Monday, July 2, 2007

Rites of Passage

Yanni

Click here to listen

Goooooolamowww gan-na-nayeeeaaa-yaa,
Goooooolamowww gan-na-nayeeeaaa-yaa
Gan-nayeeeyaa, Gan-nayeeeya,
Goooooolamowww gan-na-nayeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-yaa

I'm tellin' ya: dem's da wordz!

Friday, June 29, 2007

California Dreamin'

The Mamas and the Papas...(Cass Elliot... remember? Ye, so that's why I thought of this gawjiss sawng!)



Click comments for pop-up lyrics.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

I'm leaving on a Jet Plane

John Denver w/non kol ish harmony by Cass Elliot.

Click to view

Click comments for pop-up lyrics.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Elton John



Click comments for pop-up lyrics.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Long Songy Short

Birkat Hamazon
Yossi Piamenta/Oteil Burbridge - Heavenly Jams Band, Live @ Crash Mansion

Click here to listen to the short version of a long song.

Now for the long version of a short story: The m4a > mp3 trial converter only does 5 minutes at a time. That's why the song ends at 5 minutes. Anyone have this song in mp3?

Hav lan v'nivrich, she'achalnu mishelo!

Come and let us bless He of Whose food we've eaten!

Baruch she'achalnu mishelo uvetuvo hagadol chayinu!

Blessed is He of Whose food we've eaten and by Whose tremendous goodness we live!

Baruch hakel hazan otanu v'et ha'olam, kulo b'tuvo, b'chen b'chesed u'verachamim rabim.

Blessed is the Lord who sustains us, along with all the world, in His goodness, grace, kindness and infinite mercy.

Noten lechem l'chol basar ki l'olam chasdo, uv'tuvo tamid lo chasar lanu v'al yechsar lanu mazon tamid,

He gives bread to all living beings for His kindness is everlasting. In His goodness we never lack, and we will never lack food.

ki hu zan um'farnes lakol v'shulchano aruch lakol, v'hikim* michya umazon l'chol briyotav asher bara brachamav. Pote'ach et yadecha umasbia lichol chai, ratzon. Baruch ata hashem, hazan et hakol.

He feeds and sustains all and his table is always set for all and [He provides]food and sustenance for all the creations that He made with mercy.
You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing its desire.
Blessed are You, Hashem, Provider of all.


*Tx person

Monday, June 25, 2007

The Devil Went Down to Georgia

The Charlie Daniel's Band



The devil went down to Georgia, he was looking for a soul to steal.
He was in a bind 'cos he was way behind: he was willin' to make a deal.
When he came across this young man sawin' on a fiddle and playin' it hot.
And the devil jumped upon a hickory stump and said: "Boy let me tell you what:

"I bet you didn't know it, but I'm a fiddle player too.
And if you'd care to take a dare, I'll make a bet with you.
Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy, but give the devil his due:
I bet a fiddle of gold against your soul, 'cos I think I'm better than you."

The boy said: "My name's Johnny and it might be a sin,
But I'll take your bet, your gonna regret, 'cos I'm the best that's ever been."

"Johnny you rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard.
'Cos hells broke loose in Georgia and the devil deals it hard.
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold.
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul."

The devil opened up his case and he said: "I'll start this show."
And fire flew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow.
And he pulled the bow across his strings and it made an evil hiss.
Then a band of demons joined in and it sounded something like this.

When the devil finished, Johnny said: "Well you're pretty good ol' son.
But if you'll flop down in that chair, right there, and let me show you how this stuff's done."

"Fire on the mountain, run boys, run."
"The devil's in the house of the risin' sun."
"Chicken in the bread pin, pickin' out dough."
"Granny, does your dog bite?"
"No, child, no."

The devil bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat.
He laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny's feet.
Johnny said: "Devil just come on back if you ever want to try again.
I told you once, you son of a bitch, I'm the best that's ever been."

And he played "Fire on the mountain, run boys, run."
"The devil's in the house of the risin' sun."
"Chicken in the bread pin, pickin' out dough."
"Granny, does your dog bite?"
"No, child, no."

