Lyr Req: Songs about Israel and Palestine

Subject: Lyr Req: Songs about Israel and Palestine
From: GUEST,Holly Tannen
Date: 29 Nov 23 - 11:05 PM

Hello song scholars -

I wonder if you can help me out. I'm writing an article on songs that help us think deeply about war and conflict.

I'm including McCutcheon's "Caught in the Crossfire," "Christmas in the Trenches," and "Children of Abraham," Tracy Chapman's "Why (Do the Babies Die?"), Billy Bragg's "Rumours of War," and Loudon Wainwright's "Pretty Good Day So Far."

Also a couple songs from the point of view of God Himself: McCutcheon's "Not in my Name " Randy Newman's "God's Song," and Jean Ritchie's
"Now Is the Cool of the Day."

Do you have relevant songs that you love? I'd like to find more songs by women, especially Israeli and Palestinian women (though translation from Arabic could be problematical.)

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Holly

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about Israel and Palestine
From: GerryM
Date: 30 Nov 23 - 12:15 AM

Lo Yisa Goy. Here's a recording by Libana: https://youtu.be/nGZ05efJ_PE?si=etUFkkNIaVnKmxt9

Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu, https://youtu.be/Ho0CvfKUWQs?si=hUVbwKixEBSNE71f

At the End of a Pointed Gun, written by Grit Laskin, recorded by The Tannahill Weavers: https://youtu.be/nuW6yUrBXUk?si=ZGuk8ej1m8NBBhvJ

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about Israel and Palestine
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Nov 23 - 12:32 AM

Hi, Holly - Some that I really like are:

• It's a Hard Life Wherever You Go (Nanci Griffith)
• Jerusalem (Steve Earle)
• Between the Wars (Billy Bragg)
• Tank Park Salute (Billy Bragg)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about Israel and Palestine
From: GerryM
Date: 30 Nov 23 - 12:38 AM

Hamilchama Ha'achrona, The Last War, by Yehoram Gaon: https://youtu.be/Aq1Az11jnQg?si=r830uIRnENmkLok6 Written after the war of 1973, the chorus goes,

I promise you, my little girl
That this will be the last war.

Had Gadya, Chana Alberstein, https://youtu.be/DHdVYy5B6JM?si=go5Pnuu8g7w-ACnD (the point comes toward the end of the song). "Had Gadya was released in 1989 during the first Intifada."

Somewhat off-topic, but still worth a mention: Chava Alberstein, Foreign Letters, https://youtu.be/bw6YQ0duulE?si=Tco128nVQN5sWxcz

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about Israel and Palestine
From: GerryM
Date: 30 Nov 23 - 12:45 AM

Moving away from Israel-Palestine to songs that help us think deeply about war, there are three by Eric Bogle:
And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda
No Man's Land
All the Fine Young Men.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about Israel and Palestine
From: Acorn4
Date: 30 Nov 23 - 04:06 AM

Pete Morton "The Two Brothers"

---

Thread #71746   Message #1230169
Posted By: Ed.
20-Jul-04 - 05:07 PM
Thread Name: Froots Magazine uk
Subject: RE: Froots Magazine uk

Sorry that it's all in upper case, but I'm too tired to do more than to 'copy and paste' from here

THE TWO BROTHERS:

I DON'T CARE WHO STARTED IT, I JUST WANNA HEAR YOU PLAY,
I JUST WANNA SEE YOU SMILING IN THE GLORY OF THE DAY.
ISRAEL GIVE HIM HIS BALL BACK, STOP PULLING HIS HAIR,
PALESTINE, MY LOVE, I KNOW IT ISN'T FAIR.

BUT I DON'T CARE WHO STARTED IT, JUST STOP ALL THE NOISE,
I CAN SEE YOU'RE TWO VERY OVER TIRED LITTLE BOYS,
PALESTINE I SAW YOU KICK HIM, ISRAEL SIT STILL,
LET US GET SOME PEACE NOW, IF YOU WILL.

CAUSE I DON'T CARE WHO STARTED IT, MUST I ASK YOU AGAIN,
PUT ASIDE YOUR SORROW, YOUR ANGER AND YOUR PAIN,
THROW AWAY YOUR TROUBLES AND CLEAR THE MESS FROM THE FLOOR,
DON'T WANNA HEAR YOU SQUABBLING ANYMORE.

'CAUSE I DON'T CARE WHO STARTED IT, JUST TRY AND GET ALONG,
EVERYTIME I COME ROUND HERE THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING WRONG,
ONE DAY IN THE FUTURE THIS WON'T MEAN A THING,
ONE DAY IN THE FUTURE AS BROTHERS WHO'LL SING.

I DON'T CARE WHO STARTED IT, I JUST WANNA HEAR YOU PLAY,
I JUST WANNA SEE YOU SMILING IN THE GLORY OF THE DAY.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7vTYxyiYmE

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about Israel and Palestine
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Nov 23 - 05:00 AM

An Phailistín - Roisín Elsafty

See also separate thread about the song

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about Israel and Palestine
From: Vic Smith
Date: 01 Dec 23 - 11:56 AM

Listen to the great song suggested above by Acorn4
Pete Morton "The Two Brothers"
Click here to hear it

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about Israel and Palestine
From: Jeri
Date: 01 Dec 23 - 01:41 PM

Jerusalem, by Steve Earle

I woke up this morning
And none of the news was good
And death machines were rumbling
'Cross the ground where Jesus stood
And the man on my TV told me
It had always been that way
And there was nothing anyone could do or say

