Daloy Politsey (Yiddish: דאַלוי פּאָליציי, lit. 'Down with [the] Police'), also known as In Ale Gasn (Yiddish: אין אַלע גאַסן, lit. 'In Every Street') is a Yiddish-language anti-authoritarian protest song. The modern commonly known & recorded version of the song is actually a combination of two different protest songs from the late 19th and early 20th century Russian Empire; Hey Hey Daloy Politsey and In Ale Gasn respectively. The modern song was recorded in 1980 by Zalmen Mlotek for the documentary film Free Voice of Labor: The Jewish Anarchists.[1] As such the song is often rendered as In Ale Gasn/Daloy Politsey to highlight this combination. The two songs were historically associated with the Bundist movement (although none of the lyrics are explicitly Bundist) along with the Jewish anarchist movement.[1] The two songs were sung during the Russian revolutions as a rallying cry for Revolutionary Socialist and Anarchist Jews.[1]

Content

In Ale Gasn

The first two verses of the combined song come from In Ale Gasn. In Ale Gasn by itself was a labour song that calls for a strike and/or industrial action, a common occurrence at the time in Imperial Russia; especially within the Jewish population. The earliest scribed versions of the song appear in two different collections of Yiddish folk songs from Kiev from 1933 and 1934 respectively.[1]

Daloy Politsey

The rest of the song, including its refrain, come from Daloy Politsey. The song itself was first scribed around the time of the 1905 Revolution, and specifically calls for the overthrow of Tsar Nicholas.[1] Originally the song was sung with a leader singing verses (often improvised) and a chorus speak-singing the refrain in a call and response format.[1] Daloy Politsey also critiques so-called "useful Jews", highlighting how despite climbing the social ladder from a street cleaner to a capitalist, there is still a need for systemic change.

Use in contemporary political activism

Geoff Berner recorded a version of the song, mostly sung in English bar the refrain of "Hey, hey, daloy politsey!", with the added addition "It means the same thing now as yesterday. Out of your houses into the streets, everybody say fuck the police!" to said chorus. The song talks of the death in police custody of Ian Bush, as an example of police brutality; thus linking back to the origins of the song and its meaning.

Following the Ibiza affair in 2019, the Austrian Bundist Isabel Frey composed a version of the song during and for the subsequent protests.[2] She sang the song, which included the chorus: "“Hey, hey, down with HC and down with the new OVP. Get out on the streets despite the snow and rain. Today is Strache’s last day.” at a protest in May 2019.[2]

In 2021 the now defunct Yiddish anarchist cafe Pink Peacock based in Glasgow had a complaint about the café displaying in its window a pink tote bag with the words "fuck the police" in English and the Yiddish "Daloy Politsey" (דאָלוי פּאָליציי) on the reverse,[3] which in turn led Police Scotland to visit the cafe's founders Morgan Holleb and Joe Isaac's home.[4] Holleb was subsequently charged with breach of the peace, and Glasgow police seized one of the tote bags from Pink Peacock as evidence.[4][5][6] After the seizure, which was publicised in local media and on Pink Peacock's Twitter account, the café sold out of the bags.[7] The British "neo-Bundist" Jewish Socialists' Group sent a statement of solidarity to Pink Peacock, highlighting the origins of the phrase from the song and its use in against "antisemitism and state repression in Tsarist Russia".[6]