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Leningrad

Billy joel



Viktor was born in the spring of '44
And never saw his father anymore
A child of sacrifice, a child of war
Another son who never had a father after Leningrad

Went off to school and learned to serve the state
Followed the rules and drank his vodka straight
The only way to live was drown the hate
A Russian life was very sad
And such was life in Leningrad

I was born in '49
A cold war kid in McCarthy time
Stop 'em at the 38th Parallel
Blast those yellow reds to hell
And cold war kids were hard to kill
Under their desk in an air raid drill
Haven't they heard we won the war
What do they keep on fighting for?

Viktor was sent to some Red Army town
Served out his time, became a circus clown
The greatest happiness he'd ever found
Was making Russian children glad
And children lived in Leningrad

But children lived in Levittown
And hid in the shelters underground
Until the Soviets turned their ships around
And tore the Cuban missiles down
And in that bright October sun
We knew our childhood days were done
And I watched my friends go off to war
What do they keep on fighting for?

And so my child and I came to this place
To meet him eye to eye and face to face
He made my daughter laugh, then we embraced
We never knew what friends we had
Until we came to Leningrad

Friday, June 22, 2007

Imagine...

John Lennon



Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Monday, June 18, 2007

Mima'amakim

Idan Raichel



ממעמקים קראתי אלייך בואי אלי
בשובך יחזור שוב האור בעיני
לא גמור לא עוזב המגע ביידיך
שיבוא ויאיר למשמע כל צחוקך

From the depths I called out to you, Come to me,
Upon your return the light will return to my eyes
I’m not finished, I’m not leaving the touch of your hands
May it come and light up to the sound of your laughter

ממעמקים קראתי אליך בואי אלי
מול ירח מאיר את דרכך שוב אלי
נפרסו ונמסו מול מגע של ידייך
באוזנייך לוחש שואל

From the depths I called out to you, Come to me
Against the moon that lights your way back to me
They spread out and melted against the touch of your hands
In your ears I whisper, and ask:

מי זה קורא לך הלילה - הקשיבי
מי שר בקול אלייך - אל חלונך
מי שם נפשו שתהיי מאושרת
מי ישים יד ויבנה את ביתך

Who’s that calling out to you tonight, listen up
Who sings out loud to you, to your window
Who gave his soul so you’d be happy
Who will give a hand and build your home

מי ייתן חייו ישימם מתחתיך
מי כעפר לרגלייך יחייה
מי יאהבך עוד מכל אוהביך
מי מכל רוח רעה יצילך
ממעמקים.

Who will give his life, and put it beneath yours
Who will live as dust beneath your feet
Who will love you more than all other loves
Who will save you from every evil spirit
From the depths…

ממעמקים קראתי אליך בואי אלי
מול ירח מאיר את דרכך שוב אלי
נפרסו ונמסו מול מגע של ידייך
באוזנייך לוחש שואל
___________
Thanks S and F for translating.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

We've Got the Music!

I've only recently begun to fully appreciate the reflective genius of this song. The accurate style references to each artist and their place in the hierarchy of Jewish music...
What Billy Joel did with a century of pop culture in "We didn't start the fire," Abie did here. (I Just wish there was a Wiki-P page that expoundedon each reference as there is for "Fire.")
I can't wait to listen to it in 15 years.


Click here to listen.

As long as there has been a Jewish Nation, Music has been an integral component of its history and culture. From the Shira sung by our ancestors at the Yam Suf to the brilliant compositions of Dovid Hamelech; from the exquisite harmonies of the Levi'im in the Beis Hamikdosh, to the musical expressions of faith contained in the melodies of the great Chassidic Rebbes of Europe.

But in this century, and even more so during the past thirty years, we've witnessed the virtual explosion of creative Jewish song:

From Rosenblatt on gramaphone, to Ohr Chodosh and Simchatone,
From Yom Tov Ehrlich's Yiddish tunes, to 613 Torah Avenue,
With full orchestral symphonies and digital technologies,
Forever will these songs exist on chrome-cassette (Ha!) and compact disc.

Modzitz/Shenker what a pair! Yankel Talmid: Songs of Ger,
Shlomo Carlebach #1; Pirchei Sings; The Rabbi's Sons;
Neginah with Yisroel Lamm; Diaspora Yeshiva Band;
Uncle Moishy for your child; Piamentas going wild, going wild, going wild!

Yes! We've got the music, songs both new and old, there's nothing like a niggun, it's music for your soul!

