Journeys - Yerushalayim - Terms of Endearment

momaleh

Thu, Jun 09 2016, 4:15 am

Ok, someone's gotta know the background here -
In camp way back in 1989, I think, we sang a beautiful song to the theme soundtrack from the movie Terms of Endearment. The 1994 Journeys 3 album has the same lyrics to a differnet tune, yerushalayim - anyone know how this came about? Please someone recognize the original tune!

m in Israel

Thu, Jun 09 2016, 5:25 am

I don't know how it came about, but I will validate you by saying I remember the old version, too. Some of the words were slightly changed as well -- I think the first verse was completely different, at least compared to how we used to sing it. My local BY high school sang the terms of endearment version in a school production in 1991, IIRC.

m in Israel

Thu, Jun 09 2016, 5:29 am

Here's a clip of the tune, for those who may know it without having realized where it was from (it's just instrumental with flashing pictures)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnxfDuxaRzA

And Abie Rottenberg's version is remarkably similar for a "different" tune -- you really do have me curious about this now -- I never really thought about it before.

m in Israel

Thu, Jun 09 2016, 9:27 am

OK, now this song is running through my head all day, and I remember the first verse.

We used to sing (to the tune I linked to above)

Quote:

How can I write of things that I've seen
If you can't understand what I mean
And I how can I sing the words that I feel
If you've never been there you cannot believe it's real.

On Journey's the first paragraph was

Quote:

Come let us sing the song of a city
Known for its beauty, splendor and grace
Come let us find the words to describe her
She is not like, not like any other place.

But the rest of the verse were pretty much the same, with only a few words or lines changed. And the tune is different but has a very similar feel, even down to the "dreams of past splendor" interlude in the middle of the other verses.

amother

Vermilion

Thu, Jun 09 2016, 11:05 am

Original Lyrics:

How can I write of things that I've seen
When you can't understand what I mean?
And how can I sing all the words that I feel
If you've never been there,
You cannot believe it's real?

Yerushalayim a place to live
Yerushalayim harim saviv
Yerushalayim ir shel shalom
Yerushalayim we're coming home
Yerushalayim the sky so blue
Yerushalayim we turn to you
Yerushalayim ir shel shalom
Yerushalayim we're coming...

Walk down a street named for a tzadik
Who walked down this very road
Step into a shul, you almost can hear
The words of the sages, all through the ages, told

Where can you find a wall in this world
When you touch it, it touches you
Reach for its stones, they're wet with the tears
Of the millions who've come here pouring their hearts out too

Dreams of past splendor and whispers of glory
Your walls tell your story, your song
Waiting so long
For times when our tears will be stilled
Our prayers fulfilled
Our city rebuilt

Join in the crowd rushing to shul
As the siren invites the queen
Shabbos has come, bringing peace to each home
The city's at rest, the feeling is so serene

Search through the land through mountains and valleys
A story behind each stone
On your way back you watch and you wait
Till bruchim habaim appears and you know
You're home

Yerushalayim a place to live
Yerushalayim harim saviv
Yerushalayim ir shel shalom
Yerushalayim we're coming home
Yerushalayim the sky so blue
Yerushalayim we turn to you
Yerushalayim ir shel shalom
Yerushalayim we're coming...
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