Yonatan Razel vocalist of the year

Yonatan Razel has been voted by YNet readers as singer of the year in Jewish music category

After a week long voting the results have come in for the YNet Alternative Jewish Music award;
Thousands of Ynet readers voted, entering the site, choosing vocalist of the year and

he is Yonatan Razel who narrowly edged out his own brother Aaron for the top spot. Razel received the award from Ynet at a festive ceremony during the Festival of Jewish Music held during Succot in Beit Shemesh.

Sach Hakol

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Ynet readers vote: Yonatan Razel vocalist of the year

From YNet

Yonatan Razel who finally released ‘All in All’, his first album, after many years of expectations even made history when the song appeared on the prestigious playlist of Army Radio. He attended the award ceremony where he was told that not only was he vocalist of the year but that his song "Zion" (Love will come out of Zion) had been selected as the song of the year. He came to the stage where he performed the winning song to the sound of cheers and applause from the audience.

In the category of songs inspired by Jewish sources, readers chose Od Yeshama by Adi Ran from his collaborative album with Srulik Hirshtik and the Five Voices Band. The Moshav Band took the honors in the genre of non-Hebrew music with their album "Misplaced". The band has recently signed a major contract with Sony Records. The biggest surprise of the night was no doubt the Ynet music award for best band which went to Red Heifer who won despite the fact that they have not had much media exposure.

I am not worthy but thanks anyway

Razel who was clearly excited addressed the audience with a shaking voice. “Bless God. Thanks so much to the audience, I really don’t feel that I am worthy of the honor but if the audience has chosen this then it makes me happier than appearing on the playlist of army radio. Thank you so much. I only hope I can return the love.”

Mishael Dickman of Red Heifer said: “We are very happy to have been chosen and want to thank everyone who has supported and encouraged us over the years. It is our audience that gives us our strength. The band is really excited about this award which gives us a push to do more in the industry.”

Yonatan Razel's Melbourne, Australia appearances:
Yonatan Razel- Ani Ledodi (A.Razel) Live in Melbourne
Yonatan Razel- Ivdu Et HasHem Bsimcha Live in Melbourne 5768

More:
Meir Panim concert with Dudu Fisher and Avram Fried (more)
Yonatan Razel- Bnei Beitcha

References:
Ynet: Ynet readers vote: Yonatan Razel vocalist of the year

kipper tip to Jewish Blogmeister

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Matisyahu leaves Chabad

From jta

Orthodox Jewish reggae sensation Matisyahu is leaving the Chabad movement.

"I am no longer identified with Chabad," the American singer told Ha'aretz this week during a private visit to Israel. "Today it's more important to me to connect to a universal message."

Born Matthew Miller, Matisyahu embraced Orthodox Judaism while studying in a Chabad yeshiva in New York City His virtuosity in reggae and hip-hop, religious lyrics and uncanny garb and antics on stage launched him to international music stardom.

According to to the Israeli newspaper, Matisyahu experienced a "spiritual shift" while celebrating the High Holy Days in Israel. That drew to him to alternative forms of Chasidut such as Breslav.

"What we do is not at all about Judaism and not about Chabad. It's much bigger than one religion or another," he said. "It relies on something real that can speak to anybody. It's about truth and memory."

While still Orthodox, Matisyahu said he is "searching for freedom from a pronounced identification with one
specific group."

References:
JTA: Matisyahu leaves Chabad

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Matisyahu in Israel

Brooklyn hip-hop and reggae artist here for the holidays, gives surprise performance at Tel Aviv club

From YNet

Successful hip-hop and reggae artist Matisyahu is spending the Sukkot holidays in Israel. Last week he even gave a surprise performance at a Tel Aviv nightclub as part of a set given by musician and saxophone player Daniel Zamir.

About half an hour into Zamir's performance at the Levontine 7 he announced that a special guest would be joining him and Matisyahu emerged from the crowd wearing a white hat.

Zamir later said that no rehearsals had taken place and that the performance was completely improvised. Longtime friends Zamir and Matisyahu met in New York several years ago, the two have performed together in Israel before. Zamir also joined Matisyahu's US tour twice.