Yigal Calek, Yossi Green, Marvelous Midos Machine,
Avraham Fried, Regesh too! Nochum Segal - FMU,
Shteeble Hoppin' all around, D'veykus songs to calm you down,
Bobov, Munkatch, Satmar, Skver, Lenny's Shlock Rock if you dare, if you dare, if you dare!

CHORUS

Mendlowitz, Suki/Ding, ?Abie's? Camp S'dei Chemed sing,
Ira Heller, Dov Levine, Rashi and the Rishonim,
Moshe Yess - Megama, the sounds of Kol Salonika,
Journeys 1, 2 and 3, the one and only... MBD, MBD!

The sweet sonunds of Lcha dodi, sung in perfect harmony, zmiros on a friday night, a kumzitz in the candlelight
but one thing we must keep in mind: a Jewish song of any kind is only precious if, and when, it brings us closer to Hashem.

Tzlil v'Zemer (Woo!), Miami, Jo Amar, Sharabi,
Noam singers harmonize, Neshoma tapes for exercise,
WEVD, Michoel Streicher, destiny,
And if there's something new you seek, a new tape comes out every week, every week, every week!

CHORUS

Shmuel Kunda's storytapes, Moshe Laufer orchestrates,
Rechnitzer's for comedy, Chabad sings merry melodies (wtf? Stick it, man!),
Lev v'Nefesh, Chaveirim, Zohar and the brother Zim,
Top Chai Reviews with Jacob Klass, now don't forget Yeshiva Brass
Veroba, Lang, Nullman too, recorded all at Systems II,
Ruach music fills the room, "Mona" Moshe Rosenblum,
The Amazing Torah Bike, Yeedle and....

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Lo Kala Darkeinu!

MUSIC: Yitzhar Ashdot. LYRICS: Yankele Rotblit.

Kol non-Ish.
Click here to download
Or haner nimhal b'or hayarei'ach
Al hakar sa'areich shafuch
Bachalon tzameret eitz porei'ach
V'hasheket chazar
Ro'im l'fi hachiyuch

Sa'ara hayta, hinei chalfa la
Ufanayich shuv rog'ot kifnei hayam
Im ha'or nosif lalechet hal'a
Od haderech raba
Hamasa adayin lo tam

Lo kala hi, lo kala darkeinu
V'einayich lifamim ko nugot
Od sadot porchim yesh lifaneinu
Od harim g'vohim
V'tzon'nei p'sagot

R'sisim shel or b'dimotayich
V'chiyuch shuv m'gashesh darko eilai
Kawl hatov odenu lifanayich
Simi rosh al k'teifi
Tni li yadeich b'yadi

Od m'at yitam haner, ligvoha
Od m'at yuvas hasheket hamvorach
Hamulat hayom tatchil lifko'a

