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

[Eliezer Kaplan <zelwel...>]

>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.

I know this is off topic (or at least REALLY tangential) but...
This seems more than a little ridiculous too me- if it wasn't for folks who
were 'pro-Israeli' the country (and the 'recent Israeli songs' as well as
the 'folk liturgy' as well as Mr. Ben Yehuda and the revitilization of the
Hebrew language) would not be there (to rag on?!) in the first place. I
don't want to get political here and defend (or knock) the entire
package-deal of the Sharon (or any) Israeli government- this ain't the
forum- but a pretty song? C'mon!!!
                                               ek


www.zelwel.com



----- Original Message -----
From: "Leopold N Friedman" <apikoyros (at) juno(dot)com>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Friday, September 20, 2002 1:23 AM
Subject: Re:Hatikvah, Yerushalayim shel zahav, God Bless America, etc


> 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
>
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