Matisyahu has visited Israel three times in the past two years. During one of his visits the popular artist, who hails from Brooklyn, New York, said he hoped to one day make aliyah.

He has also collaborated with Israeli psychedelic trance duo Infected Mushroom and took the stage with them in Baltimore several months ago.

Mr Bagel: Matisyahu's third Studio album is due for release early in 2008. I'm looking forward to its release.

References:
YNet: Matisyahu in Israel

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Sh'ma Israel

Sarit Hadad's Sh'ma Israel

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Sarit Hadad's Sh'ma Israel

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Madonna sings

Ok so this article is as much about Jewish Music as Madonna is about Kabbalah but its news never the less...

Madonna sings at Tel Aviv conference

Clapping and singing, pop music star Madonna joined in a Kabbalah conference on Friday in Tel Aviv to celebrate Rosh Hashana.

Madonna was singing Jewish songs with the crowd of hundreds at the David Intercontinental Hotel where the conference on Jewish mysticism was being held. At one point she pressed another participant, apparently a friend of hers, up to the front where he danced excitedly, making her and the crowd giggle and clap enthusiastically.

The 49-year-old diva was wearing a black jacket with elbow-length sleeves held at the waist with a belt with a large buckle. She also donned a baseball-type hat plaid in red and black with her hair in a ponytail.

Madonna arrived in Israel Wednesday night, on a private visit to the Holy Land. The singer did not speak to the media and the conference was closed to TV cameras.

The actress Demi Moore and her husband, Ashton Kutcher, were also attending the conference in Tel Aviv, and were seen out on the city streets Thursday night.

The celebrity was raised a Roman Catholic, but she has become a follower of Jewish mysticism in recent years, raising the ire of many Orthodox Jews who see the adoption of Kabbalah by non-Jewish pop figures as an abomination.

The singer has taken the Hebrew name Esther, and has been seen wearing a red thread on her wrist to ward off the evil eye. During her visit she plans to visit sites sacred to Kabbalists.

Madonna paid a visit to Israel three years ago, on another Kabbalah-centered trip. Her first visit to Israel came in 1993, when she performed in a concert unrelated to Kabbalah in Tel Aviv's Hayarkon park.

References:
JPost: Madonna sings at Tel Aviv conference

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Jewish Music Festival: Jerusalem

From The Jerusalem Post

Jewish Music Festival: Notes of the tribe

Given that there can't be anything more natural than a Jewish music festival in Jerusalem, why has it taken all these millennia to hold a full-scale, week-long showcase?

"I don't know," admits Shlomo Yisraeli, artistic director of the inaugural Jewish Music Days festival due to take place between September 3 and 8. "Maybe it was a matter of having the right facilities, or the funding."

Funding is always a salient - or sticking - point, as any organizer of any cultural event can testify.

"There's no support from the municipality for this," Yisraeli continues, "and, to get funding from international bodies you have to first have the festival up and running. Once you've survived the first year - if you survive - you can start to apply all over."

Judging by the program, and the popularity of Jewish music in Jerusalem and the rest of the country, Yisraeli and Effi Benaya, director of Confederation House (which is organizing the event) have nothing to worry about.

The six concerts, which will be held at Confederation House, Beit Shmuel and Beit Avi Chai, do justice both to the cosmopolitan nature of our capital and the varied cultural baggage picked up by the Jews over the centuries.

"In many ways, Israel is the center of the world," Yisraeli declares. "If you look at old maps of the world - not contemporary American ones - you see that. And Jerusalem is central to the three major monotheistic religions. If you put all that together, it's easy to see why the festival is happening here and why the program is so varied."

The latter attribute is something of an understatement, and Yisraeli, an expert on many musical genres who broadcast ethnic music on Kol Yisrael for many years, is the right man in the right place at the right time. He has pieced together a musical agenda that represents a considerable number of our multifaceted ethnicities.

Take, for example, the opening show at Beit Shmuel on Monday (at 9 p.m.), which brings together the well-named local cross-cultural troupe Andralamusia and New York trumpeter Frank London. London has had his nimble fingers in numerous musical pies for many years. A member of the high-energy band Klezmatics, he has recorded and performed with jazz musicians, "new Jewish music" guru John Zorn and Arab music star Maurice El Mediouni, to mention but a few.