Lo telchi l'vadeich
Ani eh'yeh sham itach
___________
~~~~~~~~~~~
The candle's light blends with the moonlight
Your hair is spread across the pillow
At the top window, a tree blossoms
And the silence has returned
Ones sees according to one's smile

The storm was here, now it's passed
And your face is again calm like the sea
With the light, we'll continue to go further
The road is still long
The journey is not yet over

It's not easy, our path is not easy
And your eyes sometimes are so sad
More blossoming fields are before us
More high mountains
With cool summits

Fragments of light are in your tears
And a smile again gropes its way towards me
All the good is still before you
Put your head on my shoulder
Put your hand in mine

Very soon the candle will finish dying out
Very soon the blessed quiet will be routed
The commotion of the day will begin to
break through
You won't walk alone
I'll be there with you

Monday, June 11, 2007

Rozo d'Shabbos - The Secret of Shabbos.

Chazzan Pierre Pintchik. Ok, so you hate organ music. Good, you hate chazzanus. Trust mich: you've never heard a more dazzlingly controlled voice IN...YOUR...LIFE!!! (Or your money back.) In particular "di'istakunas" at 3:20 into the song.


Click here. (explorer worked for us all till now. It will work for us forever!)

Kudsha b'rich Hu, Echod l'eilah, la y'siv al kursaya diyikarei,
The Holy One Blessed be He Who is One above, does not take His seat upon
His throne of glory,


Ad d'isavidas i'hi b'rozo d'echod k'gavna di'lei, l'mehevei echod b'echod.
until she [Malchus] enters the mystery of oneness, similar to His, to be oneness corresponding to Oneness.

V'ha u'kimna, rozo d'"Ad-noi echod, u'shemo echod."
This, as we have stated, is the esoteric meaning of the words "Hashem Echod U'shemo Echod."

Rozo d'Shabbos: i'hi Shabbos d'is'achodas b'rozo d'echod limishrei aloh rozo d'echod.
The mystery of Shabbos: She [Malchus] is on shabbos united within the mystery of Oneness so that the [Supernal] Mystery of Oneness may rest upon her.

Tzlosa dima'alei shabata d'ha isachudas kursaiya yakira kadisha b'rozo d'echod, v'istakonas l'mishrei aloh malko kadisha i'la'ah.
[This takes place during] the maariv prayer of Shabbos eve, for then the holy Throne of Glory merges into the Mystery of Oneness and is ready for the holy transcendent king to rest upon it.

Kad ayil shabata, i'hi isyachadas v'ispirashas misitra achara, v'chol dinin misabrin minah.
As shabbos arrives, she merges into Oneness and is separated from the "other side," and all strict judgements are severed from her.

V'Ihi ishti'oras biyichuda dinhiru kadisha, [v'is'atras b'chama itrin ligabei malko kadisha.]
And she remains in unity with the holy light, [and crowns herself with the many crowns for the holy king.]

V'chol shultanei rugzin u'marei di'dinah, kulhu arkin v'isabru minah.
Then, all powers of wrath and all adversaries flee from her and vanish.

V'leis shultana achara b'chulhu olmin...
and no other power reigns in any of the worlds...

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Run For Your Life

The Beatles off the album Rubber Soul.


Click here. (If you're so advanced, why aren't you using Linux or sunthin'?! I mean, THAT'S the next BIG thing!)

Well I'd rather see you dead, little girl
Than to be with another man
You better keep your head, little girl
Or I won't know where I am

You better run for your life if you can, little girl
Hide your head in the sand little girl
Catch you with another man
That's the end'a little girl

Well you know that I'm a wicked guy
And I was born with a jealous mind
And I can't spend my whole life
Trying just to make you toe the line

You better run for your life if you can, little girl
Hide your head in the sand little girl
Catch you with another man
That's the end'a little girl

Let this be a sermon
I mean everything I've said
Baby, I'm determined
And I'd rather see you dead

You better run for your life if you can, little girl
Hide your head in the sand little girl
Catch you with another man
That's the end'a little girl

I'd rather see you dead, little girl
Than to be with another man
You better keep your head, little girl
Or you won't know where I am

You better run for your life if you can, little girl
Hide your head in the sand little girl
Catch you with another man
That's the end'a little girl
Na, na, na
Na, na, na
Na, na, na
Na, na, na

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Mi k'Amcha Yisroel


Mordechai Ben David
Transcribed and translated from the Yiddish to the best of maineh abilitatzyeh. Please feel free to argue. :)
Pronunciation follows the Havooooooreh Hunkydory. It's the only way it rhymes.


Click here. (Why can't you just be like everyone else?)

Geroshin in himmel, ess tit'zich a timmel, maluchim mit kin'eh,
zai villen farshtain vi azoi flaish un bain hut dergracht azah bechina,
zai freigen baim Boreh, "Vi ken den dus zain,
az Udom der mentch hut ba dir azoi chain,
vus far a z'chisim, far azeliche nissim, zug inz alain!"

A great commotion rocks the heavens: the angels are jealous.
They want to understand how people of flesh and bones merited such a revelation.
