Does Jewish music just not "do it" for you?

mummiedearest

Mon, Jul 29 2013, 8:50 pm

zaq wrote:

"I write the songs that make the whole world sing/ I write the songs of love and special things/I write the songs that make the young girls cry/ I write the songs I write the songs...I am MUSIC and I write the songs....."

Barry Manilow.
Technically secular music, even though Mr. Manilow ne Pincus is technically Jewish. Maybe more than technically.

I can't see why anyone would object to a song like this on religious grounds. THIS is going to jeopardize someone's pure soul? Because "love" is a dirty word?

Would it really be all that different if the words were "I write the songs that make chazzonim pray/ I write the songs of cheder kinder at play/ I write the songs that make the kallahs cry/ I write the songs I write the songs..."

(C) 2013 Zenobia Zaqarias

actually, gershon veroba did a version:

"I wrote the songs that make the whole world sing/ I wrote of holy love and blessed things/ I wrote the songs that make neshamas cry/ I wrote the songs I wrote the songs...

oh, his hallel makes you dance/and gives the spirit one more chance/and he wrote "hashem ro'I/lo echsar...

david hamelech, oh yes, he wrote the songs..."

too late, zaq. good try, though.

amother

Mon, Jul 29 2013, 8:52 pm

When I hear music, I don't ask to see its bris or its mother's kesubah. I listen to music to learn it, mostly- just LISTENING to music, however beautiful t may be, doesn't "do it" for me. I have to sing it or else I'm not interested. I don't even usually think consciously about what I'm singing, it just kind of comes out reflecting my mood or what I'm thinking about. Cooking for shabbos, it's usually going to be selections from Kabbolas Shabbos or kiddush; if I'm mad at someone, it's going to be something defiant. OTOH if I want to change my mood because I'm feeling gloomy, it will be, with conscious effort, something like Put on a Happy Face or Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile (anyone here remember Rambling with Gambling in the morning? The grackle is a noble bird). And sometimes I like to sing Shma with the Torah trope. There's never enough time to do it justice in shul.

curiousgeorge1

Tue, Jul 30 2013, 12:10 am

Yakira wrote:

Jewish music is just not real and honest enough for me. I need a song that says 'WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER' or something like that, KWIM?

I agree. Sometimes it's nice to hear the words of tehillim and they do have a lot of meaning. But sometimes you want something that you can an relate to, something written using the words you speak, something from the present. I do not mean that we today can't really to tehillim, but it's in a very different way.

But it's not just the words. The way the secular singers use their voice is just south more complex and interesting to listen to than the Jewish singers. And the music arrangements are so much richer and there are so many different types. All of the Jewish music sounds like it uses the same instruments, though now they have intros that are usually ripped off not Jewish songs. Oh well Sad

ora_43

Tue, Jul 30 2013, 3:51 am

I feel like a lot of posters are defining "Jewish music" in incredibly narrow terms.

If you think of Jewish music solely as music written by orthodox Jews, for orthodox Jews, with explicitly religious, deliberately non-offensive themes - then of course many people will feel like it doesn't speak to them, or isn't enough.

Personally, I'd go with a much broader definition. I don't think music is "Jewish music" just because it was written by Jews, even if it's in Hebrew, but I think any music written by Jews that has strong Jewish themes or content should count.

So for example, most music by Subliminal (an Israeli rapper) isn't Jewish music, but I'd argue that Haor V'hatzel is:

(the lyrics)

Corinne Alal's Ein Li Eretz Aheret, which described the Jewish connection to the state of Israel for a generation of Israelis - definitely Jewish music.

Blue Fringe's "Flipping Out" - it may not be tehillim set to music - it may even offend some listeners - but it's music by, for, and about frum Jews, so definitely Jewish music.

OK, enough links for now.

For the record, I think it's fine to listen to "English" (or Spanish, Greek, Russian, Mexican, Arabic, Irish, etc) music too, assuming it doesn't have bad language or objectification of women or whatever else. Any music with appropriate words and themes is fine.

zaq wrote:

My gripe, Jewish-music-wise, is that there seem to be no religious Hebrew-language lyricists.

Never mind, more links.

What about Yonatan Razel?

Amir Benayoun?

And just for fun (and in case anyone who knows me and is on this site couldn't tell who I am already), I'll throw in a song two friends filmed in their house (written by the guy on the guitar):

(the lyrics are about a guy who wants to do a big mitzva, but keeps being interrupted by people asking him to do all kinds of little things like help an old woman carry her bags or help a child who's skinned his knee. He ignores them.)

Lots of dati musicians in Israel write their own songs.