"Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel", also known as "The Dreidel Song" and "I Have a Little Dreidel", is a Jewish song that has appeared a few times in the series, beginning with the Season One episode, "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo". It was heard prior to that in the short, Jesus vs. Santa.
Background
The song first appears in Jesus vs. Santa. In the short, the boys sing "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" before Stan Marsh interrupts the song, asking Kyle Broflovski if he's Jewish.
After the boys come to the conclusion that Christmas is all about presents, Kyle announces that if you're Jewish, you get presents for eight days. Stan and Eric Cartman then decide that they want to be Jewish too. The boys leave, singing the song. This scene is briefly recalled in "A Very Crappy Christmas".
In "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo", while Kyle is committed to the asylum and everyone is about to begin their "non-offensive non-denominational holiday play," Sheila Broflovski wishes that Kyle was there to see it. The scene then cuts to Kyle in the asylum, singing the song in a somewhat crazed fashion.
Later, in "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics", Kyle begins singing the song as "I Have A Little Dreidel" to Ike Broflovski while instructing him on how to play with the dreidel. Cartman then enters with his own anti-Semitic verse. Stan later joins in with a verse of his own. Kyle's parents also eventually join in, and they all end up singing their own verses in concert. In this version, Kyle is the only one singing the original words.
Trivia
- While Ike attempts to sing the song, he instead sings lines of "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and the alphabet song.
Lyrics
Jesus vs. Santa
Stan:
"Wait a minute!"
Kyle:
"What?"
Stan:
"Aren't you Jewish, Kyle?"
Kyle:
"Yeah, I think so."
Stan:
"Dude, Jewish people don't celebrate Christmas. You're supposed to sing Hannukah songs."
[long pause]
Kyle:
(singing) "Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made you out of clay. Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel--"
Stan:
"That's a stupid song."
Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo
Kyle:
"Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made you out of clay. Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, with dreidel I shall play. Second verse, same as the first! DREIDEL, DREIDEL, DREIDEL..."
Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics
Kyle:
"I have a little dreidel, I made it out of clay. / When it's dry and ready, with dreidel I shall play."
Ike:
"H I J K L O P, up the sun ... like ... all the rain ... came down the rain and washed the spider out"
Cartman:
"Jews... Play stupid games... Jews... That's why they're lame."
Stan:
"I'll try to make it spin, it fell, I'll try again."
Sheila:
"When you learn to make the dreidel spin, you'll know our people always win.
Gerald:
"Courteney Cox, I love you, you're so hot, on that show."
Album Version
Kyle:
Okay Ike, you're my little brother, so I have to show you how to celebrate Hanukkah. This is called a dreidel. You spin it and see where it lands, and you sing this song
I have a little dreidel, I made it out of clay
And when it's dry and ready, with dreidel I shall play
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made you out of clay
Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, with dreidel I shall play
Now you try it, Ike. Just spin it with your fingers, like this
Ike:
H-I-J-K-L-O-P
Um, this song, like, go all the way
Play, came down the rain and wash the spider out
Cartman: Hey, what the hell are you doing?
Kyle: Oh, hey, Cartman. We're playing dreidel. You wanna try?
Cartman: Sure.
Here's a little dreidel that's small and made of clay
But I'm not gonna play with it, 'cause dreidel's fuckin' gay
Kyle: Hey, shut your mouth, fatass!
Cartman:
Jews play stupid games
Jews, that's why they're lame
Jews play stupid games (Kyle: Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made you out of clay)
Jews, that's why they're lame (Kyle: Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, with dreidel I shall play)
Stan:
What's going on? Oh, it's that Hannukah thing
Cartman:
It's so amazing. You spin this thing on the ground and it goes round and round. I could watch it all day.
Stan:
Let me try.
I'll try to make it spin
It fell, I'll try again
I'll try to make it spin
It fell, I'll try again
I'll try to make it spin
It fell, I'll try again
I'll try to make it spin
Sheila:
Hello boys!
Kyle:
Hi, mom
Sheila:
Oh, how precious! You boys are all playing dreidel. Now you know that dreidel is a time-honored tradition for the Hebrew people.
Cartman:
Yes, we know, Ms. Broflovski, it's so very interesting
Sheila:
Now when you learn to make the dreidel spin
You'll know our people always win, keep spinning!
Learn to make the dreidel spin
You'll know our people always win
Kyle:
Oh, hi Dad!
Gerald:
Hello, everybody. Say, can I join in?
Kyle:
Sure!
I have a little dreidel, I made it out of clay
And when it's dry and ready, with dreidel I shall...everybody!
Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made you out of clay
Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, with dreidel I shall play
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made you out of clay
Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, with dreidel I shall play
Gerald:
Courtney Cox, I love you
You're so hot on that show
Kyle:
Dad?
Gerald:
Courtney Cox...
Kyle:
Dad!
Gerald:
Huh?
Kyle:
We're singing about a dreidel
Gerald:
Oh, sorry
Sheila:
We'll talk about this later, Gerald
Kyle:
Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made you out of clay
Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, with dreidel I shall play
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made you out of clay
Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, with dreidel I shall play