"I met Frank a while back in Brazil," explains Yisraeli, "and asked him if he'd be interested in performing with an Israeli band. He was delighted with the idea." The same went for his cohorts in next week's concert. "When I mentioned the idea to [Andralamusia leader] Itai Bin Nun, he said he'd dreamt of playing with Frank for years. So that came together nicely."

The festival program incorporates the kind of traditional material you'd expect - such as The Carpion Trio playing pre-World War II Yiddish and Romanian songs - alongside some far more "out-there" forays. Thursday's "Bayamim Hahem Bazman Hazzeh" ("In Those Days At This Time") program certainly pertains to the latter category. It will showcase musical interpretations of prayers and other liturgical material (piyutim) from the Italian Jewish tradition, sung by Charlette Shulamit Ottolenghi, who also plays soprano sax and will fuse her efforts through a computer, together with Mexican-born Jerusalemite percussionist Abe Doron, best known for his work with Irish music outfits such as Riverdance and Evergreen.

It is an intriguing mix.

"It is a bit provocative," admits Yisraeli, "having a woman sing piyutim and adding saxophone and computer. But, as with the whole festival, I have tried to embrace both tradition and the contemporary."

Yisraeli believes in keeping up with the times. "Without that, music would have died a long time ago."
Other crowd pullers to watch out for include a concert led by Ethiopian-born jazz and ethnic music saxophonist Abate (next Saturday at Beit Avi Hai at 9:30 p.m,) based on a fascinating confluence between the works of famous Spanish poets, such as 11th-century poet-philosopher Ibn Gvirol, and lesser known Ethiopian men of letters of the same period. Pianist Yitzhak Yedid's concert (Wednesday at Confederation House at 9 p.m.) will bring art forms together and include works inspired by painter Marc Chagall. Medieval Sufi and mystical Jewish music will cross paths at Splendor East and West, the Hayona Ensemble show on Tuesday (Beit Aviv Hai, 7 p.m.).

"There is far more to Jewish music than klezmer," says Yisraeli. "I think the average person thinks all Jewish music is Hassidic. I hope the festival will both entertain audiences and broaden their horizons."

For more information about the Jewish Music Days festival, check out http://www.confederationhouse.org/

Bagelblogger: When the world focuses so much negative attention on the State of Israel its good to see events celebrating the positive aspects of Israel. More sponsorship is needed for such cultural events.

References:
JPost: Jewish Music Festival: Notes of the tribe

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Australian Tour : Chaim Dovid and Yehuda Glantz

Jewish troubadours to tour Australia:
Chaim Dovid and Yehuda Glantz

The AJN has brought attention to the fact that Chaim Dovid and Yehuda Glantz are about to tour Australia

From AJN

CONTEMPORARY Jewish music with a Latin twist. This is how Argentinean-born musician Yehuda Glantz describes the music which has taken him all over the world.

“In combining so many different styles, I hope to focus on what makes us similar and not on what makes us different,” he says over the phone from Israel.

Glantz, along with fellow Orthodox troubadour Chaim Dovid, will be heading to Australia for performances in Melbourne and Sydney this month.

“Chaim and I are long-time friends and I am very excited to perform with him,” Glantz says.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Glantz began his music tuition at the tender age of five. By age 15, he had mastered a variety of different instruments, including guitar, keyboard and accordion.

Glantz, who made aliyah in 1979, writes, composes and produces his own music in his private studio in Jerusalem. Last year, he performed original compositions alongside the Israel Symphony Orchestra.

“I want to make people happy and unify my audience,” he says.

Originally from South Africa, Dovid’s Carlebach-inspired style has been entertaining crowds in Australia, North America and Europe for nearly two decades.

Despite their different styles, the pair, says concert organiser Yossi Segelman, are sure to cater to most musical tastes.

“Chaim Dovid has inspired thousands of people all over the world with his music and Yehuda Glantz brings a lot of energy,” Segelman told the AJN. “It will really be a special show.”

