Zehu Ze - Along the Sea

Every Friday morning I check to see which songs Zehu Ze performed in their weekly show the night before. They usually perform two songs - one with a guest and the other one on their own. The song they choose to perform on their own often feels like a barometer, a few minutes that capture the country's mood that week, and Thursday's choice was no exception. A chill went down my spine when I heard their version of the late Ofra Haza's timeless song, which has long been associated with Yitzhak Rabin's assassination after she performed it at his memorial service (I took the translation here from the description in the video). Obviously, there is no comparison to Ofra's singing, and Zehu Ze's performance was more of a tribute to her and the song's legacy. I couldn't help but gasp at the relevance of the line 'I will run into the fire if they return from there' and when Shlomo Baraba closed his eyes after singing the line 'And the one who disappeared, will he return, or is he already dead?'. I heard in an episode of the podcast 'One Song' that the song was written by Ayala Ashrov when she was just 19, and is about coping with her boyfriend's sudden loss of his sister, which happened very early in their relationship. The song reached Ofra and her producer, Bezalel Aloni, and they loved it but Bezalel made two significant changes to the lyrics. The dark line "So why try and continue now to live" became "So why try and continue now to cry" and in the original song, Ayala wrote the line "And the one who disappeared, he won't return because he's already dead". Bezalel told Ayala that the line must be changed because it's too pessimistic, he has to come back, there is no greater hope than for people who are gone to return. 

It's been a difficult time lately with so much happening all at once. The ceasefire collapsed and Netanyahu decided to fire Ronen Bar, the Shin Bet chief due to a "lack of trust" at a very questionable time, to say the least. There is a severe possibility that the government will not abide the High Court's order preventing Bar's immediate dismissal and it's not clear at all where things are headed and what will happen with the hostages. One thing for certain is that as Bezalel said, there must always be hope.

Tell me how to stop the tears,

Tell me where there is another world to live in,

Tell me why there is no truth, only illusions

So why try and continue now to cry?

Along the length of the sea

There are no waves, there is a world

Broken into fragments on the pier

Along the length of the sea

There are no waves, there is a world

Broken into fragments on the pier

Tell me how to stop the tears

Tell me where there's another world to live in

When people run into an inferno as into the sea

I will run into the fire if they return from there

Along the length of the sea

There are no waves, there is a world

Broken into fragments on the pier

Along the length of the sea

There are no waves, there is a world

Broken into fragments on the pier

Tell me how you live with death

Hiding the tears every night

Tell me, how much longer?

The fire that calls me is not really there

And the one who disappeared, will he return, or is he already dead?

Along the length of the sea

There are no waves, there is a world

Broken into fragments on the pier

Along the length of the sea

There are no waves, there is a world

Broken into fragments on the pier

Tell me how to stop the tears,

Tell me how...

Zehu Ze and Leah Shabbat - Will always wait for you

Overwhelmed with joy to hear of the stunning rescue of four hostages abducted from the Nova festival: Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv. ♥♥♥♥

With all the happiness and excitement, 120 hostages are still held in Gaza. We can't forget them and we can't turn down a hostage deal that will bring all of them back.

Oh child, time passed

You went to search far away from here

And I'm waiting for you

Oh, my child in this world

A human bird like everyone else

Looking for the horizon

Every plane that flies in the sky

Every star lighting the eyes

Reminds me of you

Wagtails before the rain

Crickets in the evening

Will always wait for you

Oh, child, when it's quiet

I sit on the balcony to play

Tunes of longing

"Oh, child, please try

To arrive here quickly"