I almost listened to him
Yeah, I almost lost my mind
Then I regained my senses again
And looked into my heart to find
That I believe that one fine day
All the children of Abraham
Will lay down their swords forever in Jerusalem

Well, maybe I'm only dreaming
And maybe I'm just a fool
But I don't remember learning
How to hate in Sunday school
But somewhere along the way, I strayed
And I never looked back again
But I still find some comfort now and then

Then the storm comes rumbling in
And I can't lay me down
And the drums are drumming again
And I can't stand the sound
But I believe there'll come a day
When the lion and the lamb
Will lie down in peace together in Jerusalem

And there'll be no barricades then
There'll be no wire walls
And we can wash all this blood from our hands
And all this hatred from our souls
And I believe that on that day
All the children of Abraham
Will lay down their swords forever in Jerusalem

-------------------
It's a somewhat old modern song, but it's a never-ending load of crap going on. IMO

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about Israel and Palestine
From: Freso
Date: 07 Dec 23 - 11:53 AM

David Rovics has written a lot on the subject of Palestine.

His song Palestine is one of his older (maybe oldest?) songs about the region. The below lyrics are copy–pasted from the song’s page on his website – which also has a studio recording of it, a link to a songbook with sheet music, and more background on it.

Palestine

My daddy was an Arab from Beersheva
A situation so unkind
My momma was a refugee from Ramallah
Had to leave her land behind
I grew up in this refugee camp
In this unwelcome land
In this little parcel of Lebanon
We were dealt a losing hand

Then one day the soldiers came
A tired old refrain
I’ll try to tell you what happened next
But there’s no way to explain
The soldiers raped my mother
Then they killed her dead
Along with the rest of the Shatila Camp
While I hid beneath my bed

Now I’m a-wanderin’
No place to call my home
Palestine
All around the world I roam

My aunt came over from Jordan
Brought me there to live
And together we’ve moved to half the world
Oh for peace what I would give
In Beirut, Greece and New York town
I’ve watched the world churn
But my home is Palestine
Someday I will return

Chorus

Now here I am in Washington
Heart of the empire
That sends the ‘copters and bulldozers
That turned Ramallah into a funeral pyre
Well you’ve heard my story
And time will not allow
Soon my visa will expire
What will you do now

Chorus

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about Israel and Palestine
From: Thompson
Date: 10 Dec 23 - 04:32 AM

Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms?

These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be

Some day you'll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you'll no longer burn
To be brothers in arms

Through these fields of destruction
Baptisms of fire
I've witnessed your suffering
As the battle raged high

And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms

There's so many different worlds
So many different suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones

Now the sun's gone to hell
And the moon riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die

But it's written in the starlight
And every line in your palm
We're fools to make war
On our brothers in arms

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about Israel and Palestine
From: Felipa
Date: 10 Dec 23 - 09:49 AM

Israeli singer Itay Benda is resident in Los Angeles, California and has forged friendships with Iranians (LA has a large Iranian population). He recently posted a Hebrew song translated to Farsi. OCEAN OF TEARS - Yam Shel Dmaot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ_fS6WVba4

Hebrew words and translation at https://lyricstranslate.com/en/%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%A9%D7%9C-%D7%93%D7%9E%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%AA-sea-tears.html

In this context, it could be understood as a song of exile
Long have been the nights since you've left,
The spring, like the autumn, is so grey,
And in my heart memories that you already forgot,
And a pray, an honest pray you'll return.

A sea of tears in my eyes,
My heart shouts out, 'return to me',
My voice breaks down the silence,
Will you hear?
Will you hear?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about Israel and Palestine
From: Thompson
Date: 22 Jan 24 - 02:28 AM

Seth Staton Watkins, Oh Palestine

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about Israel and Palestine
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 23 Jan 24 - 09:41 AM

Subject: Lyr Add: HELLO PEACE (Calls Across The Wall) From: GUEST, Graham Dixon Date: 13 Oct 23 - 12:27 PM

Words & music Graham & Bernadette Dixon (Trouble at’ Mill) Hear the song here https://youtu.be/6h8_yqSREnQ?si=x9hOKbMJGu11caCD Aug 16, 2018. Hello Peace

Inspired by a BBC Radio 4 programme “Calls Across The Wall”. Wednesday 15 August 2007. The story of Hello Peace, a phone line which has facilitated nearly a million conversations between Israelis and Palestinians. It began in November 2000 when a young Israeli woman, trying to phone a Jewish friend, called a wrong number and found herself speaking instead to a Palestinian in the Gaza Strip.

Chorus
Hello my friend, this is a call across the wall
Hello again, this is a call across the wall
Let's make it end There will be peace for one and all
Hello my friend Hello again Hello peace

I can’t recall what all this fighting’s for
There is no reason for this crazy pointless war
Let’s start to talk then we’ll live in fear no more
Hello my friend Hello again Hello peace

Chorus

Shalom my friend, I can hear you’re just like me
A trembling voice and frightened child upon your knee
Now there’s a choice Would you like to talk to me?
Hello my friend Hello again Hello peace

It was just a wrong number
A stranger on the end of the line
Sounds like HE could be a friend of mine
We could live together side by side
If we only had the chance to try

It was just a wrong number
A stranger on the end of the line
Sounds like SHE could be a friend of mine
We could live together side by side
If we only had the chance to try

Salaam my friend, though we’re both of different creed
You sound like me It’s so good to hear you speak
Let’s show the world that we can turn the other cheek
Hello my friend Hello again Hello peace

Chorus

Shalom my friend, Salaam my friend, Hello peace
This is a call across the wall Hello peace