Shepherd’s Life Az Elet

COUNTRY: Hungary
LANGUAGE: Hungarian

GENRE: Hungarian folk

Is there anything better than the life of a Hungarian shepherd? NO WAY! Well, maybe just one thing: the life of a Hungarian pig farmer.

We first heard this song on the 1957 Smithsonian Folkways album, Folk Songs of Hungary, performed by Suzy Sann, in a medley called “Shepherd Songs.” This one is actually about a pig farmer, a “swineherd:”“You can tell the swineherd by the lacing of his boots, by his bundle strap. Oh, a swineherd’s life is life indeed, If I get bored it’s the life for me.”

In music class we pivot away from pigs and sing about sheep.

Lyrics of All Around This World version:

Hej, elet, elet kanaszelet, ez aztan az elet
There is nothing better than a shepherd’s life, az elet
There is nothing better than a shepherd’s life, az elet
There is nothing better than a shepherd’s life, az elet
If you don’t believe me then I can prove you wrong
I am very happy when I sing my shepherd’s song