Day 2; The hills are alive!

With the sound of music!

It's weird, but I have never seen that entire movie. Once upon a time I was babysitting a kid, a little stinker, and she wanted to watch this movie. Well, needless to say I freaking loved it. By the time her parents arrived home and long after she'd gone to bed, I was partway into act two. I nearly snapped at them to leave me alone and let me make a nest out of their living room. I did go home though, and I never could be bothered to finish it.

I have horrible attention problems, with a whole bunch of 'I don't give a damn.' thrown in.

Anyways, this post has nothing to do with what's-her-face and irritating clone children. It does have to do with music though.

I love the variety of music. I have quite literally everything on my ipod. I have scottish bagpipes, native american pan flute, metal, classic rock, oldies from the 40's and 50's, a million soundtracks, punk, pop, rap, a shitload of classical, etc. But it always really strikes me when you find a song that communicates something. Music is pretty awesome in itself. But I'm talking about those songs that almost seem to touch you on a deeper level, to the point where you're seeing what they want you to quite literally see.

One of the artists that can do this is Ofra Haza (1957-2000), a Israeli singer, actress, and international recording artist. Discovered at a young age during a neighbourhood musical, her talent and near-flawless tones rocketed her to stardom. Heavily inspired by her Jewish community and a love for her country, she was very popular in middle-eastern countries, and earned many gold and platinum records.At the young age of 19,after finishing her military service, she was considered 'the Madonna of the East' and a pop princess. Her fame only grew over the years, so that when she died in 2000 at the age of 42 from multiple organ failure brought on by AIDS, all of Israel mourned, playing her music non-stop on many radio stations and eventually having children's playground named after her.

I'm not going to go into detail about all of her songs, soundtracks, records, and collaborations. There's one, that for me, stands out above the rest. It's a song called "Yerushalaim Shel Zahav", Or "Jerusalem of Gold", originally written by Naomi Shemer. Considered by many to be the unofficial anthem of Israel, the song is haunting and beautiful, especially when sung by Haza. When I first heard this song, I got shivers, and images of market bazaars, narrow streets, and buildings glinting with gold while a hot sun beat down filled my heart and soul, and I felt like I NEEDEDTOGETTOJERUSALEMNOW. Everytime I hear it, I close my eyes and savour it. It's awesome in the way that it sort of worms itself into you. Ofra Haza is an amazing women, and any music, or I should probably say all music, that has such feeling and imagery behind the words is just awesome.

It's awesome that such talent and beauty exists in the world. Everyone has those songs that do the same for them. This one just happens to be mine. Here, give it a listen.


yeah, that's right. She's freaking standing in the middle of a Jerusalem mini-city. So badass.

Pretty Damn Awesome.

JERUSALEM OF GOLD
by Naomi Shemer
in Hebrew


Avir harim zalul kayayin
Ve-rei'ah oranim
Nissa be-ru'ah ha'arbayim
Im kol pa'amonim


U-ve-tardemat ilan va-even
Shvuyah ba-halomah
Ha-ir asher badad yoshevet
U-ve-libbah homah


Yerushalayim shel zahav
Ve-shel nehoshet ve-shel or
Ha-lo le-khol shirayikh
Ani kinnor.


Eikhah yavshu borot ha-mayim
Kikkar ha-shuk reikah
Ve-ein poked et Har ha-Bayit
Ba-ir ha-attikah


U-va-me'arot asher ba-selah
Meyallelot ruhot
Ve-ein yored el Yam ha-Melah
Be-derekh Yeriho

Yerushalayim shel zahav
Ve-shel nehoshet ve-shel or
Ha-lo le-khol shirayikh
Ani kinnor.

Akh be-vo'i ha-yom la-shir lakh
Ve-lakh likshor ketarim
Katonti mi-ze'ir bana'ikh
U-me-aharon ha-meshorerim


Ki shemekh zorev et ha-sefatayim
Ke-neshikat saraf
Im eshkakhekh Yerushalayim
Asher kullah zahav


Yerushalayim shel zahav
Ve-shel nehoshet ve-shel or
Ha-lo le-khol shirayikh
Ani kinnor.


Hazarnu el borot ha-mayim
La-shuk ve-la-kikkar
Shofar kore be-Har ha-Bayit
Ba-ir ha-attikah


U-va-me'arot asher ba-selah
Alfey shemashot zorhot
Nashuv nered el Yam ha-Melah
Be-derekh Yeriho


Yerushalayim shel zahav
Ve-shel nehoshet ve-shel or
Ha-lo le-khol shirayikh
Ani kinnor.


JERUSALEM OF GOLD
by Naomi Shemer


The mountain air is clear as wine
And the scent of pines
Is carried on the breeze of twilight
With the sound of bells.

And in the slumber of tree and stone
Captured in her dream
The city that sits solitary
And in its midst is a wall.

Jerusalem of gold, and of bronze, and of light
Behold I am a violin for all your songs.

How the cisterns have dried
The market-place is empty
And no one frequents the Temple Mount
In the Old City.

And in the caves in the mountain
Winds are howling
And no one descends to the Dead Sea
By way of Jericho.

Jerusalem of gold, and of bronze, and of light
Behold I am a violin for all your songs.

But as I come to sing to you today,
And to adorn crowns to you (i.e. to tell your praise)
I am the smallest of the youngest of your children (i.e. the least worthy of doing so)
And of the last poet (i.e. of all the poets born).

For your name scorches the lips
Like the kiss of a seraph
If I forget thee, Jerusalem,
Which is all gold...

Jerusalem of gold, and of bronze, and of light
Behold I am a violin for all your songs.

We have returned to the cisterns
To the market and to the market-place
A ram's horn (shofar) calls out (i.e. is being heard) on the Temple Mount
In the Old City.

And in the caves in the mountain
Thousands of suns shine -
We will once again descend to the Dead Sea
By way of Jericho!

Jerusalem of gold, and of bronze and of light
Behold I am a violin for all your songs.

SO Damn beautiful.
Kudos to you, Ms. Haza.


Now, then we get this stuff...no offense to ms Alexa Ray Joel. (guess who fathered this little chicka?) OHGODITWON'TGETOUTOFMYHEADGETITOUTGETITOUTGETITOUT.
-RUNS AROUND IN CIRCLES AND BANGS HEAD OFF OF BEDPOST-