Bootleg Betty
Audio: Bette Midler – Bei Mir Bist Du Schon (SKDJ vs Louie Prima & Wolfgang Lohr Remix Edit)
By Mister D
June 29, 2026
“Bei Mir Bist Du Schon” (often stylized as “Bei Mir Bist Du Schön”) is a famous song that Bette Midler recorded in 2014 for her album It’s the Girls!. It is an English-language adaptation (with some Yiddish/German phrases retained) of the Yiddish song “Bay Mir Bistu Sheyn” (“To Me You Are Beautiful” or “By Me You Are Beautiful”).
Literal Meaning of the Title
“Bei mir bist du schön” (or the more Yiddish “Bay mir bistu sheyn”) translates roughly to “To me, you are beautiful” or “In my eyes, you are lovely/fine.””Bei mir” / “Bay mir” = “By me” or “To me” (as in “in my opinion”).
“Bist du” / “Bistu” = “you are.”
“Schön” / “Sheyn” = “beautiful,” “pretty,” or “fine.”
Song Meaning and Lyrics
Bette Midler’s version follows the popular English adaptation written by Sammy Cahn and Saul Chaplin in 1937 (most famously recorded by the Andrews Sisters). The song is a lighthearted, upbeat declaration of love and admiration. The singer explains how meeting this special person transformed their lonely world, then repeatedly uses the title phrase to express how wonderful the beloved is—comparing it across languages like Italian (“bella, bella”) and German (“sehr wunderbar”) for emphasis.
Key excerpts from the lyrics (as performed by Bette Midler):Of all the boys I’ve known and I’ve known some
Until I first met you I was lonesome
…
Bei mir bist du schön, please let me explain
‘Bei mir bist du schön’ means you’re grand
Bei mir bist du schön, again I’ll explain
It means you’re the fairest in the land
…
It means I am begging for your hand.
The overall message is romantic and playful: the singer struggles to find the right words in any language but keeps coming back to this simple, heartfelt Yiddish-derived phrase to convey deep affection and a desire for commitment.
Background
Original (1932): Written by Jacob Jacobs (lyrics) and Sholom Secunda (music) for a Yiddish musical comedy. The full original was a humorous dialogue/duet between lovers who adore each other regardless of flaws.
The English swing version became a massive hit in the late 1930s and has been covered widely since, including by Bette Midler (who has also performed it live with Paul Simon).
In short, the song is a charming, old-fashioned love anthem whose title and chorus simply mean “To me, you’re beautiful”—a sweet way of saying someone is the most wonderful person in the singer’s eyes.
Sources: Wikipedia, Genius, Milken Archive, Bootleg Betty
