Today is Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day in the United States. In honor of same, I’m writing about Lebn Zol Kolumbus, a song from the 1915 Thomashefsky production, Der grine milyoner. In the song, the immigrant characters praise Columbus for setting in motion the events that led to an America of opportunity for them.

Jane Peppler’s rendition comes with historic notes, as she includes the two verses that were removed by the time the play launched in 1915, which included references to the case of Leo Frank and an anti-immigration bill. It is also the only version I found online with subtitles.

The musical Ragtime even pays tribute to the song in their song, A Shtetl Iz Amereke, where some of the lyrics and tune of the song were incorporated into, though played at a lower tempo.

For more about the Thomashefskys, I recommend their grandson’s musical tribute to them that was broadcast on PBS in 2012.