This is what I quietly ask

Every plane that flies in the sky

Every star lighting the eyes

Reminds me of you

Wagtails before the rain

Crickets in the evening

Will always wait for you

Lyrics from LyricTranslate

Zehu Ze and Eviatar Banai - Night as the Day Does Shine

Zehu Ze was one of the first shows back on during the war, I remember how the first episodes back on sensitively dealt with the situation, hosting evacuated children from the Gaza envelope, with skits that were less satirical than usual, and of course, the songs. The songs have become the heart of the show, with touching musical interpretations that always feel like the perfect choice. The first episode back ended with a moving version of 'Darkenu', with the lyrics, "It's not easy, our path is not easy/and your eyes sometimes are so sad/More blossoming fields are before us/More high mountains with cool summits". Since then the skits have become much more satirical, though reality always seems to be giving a good fight, and the song choices have become a soundtrack to this heartbreaking war. Earlier this week Eviatar Banai joined the group for "Night as the Day Does Shine", so fitting for Hanukka and a few minutes of comfort during these cold dark days.

Again I'm fighting 

A magnet pulls down

It's in the small points

In the words of encouragement

This time I'm not alone

What a battle, my God, what a battle

Between the pit and the water

At least there is a battle here

At least there is water

Once there was just a pit

Night as the day does shine...

I boil the water

Memories float up

Threatening to burn everything

There are drawers that I still don't open

Until there will be light in me

It's in the small points

In the words of encouragement

Tying up the shoes

Buttoning up the white shirt

Offering you a glass of water

Night as the day does shine...

Along the stream that floats in me

Among the trees stands my house

Zehu Ze - Millions

I'm happy about the normalization deal with the UAE and I'm very happy that we don't have to deal with the annexation and its results (for now, at least) but it doesn't make any of Netanyahu's failures go away. Or as the "Black Flag" anti-corruption group bluntly said in a statement ahead of last night's weekly protest: "While the prime minister is busy arranging flights to pools in Abu Dhabi for himself, the people of Israel are collapsing [due to] the failure to manage the economic and health crisis. No flights to the Gulf, jobs in Israel!"

Zehu Ze ('this is it' in Hebrew) ran from 1978 to 1998 but is especially remembered for its satirical skits during the Gulf War which brought much needed comic relief to the country. The show reunited at the beginning of the Coronavirus crisis and is now in its second season (how time flies...). I'm not a huge fan of all the skits but I always make sure to check out which cover the cast performed (all of them are available here) in what has become a beloved segment of the show. I love their take on Etti Ankri's classic song 'Millions' which is sadly always relevant. The translation is from Teach Me Hebrew, where you can also sing along.

I know that money isn't important
I know that if it's gone it may one day return
I know that you know that I know
That thinking about it is just a waste
Of time that flies by - with or without us, it will still go by

I know that you know that I know
That I'm clueless
But someone stepped on me today
And I can't get up

I know that you know
That what I earned this month isn't bad
And nevertheless they arrived
To carry out a writ of execution [taking possession of property from] my apartment

They took the television, the closet, the drawer
They poured out the nothingness that was inside it
I know that this isn't right
And I don't have any proof

I tried to say that taxes
Kill all common sense
And they told me that they're not stealing
They're taking it all legally

I know that you know that I know
That I'm clueless
But the second this happened to me
I couldn't get up

And there are millions like me
Wandering in the streets
There are millions like me
In all kinds of shapes

There are millions like me
Mortal people
Penniless
Not worth a cent

I know that health is important
More than money, much more
And it goes without saying that when it comes to love
We must never give up on it

I know that there are debts from previous incarnations
That apply to us in the universe
So if I fell today
Perhaps tomorrow I'll get up

I know that you know that I know
That I'm clueless
But someone stepped on me today
And I can't get up

And there are millions like me
Mortal people
Penniless
Not worth a cent

You remember Susan, that senior executive from the bank
She gave me a lot of love
Especially my simplicity charmed her
I touched her in her heart

It took her a little time to 'get it'
To change her attitude towards me
She understood that I don't have any cash
And stripped me from my dignity

You know that I know that you know
That I'm clueless
Having been treated by Her Majesty like this
I couldn't get up

And there are millions like me
Wandering in the streets
There are millions like me
In all kinds of shapes

And there are millions like me
Mortal people
Penniless
Not worth a cent
Today it's me
Tomorrow it's you
Penniless
Not worth a cent