Re: elliot smith

[robert wiener <wiener...>]

Sara,

First, apologies to Rabbi "Bachman" (misspelled in my post), Skirball
Director of the Edgar M. Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at
New York University.

For a copy you might e-mail the Jewish Life Newtwork at
info (at) jewishlife(dot)org

"Pitseleh" is indeed from "XO".  Bachman does not seem to have
determined if Elliot Smith is actually Jewish, but assumes that he is.

This assumption seems primarily based on 2 things:

1. "Pitseleh", a Yiddish word, used as the title to the song and in
the lyrics:
I'll tell you why I don't want to know where you are
I got a joke I been dying to tell you
a silent kid is looking down the barrel
to make the noise that I kept so quiet
I kept if from you, pitseleh...

2. What Bachman perceives as a reference to Job in the lyrics to the
song:
...they say that god makes problems
just to see what you can stand
before you do as the devil pleases
and give up the thing that you love...

Glad to hear that his stuff is worth listening to.
 (For others: He received an Academy Award nomination for a song used
in "Good Will Hunting".)

Looking forward to hearing your comments and those of others.

Bob

P.S.  Does this question tie in with Berlin and his Christian holiday
music?  Might a priest think that Berlin was Christian because of his
music?  Or is Berlin's music simply superficial while Smith's music
may refer to sacred Jewish (but also Christian) text?
-----Original Message-----
From: parentheses <Sara(dot)Marcus (at) oberlin(dot)edu>
To: World music from a Jewish slant. <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Date: Friday, December 25, 1998 11:47 AM
Subject: Re: elliot smith


>As a big proponent of Elliott Smith, I'd love to hear more about
>Bachmanin's argument.  I don't have "XO" here with me right now, so I
>can't listen to figure it out - is it just because it has a Yiddish
title?
>Does he know whether or not Smith is Jewish, really? (I love indie
rock
>and Jewish music, but never thought about them overlapping...)
>
>Sara
>
>On Thu, 24 Dec 1998, robert wiener wrote:
>
>> An article by Rabbi Andrew N. Bachmanin in Contact (magazine of the
>> Jewish Life Network)  suggests that ther rock 'n roller Elliot
Smith
>> is Jewish and that his song "Pitsele" is Jewish music.
>>
>> Any comments?
>>
>> Bob
>>
>>
>