Happy Birthday!

[BigV]

Happy Birthday!

"The Birthday Dirge" is sung to the tune of "The Volga Boatmen". If you don't know the tune by name, you know it by sound. It's the depressing sounding Russian folk tune that nearly everyone has heard at one time or another. The resounding thud that follows each "Happy Birthday!" is traditionally accompanied by a "HUHN"-like grunt. The sort of groaning grunt that workers lifting heavy loads might find natural.

Happy Birthday! (thud!) Happy Birthday! (thud!)
Now you've aged another year
Now you know that Death is near
Happy Birthday! (thud!) Happy Birthday! (thud!)

I especially verses 2a, 7, 12, 14a, 16 (those Vikings know how to party, don't they?!)

edit: linkified the title to point to a audio version of the tune. The text description of this track cracks me up:

28 (bonus track) Janos Koos: Zug a Volga [Song of the Volga Boatmen]

A vocal version of the workers' movement standard (see also track 15), performed by the Hungarian Tom Jones (sort of) in 1973. The backing band clearly thinks it's Procol Harum.