on the roof

Sounds crazy, no?

But in our little village of Anatevka you might say

Every one of us is a fiddler on the roof

Trying to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune without breaking his neck

It isn't easy

You may ask

Why do we stay up there if it's so dangerous

We stay because Anatevka is our home

And how do we keep our balance

That I can tell you in one word

Tradition

Tradition, tradition

Tradition, tradition

Tradition

Tradition

Tradition, tradition

Tradition, tradition

Tradition

Tradition

Because of our traditions we've kept our balance for many years

Here in Anatevka we have our traditions for everything

How to eat, how to sleep how to work

Even how to wear clothes

For instance we always keep our heads covered

We wear these little prayer shawls

This shows our constant devotion to God

You may ask how did this tradition get started

I'll tell you

I don't know

But it's a tradition

Because of our traditions everyone here knows who he is and what God expects him to do

Who day and night must scramble for a living

Feed the wife and children

Say his daily prayers

And who has the right as master of the house to have the final word at home

The papa, the papa

Tradition

The papa, the papa

Tradition

Who must know the way to make a proper home

A quiet home

A kosher home

Who must raise a family and run the home

So papa's free to read the holy book

The mama, the mama

The mama, the mama

Tradition

Tradition

The mama, the mama

The mama, the mama

Tradition

Tradition

At three I started

Hebrew school

At ten I learned a trade

I hear they picked a bride for me

I hope she's pretty

The sons, the sons

The sons, the sons

Tradition

Tradition

The sons, the sons

The sons, the sons

Tradition

Tradition

And who does mama teach to mend and tend and fix

Preparing me to marry whoever papa picks

The daughters, the daughters

The daughters

I have five daughters

Tradition

Tradition

The daughters, the daughters

The daughters, the daughters

Tradition

Tradition

Who day and night must

And who does mama teach

Who must know the way scramble for a living to make a proper home

Feed the wife and children to mend and tend and fix

A quiet home

Say his daily prayers

And who has the right as master of the house

A kosher home

Preparing me to marry

Who must raise a family to have the final word at home and run the home whoever papa picks

So papa's free to read

The papa the holy book

The mama

The daughters

Tradition

Tradition

The daughters, the daughters

The mama, the mama

The papa, the papa

Tradition

Tradition

And in the circle of our little village we have always had our many special types

For instance

Yente the matchmaker

Avram I have a perfect match for your son

A wonderful girl

Ruchel the shoemaker's

Who is it

Ruchel? She can hardly see daughter

She's almost blind

Tell the truth Avram is your son so much to look at

The way she sees and the way he looks

It's a perfect match

And Reb Nahum the beggar

Alms for the poor

Alms for the poor

Here Reb Nahum is one kopek

One kopek? Last week you gave me two kopeks

I had a bad week

So if you had a bad week why should I suffer

And most important our beloved Rabbi

Rabbi may I ask you a question

Certainly my son

Is there a proper blessing for the Tsar

A blessing for the Tsar

Of course

Mmh may God bless and keep the Tsar far away from us

Among ourselves we've always got along perfectly well

Of course there was the time he sold him a horse but delivered a mule

But that's all settled

Now we live in simple peace and harmony

It was a horse

It was a mule

It was a horse

It was a mule I tell you

Horse, mule

Horse, mule

Horse, mule

Horse, mule

Horse, mule

Horse, mule

Horse, mule

Horse, mule

Tradition, tradition

Tradition, tradition

Tradition

Tradition

Tradition, tradition

Tradition, tradition

Tradition

Tradition

Tradition

Tradition

Without our traditions our life would be as shaky as as

As a fiddler on the roof