Es iz a klug
The song 'Ez is a Klug' is a commentary on the system of favouritism employed by Khayim Rumkowski, who appointed his favourites for the preferred positions of the Łódź Ghetto. In so doing, of course, he did not consider relevant qualifications but rather the 'understanding' between himself and the appointee.
This song was sung towards the end of 1940 and was remembered by many survivors because of its satirical but realistic description of 'Uncle Leml'. 'Uncle Leml' rhymes in another version of the song with 'Kuni Leml', one of the stock characters of the Yiddish theatre, from the play Kuni Leml (1870) by Abraham Goldfadn who is known as the father of the modern Yiddish Theater.
The melody, in a minor key, reminds the listener of the tango, thanks to its rhythmic pattern in which all beats are sharply accented and occasionally interrupted by sudden pauses or emphatically syncopated passages. The tango remained popular throughout the 20th century, and that was probably the reason for its use in this context.