They ask Hashem: "How could it be, that Odom, Man, is so favored by You? What sort of z'chusim could they possibly have to be worthy of such miracles? Please tell us!"


Kimtz un zeitzt alain di shvuchim fin main leeben kind,
Tinoikis shel beis rabban, hailig, lechtig, un a zind,
un kiktz! a yidde'le dort loift,
noch a mitzve'le er koift
Yehai sh'mai rabu, hertz vi shain, zai shrai'en nuch "Umain!"

Hashem addresses the angels:
Come see for yourselves the "shvachim" - praises - of My beloved child;
young schoolchildren, holy, radiant, pure of all sin;
and look! There a small Jew is running to grab one more little mitzva;
"Yehei shmei rabba," listen how beautiful it's said, and how they all call "Amen!" after him.


Doiros, shaine oiros, zai balachten duch main velt,
Simche, k'dishe mit tahara; dus vos mir gefelt,
Ani ma'amin mit a bren zingt men of kiddish hashem
der hester punim azoi grois, vi halten zai dus ois!?

Generations, beautiful flames that light up My world,
Joy and holiness in purity for my pleasure,
"Ani Ma'amin" with a burning commitment they sing to Me, al kiddush Hashem;
the "Hester Ponim" - concealment - is grajongous! How can they bear it!?


Main kind, oy, s'iz shver, s'falt dir a trer,
mach oif deine oigilech un zeh,
cho'dich lib un a mus, un a shiur, un a tzuhl,
Vail di bist duch mein kind, mein leeber fulk Yisrul,

Hashem - presumably reminding Himself of how much we really rock - addresses the Jewish People:
My child, oy, it's tough, I can see your tears.
Lift up your eyes so you'll see:
I love you without cause, without bounds, without measure,
because you are my child, my beloved nation, Yisroel.


Kim neinter tzu mir, s'iz ofen mein tir,
ich vais vi dain hartz, oy, ess benkt,
shoin tozenter yur, och ba mir benkt zich gur
achoisi rayosi, Main aibiker pur.

Come closer to Me, My door is open!
I know how much your heart yearns.
It's been thousands of years and I'm yearning too
"Achosi rayosi," My eternal companion.


Yidden, dai'os fil, farshiden, yeder zain derher,
in ainem dinen zai mich, ach, a shainer militerr,
di maluchim zitzt b'rina, genig shoin tzar hashechina,
ess iz gekimmen yetzt di tzeit, moshiach iz shoin grait!!

Jews are full of opinions; each one has a unique way of understanding Me; they all serve me, ach what a beautiful army!
While the angels sit comfortably, the time has come for the Shechina to stop suffering;
Yes, it's come, now is the time, Moshiach is ready to arrive!


[Chorus] Main kind...

Geroshin in himmel, ess tit'zich a timmel, Maluchim zingen shira,
zai takke farshtain vi flaish un bain hut dergracht durch zain bechira
gerecht iz der Boreh, zei huben erlich fardint!
Zai hitten der Torah, rain, un a zind,
azah hailig fulk, mir zenen nispu'el "Mi k'Amcha Yisru'el!"

A great commotion rocks the heavens: the angels are singing Shira.
They Takke understand how people of flesh and bones merited to be chosen by Him!
"The Creator is right! They served Him faithfully, they keep the Torah properly, purely, without sin.
What a holy nation; we are in awe of them! 'Who is like your nation, Yisroel?'"

Democracy

Leonard Cohen



Chorus:
Sail on, sail on
O mighty ship of state!
To the shores of need
Past the reefs of greed
Through the squalls of hate
Sail on, sail on, sail on...

It's coming through a hole in the air
From those nights in Tiananmen Square
It's coming from the feel
That it aint exactly real
Or it's real, but it aint exactly there
From the wars against disorder
From the sirens night and day
From the fires of the homeless
From the ashes of the gay
Democracy is coming to the USA.

It's coming through a crack in the wall
On a visionary flood of alcohol
From the staggering account
Of the sermon on the mount
Which I don't pretend to understand at all
It's coming from the silence
On the dock of the bay
From the brave, the bold, the battered
Heart of Chevrolet
Democracy is coming to the USA.

It's coming from the sorrow on the street
From the holy places where the races meet
From the homicidal bitchin'
That goes down in every kitchen
To determine who will serve and who will eat
From the wells of disappointment
Where the women kneel to pray
For the grace of God in the desert here
And the desert far away
Democracy is coming to the USA.

Chorus:

It's coming to America first
The cradle of the best and of the worst
It's here they got the range
And the machinery for change
And it's here they got the spiritual thirst
It's here the family's broken
And it's here the lonely say
That the heart has got to open
In a fundamental way
Democracy is coming to the USA.

It's coming from the women and the men
Oh baby, we'll be making love again
We'll be going down so deep
the rivers going to weep
And the mountains going to shout Amen!
It's coming like the tidal flood
Beneath the lunar sway
Imperial, mysterious
In an amorous array
Democracy is coming to the USA.

Chorus:

I'm sentimental, if you know what I mean
I love the country but I cant stand the scene
And I'm neither left or right
I'm just staying home tonight
Getting lost in that hopeless little screen
But I'm stubborn as those garbage bags
That time cannot decay
I'm junk but I'm still holding up
This little wild bouquet
Democracy is coming to the USA.