Yehuda Glantz and Chaim Dovid will perform on Sunday, August 5, 7pm, at the University of NSW Science Theatre and on Monday, August 6, 8pm, at the Athenaeum Theatre, 188 Collins Street, Melbourne.

References:
AJN: Jewish troubadours to tour Australia
Jewish Blogmeister: Chaim Dovid and Yehuda Glantz: Touring in Australia

Kippertip: Jewish Blogmeister

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Remembering Ofra Haza

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Remembering Ofra Haza

Remembering Ofra Haza - a tribute to the greatest Israeli singer ever - Ofra Haza. Dedicated to her life, her work and all her songs she sang for us.

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Ofra Haza - Im Nin'alu

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Ofra Haza - Im Nin'alu

Of Yemenite Jewish ancestry, Haza was born the youngest of nine children in the poor Tel Aviv neighborhood of Hatikvah. She became an instant local and then national success story, the subject of great pride for many Israelis of Yemenite origin.

Her voice has been described as mezzo-soprano, of near-flawless tonal quality, capable of lending itself to a variety of musical styles with apparent ease. It is thought likely that Haza's voice had the most upper harmonic overtones of any singer in history, reaching as many as 32 on some songs, such as "Love Song" from the album Shaday (1988)
Ofra Haza died at the age of 42 on the 23rd February 2000. More about Ofra Haza Wikipedia

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HATIKVAH PLAYED ON ANCIENT JEWISH TEMPLE LYRE!

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Hatikvah played on ancient Jewish Temple Lyre

An arrangement on Youtube by KlezFiddle1,of the haunting melody of the Israeli National Anthem,"Hatikvah"(The Hope),played on the long-forgotten "Kinnor" Lyre,last played by the Levites in the Temple of Jerusalem,almost 2000 years ago...here played by one of their descendants, Michael Levy - in my spare room, Salford, Lancashire!

This poignant melody to me,uniquely conveys the sorrow and hardship of the Jewish people throughout the last 2000 years - after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans,and the opression we faced in so many foreign lands to which we were then scattered...yet the Unshakeable HOPE, of returning to that long-lost Homeland once again,a Hope sustained through the prayers, dreams and almost endless struggles of nearly 2000 dark, desolate years.

May this humble musical contribution also bring another Hope...that one day,all strife will cease,and there will be a time to come,when all Jews and Arabs will live in harmony as brothers and sisters once again.

Some future,distant day from now,let Mankind also cling onto the Greatest Hope - that there will be an EVERLASTING Peace in this weary,war-torn world...

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Yehuda Glantz on guitar playing Nomade with the Israel Symphony

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Yehuda Glantz on guitar playing Nomade with the Israel Symph

NOMADE - The Jew of Wandering
World Beat sounds emerge from Latin American rhythms in Jewish Contemporary Soul Music
Composed, Arranged and Produced by Yehuda Glantz
Nomade was performed on April 4, 2006 at the Spring Festival of the Rishon Letzion Cultural Center

MySpace: Yehuda Glantz
Text as per Youtube upload

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Teapacks - Push the button (Eurovision 2007 Song)

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Teapacks - Push the button (Eurovision 2007 Song)

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Errr- Who pushed the Button - Teapacks is elimanted.

Israeli band fails to make it to final contest. Kobi Oz: ‘disappointed, but had fun’. Israeli delegation’s appeal to EBU denied

During Teapacks performance there seemed to be a major equipment failure and a segment of the song being voted apon was broadcast with a blank red screen Funny enough this technical 'glitz' didn't occur to the authors knowledge for any other band.

The Jerusalem Post reports:

Shortly before the judges gave their verdict on which bands would continue on to the next round, it was reported that the director of the Culture and Entertainment Department of the Israel Broadcasting Authority, Yoav Ginai, submitted an appeal to the Eurovision management after the band's performance was cut off in the middle of the semifinals broadcast.

