Re:Hatikvah, Yerushalayim shel zahav, God Bless America, etc

[Leopold N Friedman <apikoyros...>]

Re perceptions of class and "jingoism" in national anthems:
Apparently, Naomi Shemer's 'Yerushalayim shel zahav' has also
come to have "connotations." I recently heard (and sang) it at a
Jewish campfire, where it was part of a medley of Hebrew and
Yiddish songs (some recent Israeli songs, some "folk liturgy"
like 'oseh sholom bimromov ..."). I got the distinct impression
that it was taken to be too "pro-Israeli" by some, perhaps
because of some contexts in which the song has come to be
sung or even Shemer's personal politics. 

Contexts always matter, but I wouldn't accept any guilt by (disdainful)
association and dismissal of "yerushalayim shel zahav" or (l'havdil) 
of a "God Bless America"; it always depends on who is singing it and
why. 
Lee


> From: "Robert Cohen" <rlcm17 (at) hotmail(dot)com>
> To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
> Subject: Re: "God Bless America"
> Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2002 19:33:45 +0000
> Mime-Version: 1.0
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
> Message-ID: <F26Hmj9n1xxWn9R6mJB000001a2 (at) hotmail(dot)com>
> 
> >Please don't be so hard on God Bless America; composed by a Jew and 
> >rhymes 
> >'foam' and 'home'.  To quote a great Jewish lyricist, Who could 
> >ask for 
> >anything more?
> 
> Alex and friends,
> 
> I am indeed hard on "God Bless America" and expect to remain so.
> 
> Woody Guthrie composed "This Land Is Your Land"--proposed by some 
> (wishfully, I'm afraid) as an alternative anthem--inspired, 
> negatively, by 
> Irving Berlin's song.  He thought that the song had an unspoken 
> connotation 
> of being sung by, and for, the wealthy/prosperous and smug (Berlin 
> was 
> certainly the first, though he was a heartfelt patriot, if a lousy 
> citizen 
> of the Jewish people)--*not* for ordinary working stiffs.  (So the 
> refrain 
> of "TLIYL" was originally "God blessed America for me" [where we 
> sing, and 
> Woody changed it to:  "This land was made for you and me"].)  
> Captures my 
> sentiments exactly--especially when I hear the obnoxious Kate Smith 
> singing 
> GBA.  I realize many sing it with heartfelt and patriotic 
> sincerity--but I 
> cringe.
> 
> TLIYL, by the way, was written to a borrowed (or, Woody might say, 
> stolen) 
> melody, just as The Star Spangled Banner was.  In a private 
> communication, 
> Steve Barnett conveyed that he thought that I was saying that TSSB's 
> 
> borrowed melody was one reason why (he agreed) it shouldn't be our 
> national 
> anthem; but, fwiw, that wasn't my point; contrafacta (new words to 
> an old 
> melody) are ubiquitous in folk as in Jewish music and embrace some 
> of our 
> most cherished songs, and I wouldn't rule out an anthem candidate on 
> that 
> basis.
> 
> ("My Country, Tis of Thee" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic" are 
> both, of 
> course, also contrafacts; and "Hatikvah" itself is very likely a 
> contrafact 
> to a Roumanian folk song and, in any case, its melody is a so-called 
> 
> wandering melody, found in innumerable cultures--not remotely 
> original.  
> "America the Beautiful," otoh, which is my personal--and 
> others'--candidate 
> for anthem, was, I believe, written to an original melody.  Has 
> anyone 
> seen/read the new book on ATB, written, improbably, by some TV 
> personality, 
> I believe?  Any good?)
> 
> I'm well aware of the data that Steve usefully supplied in re TSSB, 
> as I 
> have the incredible good fortune of having found a rare book--an 
> entire 
> book!--on the anthem in a second-hand store.  Just a wealth of 
> material on 
> Key's words, the melody, appearances in print of TSSB, and, I 
> believe, on 
> the *many* (I believe a hundred or more, maybe two hundred [sets 
> of]) words 
> that were written to the "Anachreon in Heaven" melody before Key's.  
> But, to 
> echo Alex, I wouldn't be so hard on the anthem for *that* (borrowed 
> melody) 
> reason; the Anachreon society was actually, a drinking *and poetry* 
> society: 
>   They read poems in a pub and, I guess, toasted each one!  Kind of 
> classy 
> in its own way, no?  And as for extolling wine, women, and song--To 
> which, 
> brother Steve, do you take exception?
> 
> Best wishes to all,
> 
> Robert Cohen

________________________________________________________________
GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO!
Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
Join Juno today!  For your FREE software, visit:
http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.

---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org ---------------------+