Re/sound: Songs of Wisconsin
The Breuggen Family Band plays '1-2-3 Polka'
Clip: Special | 4m 40sVideo has Closed Captions
“1-2-3 Polka” is a Breuggen family favorite featuring classic polka rhythms.
The Brueggen Family Band began playing “1-2-3 Polka” after Gary heard it on the radio. Over the last decade, they’ve performed it through different styles and band makeups.
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Re/sound: Songs of Wisconsin is a local public television program presented by PBS Wisconsin
Educator resources with standards alignment and extension activities are available on the PBS Wisconsin Education website. Funding for Re/Sound: Songs from Wisconsin is provided by the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation, the Focus Fund for Education, and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.
Re/sound: Songs of Wisconsin
The Breuggen Family Band plays '1-2-3 Polka'
Clip: Special | 4m 40sVideo has Closed Captions
The Brueggen Family Band began playing “1-2-3 Polka” after Gary heard it on the radio. Over the last decade, they’ve performed it through different styles and band makeups.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Where to Watch Re/sound: Songs of Wisconsin
Re/sound: Songs of Wisconsin is available to stream on pbs.org and the PBS app.
- Gary Brueggen: "One, Two, Three, Polka."
One, two.
[lively polka music] "One, Two, Three, Polka," I heard on a radio show and I'm like, "This is a really cool song," you know?
And I thought, "Well, yeah, we should pick it up as well."
And I started digging into it.
Here, it was written by a gentleman out of New Jersey, the polka guy, and he was more on the Polish side.
And so, we, when I first started playing it, it was more of a German feel to it, I guess, 'cause my dad was on tuba with us.
Now, here we are with the instrumentation we have, and we've kind of made it a little different sound.
After we recorded it and played it a little while, it was one of those songs where we were at a gig and she was a little bit younger, probably five?
- Matti: Yeah, five maybe.
- Gary: Or six.
And she had said, "Well, how about I sing 'One, Two, Three?'"
And I'm like, "You know it?"
She goes, "Yep."
And she did.
[Matti chuckles] So, we've been playing it ever since.
All right, here we go.
Gonna feature Matti on the vocal.
Here's a tune called the "One, Two, Three Polka."
A one, two.
[lively polka music] Yee, hoo hoo!
Oh, is everybody having a good time?
♪ One, two, three ♪ ♪ Won't you polka with me?
♪ ♪ I'll turn that sad into a smile ♪ ♪ Four, five, six ♪ ♪ A polka will fix a broken heart in just a little while ♪ ♪ Seven, eight, nine ♪ ♪ We're gonna have a good time ♪ ♪ Dancing the whole evening through ♪ ♪ Oh, I'd like to spend the rest of my life ♪ ♪ Dancing a polka with you ♪ Oh, let's polka, hey!
Oh, yeah, yeah, feels good!
Yoo hoo hoo!
Hey, oh, even folks from Sparta!
♪ One, two, three ♪ ♪ Won't you polka with me ♪ ♪ I'll turn that sad into a smile ♪ ♪ Four, five, six ♪ ♪ A polka will fix a broken heart in just a little while ♪ Yeah!
♪ Seven, eight, nine ♪ ♪ We're gonna have a good time ♪ ♪ Dancing the whole evening through ♪ ♪ Oh, I'd like to spend the rest of my life ♪ ♪ Dancing a polka with you ♪ ♪ Dee da da da ♪ ♪ Dee da da dee da dee da da ♪ Yoo hoo hoo!
Somebody scream!
[audience cheers] [lively polka music] Ah, whoo-hoo!
[audience applauds] That was cool!
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Re/sound: Songs of Wisconsin is a local public television program presented by PBS Wisconsin
Educator resources with standards alignment and extension activities are available on the PBS Wisconsin Education website. Funding for Re/Sound: Songs from Wisconsin is provided by the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation, the Focus Fund for Education, and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.