The Israeli Delgation asked for either the song to be reperformed or for some points compensation for the tecnical problem

As for the blank screen during the teapacks performance in Helsinki, speculation may indicate that it was a form of censorship, if this is the case surely the impact of the censorship could have been lessoned by more sensitive handling.... There has been speculation some forums it may have well been deliberate sabotage.

Thee Band has already had a major run in with the Eurovision production crew. This is on top of the head of Broadcasting being the same person who chose to ' declare' their was a serious problem with Teapacks submission, before the commitee had even meet.

" ...Eurovision had a chance to disqualify us, and they didn't disqualify. But if they are going to take our message and ...and ... strangle it in bad shooting and sloppy directing, there is no way we are going to do it. Maybe we will disqualify it ourselves," the lead singer of Teapacks said as he threatened to withdraw from the Eurovision Song Contest. "

Someone in helsinki must've "pushed the button" ..was it sabotage? no other country had this "problem".. in my opinion it was censorship.

ELSINKI - Teapacks, Israel's representative to the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest in Helsinki, did not pass the semi-final Thursday night.

The ten countries that made it to the finals were Belarus, Macedonia, Slovenia, Hungary, Georgia, Latvia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey and Moldovia.

"We're disappointed, but we had fun," Teapacks band member Kobi Oz told Ynet.

Roughly an hour after the end of the contest, the Teapacks crew arrived at their hotel, showing good sportsmanship about their loss. "We have no complaints. We had fun, it was awesome," Oz said. "In any case I'm happy about the experience, and I'm really proud of us."

Teapacks song choice, "Push the Button", had spurred controversy due to its references to the Iranian nuclear program. “This shouldn’t be treated as a something too momentous” said Yoav Ginai, head of the Israeli delegation, “its entertainment and the rules can sometimes play in our favor, and sometimes it just goes the other way.”

Many in the Israeli delegation sensed from the beginning the odds were not in Teapacks’ favor. “This was one of our best performances, and hopefully we’ll do even better in two days” said Oz after the show, unaware of the technical error in the broadcast, cutting the performance for a few seconds.

Ginai approached the EBU (European Broadcasting Union), requesting the song be played again, since “this probably hurt its chances”. The EBU denied the request, after determining the disruptions minor.

This is the second time Israel’s failed to make it into the final Eurovision Song Contest. In 2004 it was David Da’or who didn’t make it into the finals. In 2005, Shiri Mimon finished in fourth place, securing Eddie Butler’s place in the 2006 final. He came in the bottom two.

References:
Ynet News
JPost

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Home of Mr Bagel Music

Hi, You've found the Home of Mr Bagel Music. Its a brand new home, theres a few walls and doors missing but hey, come inside and relax. We will be finished building very shortly.

If you're looking for Mr Bagel or Bagelblogger go Here:

Mr Bagel

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Protocols: Rav Shmuel

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Protocols.

Rav Shmuel is a Rabbi who drinks beer, has six kids, and thinks of himself as a rock star! Fans of Jack Johnson, Barenaked Ladies, Sublime and Phish will want to add this CD to their collections.

Rav Shmuel has a beard and sidelocks and loves The Dead! He does not see an inconsistency between those two identities. Rav, who has taught Jewish Philosophy and Talmud at various universities, has also toured the USA with Gelfilte Fish, his first stateside band, playing sold-out parking lots before and after Phish shows.

Born in Brooklyn, Rav spent seven years in Jerusalem teaching by day and playing in the clubs at night. Rav moved back to New York in 2004, quickly becoming a house favoorite at The Sidewalk Cafe, which has produced such stars as Beck, Hamell On Trial, and the Moldy Peaches.

So what we're talking about here is a forty-something Orthodox Rabbi who is currently rocking out the East Village's freshest scene and will soon be rocking out colleges, the internet, and media near you!

References:
Text from JMG: Jewish Music Group
Buy the Album/Itunes: JMG

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Matisyahu -'Jerusalem' - Looking beyond the Pop Culture veneer

Matisyahu: Beyond the Veneer

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Matisyahu's Video Jerusalem is a initially a symphony of visual delights, candy for the eyes. Messages and images are delicately interwoven into a complex tapestry to some the realization of the strength and inner aims of this video come quickly to others the realization comes as a visual shock What is most apparent is beneath this apparent veneer of visual candy
lies some deep and profound messages and thoughts on Faith
and what it means to be a Jew. What visual and symbolic metaphors do you see in this video?