Recordings

Lyrics

Note: the italicised lines are repeated as a couplet

Yiddish[1][9][10][11] Transliteration[10][11] English[1][9][11]
אין אַלע גאַסן וווּ מען גייט In ale gasn vu men geyt On every street you go
הערט מען זאַבאַסטאָווקעס Hert men zabastovkes. You hear rumblings.
ייִנגלעך מיידלעך קינד־און־קייט Yinglekh, meydlekh, kind-un-keyt Men, women, children, families
שמועסן פֿון נאַבאָווקעס Shmuesn fun nabovkes. Are talking about strikes.
גענוג שוין ברידער האָרעווען Genug shoyn brider horeven, Brothers, enough of your drudgery,
גענוג שוין באָרגן־לייַען Genug shoyn borgn-layen, Enough of borrowing,
מאַכט אַ זאַבאַסטאָווקע Makht a zabastovke, We’re going on strike,
לאָמיר ברידער זיך באַפֿרייַען Lomir brider zikh bafrayen! Brothers, let us free ourselves!
ברידער און שוועסטער לאָמיר זיך געבן די הענט Brider un shvester, lomir zikh gebn di hent, Brothers and sisters, let us join hands,
לאָמיר ניקאָלייַקעלען צעברעכן די ווענט Lomir Nikolaykelen tsebrekhn di vent! Let's break down little Tsar Nikolai’s walls!
היי היי דאָלוי פּאָליציי Hey, hey, daloy politsey! Hey, hey, down with the police!
דאָלוי סאַמאָדערזשאַוויע וו׳ראָסיי Daloy samederzhavyets v'rasey! Down with the ruling class of Russia!
ברידער און שוועסטער לאָמיר זיך ניט אירצן Brider un shvester, lomir zikh nit irtsn, Brothers and sisters, let’s forget formalities,
לאָמיר ניקאָלייַקעלען די יאָרעלעך פֿאַרקירצן Lomir Nikolaykelen di yorelekh farkirtsn! Let’s shorten little Nikolai’s years!
היי היי דאַלוי פּאָליציי Hey, hey, daloy politsey! Hey, hey, down with the police!
דאָלוי סאַמאָדערזשאַוויע וו׳ראָסיי Daloy samederzhavyets v'rasey! Down with the ruling class of Russia!
נעכטן האָט ער געפֿירט אַ וועגעלע מיט מיסט Nekhtn hot er gefirt a vegele mit mist, Yesterday he was driving a little wagon full of trash,
הייַנט איז ער געוואָרן אַ קאַפּיטאַליסט Haynt iz er gevorn a kapitalist! Today he's become a capitalist!
היי היי דאָלוי פּאָליציי Hey, hey, daloy politsey! Hey, hey, down with the police!
דאָלוי סאַמאָדערזשאַוויע וו׳ראָסיי Daloy samederzhavyets v'rasey! Down with the ruling class of Russia!
ברידער און שוועסטער לאָמיר גיין צוזאַמען Brider un shvester, lomir geyn tsuzamen, Brothers and sisters, let's all get together,
לאָמיר ניקאָלייַקעלען באַגראָבן מיט דער מאַמען Lomir Nikolaykelen bagrobn mit der mamen! Let's bury little Nikolai with his mother!
היי היי דאָלוי פּאָליציי Hey, hey, daloy politsey! Hey, hey, down with the police!
דאָלוי סאַמאָדערזשאַוויע וו׳ראָסיי Daloy samederzhavyets v'rasey! Down with the ruling class of Russia!
קאָזאַקן זשאַנדאַרמען אַראָפּ פֿון די פֿערד Kozakn, zhandarmen, arop fun di ferd! Cossacks and gendarmes, get down off your horses!
דער רוסישער קייסער ליגט שוין אין דרערד Der rusisher keyser ligt shoyn in drerd! The Russian Tsar is already dead and buried!
היי היי דאָלוי פּאָליציי Hey, hey, daloy politsey! Hey, hey, down with the police!
דאָלוי סאַמאָדערזשאַוויע וו׳ראָסיי Daloy samederzhavyets v'rasey! Down with the ruling class of Russia!

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "In Ale Gasn\ Hey Hey Daloy Politsey | Jewish Music Research Centre". jewish-music.huji.ac.il. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  2. 1 2 Baur, Joe (2021-04-21). "Isabel Frey is a 26-year-old Bundist who records protest songs in Yiddish. Now she's also an Austrian politician". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  3. ↑ "Before N.W.A.'s "Fuck tha Police," there was the Yiddish "Daloy politsey"". Mic. 2022-07-19. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  4. 1 2 "The Yiddish Tote Rankling Glasgow Police". Jewish Currents. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  5. ↑ Wakefield, Lily (2021-06-17). "Cops seize 'f**k the police' tote bag from window of queer anarchist Jewish café". PinkNews. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  6. 1 2 "Daloy Politsey | Jewish Socialists' Group". www.jewishsocialist.org.uk. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  7. ↑ Holmes, Juwan J. (2021-06-19). "Officers attempt to storm a gay café to seize "f*ck the police" merch. It backfires". LGBTQ Nation. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  8. ↑ "Free voice of Labor: Jewish Anarchists | Jewish Music Research Centre". jewish-music.huji.ac.il. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  9. 1 2 "Wikisłownikarz:Pioter/brudnopis/Bund lider", Wikisłownik, wolny słownik wielojęzyczny (in Polish), 2009-09-25, retrieved 2023-08-13
  10. 1 2 "Yidlid In ale gasn - Daloy politsey". yidlid.org. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  11. 1 2 3 ""In Ale Gasn" / "Hey Hey Daloy Politsey" – Save The Music Archives". 22 February 2021. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
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