🐾 Me? No, I'm not Jewish. Honestly, I'm not strongly for any religion and if anything I would describe my religious view as agnostic. I happened across this song some time ago when I used to mess around with Finale writing sheet music. As most people know about music, songs that are happy are usually written in major keys, whereas sad or aggressive or ominous songs are written in minor keys, right? This song stood out to me because it is a happy, joyous song and yet it is written in a minor key, much like "Carol of the Bells".
🐾 Huge disclaimer for this song: If you are Jewish or know Yiddish, this song was made in earnest and I tried my best to modernize this song without making it too transformative to where it might be offensive or distasteful to some. In singing the Yiddish lyrics, I researched the lyrics and found multiple versions of it and decided to go with the one that I was familiar with and saw that it was one of the more widely known ones. I do not know nor speak Yiddish; in learning the pronunciation, I looked up a couple of people singing the song in Yiddish and tried to replicate the pronunciation closely without being too... offensively stereotypical, you know? So, I hope this comes across as an endearing... homage to the Jewish faith by an agnostic Black Mexican American man. I don't know what I'm saying, "homage" wasn't the right word I was looking for... u-u Please forgive my stupidity.
Lyrics: [English] Oh, Hanukah, Oh Hanukah Come light the menorah Let's have a party We'll all dance the horah. Gather 'round the table, we'll give you a treat ` Sevivon to play with, and leviviot to eat
And while we are playing The candles are burning low ` One for each night, they shed a sweet light to remind us of days long ago. One for each night, they shed a sweet light to remind us of days long ago.
[Yiddish] Oy, Chanukah, oy Chanukah A yontif a sheyner, A lustiker a freylekher Nisht do nokh azoyner Ale nakht mit dreydlech shpiln mir, Zudik heyse latkes, esn on a shir.
Geshvinder, tsindt kinder Di Chanukah likhtlech on, Zogt "Al Hanisim", loybt Got far di nisim, Un lomir ale tantsen in kon. Zogt "Al Hanisim", loybt Got far di nisim, Un lomir ale tantsen in kon.