Matisyahu is a paradox. He is both on the leading edge of Music Culture and a member of Ultra Orthodox Judaism. You ask yourself how can someone co-exists within these two spheres? Surely they are both mutually exclusive of each other? Wether you like Matisyahu or otherwise, there is one thing that can't be denied, the suspicion that he was 'just a fad' has now been proven incorrect. When he first released his first album many claimed he was a flavor of the month', or in colloquial terms 'Just a T shirt' now with the release of his 2nd album the critics aren't so sure. The flavor of the month seems to have been endowed with a little more longitivity than Brittany 'Gone Trailer Park' Spears and her husband wanna be rapper, K_Fed who has just released his new album playing with fire, which a few people wish he would.

It seems K_Fed's 'Playing with Fire' debut has all but sizzled, 3 days after its release there seems to be way too much smoke and no actual fire. Maybe that's why he released it on his own label, ' a fox doesn't smell it's own stench' and a ' pig rolls in its own mud' something like that any way. Matisyahu a Brooklyn resident is America's most popular Reggae singer. Last years breakthrough album ' Live at Stubbs' (author note: - I spent my hard earned wisely) sold half a million copies. The contrast of being a Top ten musician and a Ultra Orthodox Jew exists more than just on superficial appearances. Matisyahu is a devout Orthodox Jew, he believes strongly in the practice of Shomer Negiah, [not touching the opposite sex] this practice is in complete contrast to the music industries reputation for overly friendly fans and admirers. Despite Matisyahu's strongly held beliefs, and observance of Jewish Halakha he has still managed to become an influential member of the Music industry. The service that Matisyahu brings to the Jewish community, I believe is enormous, he brings positive imagery to Judaism in a time when there has been so much opportunistic negativity expressed towards Judaism by anti Semites. Despite lucrative offers by various companies including Burger King, Matisyahu chose not to endorse their non-kosher products.

He is an beacon of spiritual values to American youth, he never overtly proselytizes or evangelizes, yet he doesn't compromise on the essence of what it means to believe in G_d and be a Religious Jew. What has to be appreciated is that Matisyahu brings a fresh relevant focus to Jewish Youth, he leads by example, yet remains relevant. In a time when there are so many 'attractive' alternatives to young Jews leaving their faith, crossing over to the secular world, he shines as a light unto them. There is already so much to admire with regards to Matisyahu, with his new album I feel there may be many more reasons to admire him to come. Bagelblogger

Matisyahu Jerusalem Lyrics

[Chorus]
Jerusalem, if I forget you,
fire not gonna come from me tongue.
Jerusalem, if I forget you,
let my right hand forget what it’s supposed to do.
In the ancient days, we will return with no delay
Picking up the bounty and the spoils on our way
We’ve been traveling from state to state
And them don’t understand what they say
3,000 years with no place to be
And they want me to give up my milk and honey
Don’t you see, it’s not about the land or the sea
Not the country but the dwelling of his majesty

[chorus]

Rebuild the temple and the crown of glory
Years gone by, about sixty
Burn in the oven in this century
And the gas tried to choke, but it couldn’t choke me
I will not lie down, I will not fall asleep
They come overseas, yes they’re trying to be free
Erase the demons out of our memory
Change your name and your identity
Afraid of the truth and our dark history
Why is everybody always chasing we
Cut off the roots of your family tree
Don't you know that's not the way to be

[chorus]

Caught up in these ways, and the worlds gone craze
Don’t you know it’s just a phase
Case of the Simon says
If I forget the truth then my words won’t penetrate
Babylon burning in the place, can’t see through dark haze
Chop down all of them dirty ways,
That’s the price that you pay for selling lies to the youth
No way, not ok, oh no way, not ok, hey
Aint no one gonna break my stride
Aint no one gonna pull me down
Oh no, I got to keep on moving
Stay alive

[chorus]

References: Metro Lyrics: Matisyahu Lyrics

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