What's the definition of tararrel?

Question

Yes, the lyric from The Beer Barrel Polka:

"Roll out the barrel, we'll have a barrel of fun
Roll out the barrel, we've got the blues on the run
Zing, boom, tararrel, sing out a song of good cheer
Now's the time to roll the barrel, for the gang's all here!"

I understand that it's a word that rhymes with barrel, but I want to know what it actually MEANS, not what it just rhymes with.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, because my friends and I have spent years trying to find this out.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Let's start with Wikipedia, which has the translations and some key dates.

According to history, the song was first sung in the English version (not the Polish translation of the song literally to English) in 1939. So "tararrel" was something people would say in Europe in 1939, when Poland was invaded by Germany. My guess is "zing, boom, tarrarel" is related to the sounds of war (i.e. bullets) surrounding an unflappable group of people who won't have their life change without celebration.

I don't know anything about William Glahe, the man who first put this song to its traditional English version lyrics, so I cannot say for sure without further research.

Answer 2

When people let out a good cheer, some say "Horrah!" or "Horray" or something like that.

"Zing, boom, tararrel" Is like a way of cheering for something they are proud of.