Jewish Stereo Types

Okay, not really, not for most of us. But today is Valentine's Day! So here's "My Funny Valentine," by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, sung by Judy Blazer: Video posted by New World Records You'll note that I chose to use a version sung by a woman, even though the Frank Sinatra and Chet Baker covers are probably the most well-known. That's because the song was written for the Broadway musical Babes in Arms , in which it was sung by a young woman about her new boyfriend, a young man named--wait for it--Valentine. The lyrics, it seems to me, make a lot more sense when you consider that they are describing a boy, and one whom the singer considers hopelessly naive and idealistic--a dope, to her way of thinking. Not that it's not a lovely, romantic song on its own because it is, ruefully expressing the impossibility of explaining even to yourself why people love who they love. *** As suggested above, Babes in Arms was written by the songwriting and Bro...

Well. SOME snow. A dusting of snow. It was pretty, and then it was gone. THE BEST KIND OF SNOW! So in honor of the best kind of snow, here is Jason Mraz singing "Winter Wonderland" by Richard B. Smith and Felix Bernard: Video courtesy of wavester How's that for an acoustic version? (Yes, that's a Santa hat, and Jason mentions Chanukah, but the actual lyrics do not mention Christmas or Chanukah or any holiday at all. Just winter. It is still winter.) I also love the Eurythmics' very cool version, and since I don't feel like choosing, let's have that, too: Video posted by DreamsILive *** I can find very little about Richard B. Smith, the lyricist, but Wikipedia (which is never wrong) says he was Episcopalian. (He had a very short life, dying at age 34 of tuberculosis.) However, the composer, Felix Bernard (Felix William Bernhardt), was Jewish. [How do we--and Wikipedia--know this? Nate Bloom went and found Bernard's parents, Charles a...

...but here in New York City, although it is in fact snowing, we're just getting a pretty dusting. So, let's go on a little "Sleigh Ride," by Leroy Anderson and Mitchell Parish, sung by The Ronettes: Video from PhilSpectorVEVO That's a 1963 recording, and a classic, but if you prefer something a little more contemporary, here's "Sleigh Ride" sung by Pentatonix (which also has the advantage of including the two verses--almost everyone else leaves them out): Video from PTXofficial Leroy Anderson composed "Sleigh Ride" as an orchestral piece first recorded by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops: Video posted by luckysmusic However, when the Boston Pops recording became a hit, Anderson got Mitchell Parish , who had already written lyrics for a number of Anderson's compositions, to fit lyrics to the melody. It's not the easiest thing in the world to fit lyrics to a melody that is already fixed in people's heads. As Leroy ...

Four men on the balcony Overlooking the parking lot Pointing at a figure in the distance Dr. King has just been shot And the sirens long melody Singing Savior Pass Me Not                         -Paul Simon "So Beautiful or So What" by Paul Simon, sung by Paul Simon Video by PaulSimonVEVO Right, so this song is not about Martin Luther King Jr.'s life or his dream, but as Paul Simon told Mojo Magazine, "'So beautiful or so what' is a valid question when you're facing the enormity of the infinite. Or pure Love," which makes it clear where Dr. King's death comes in. *** It's news to precisely no one that Paul Simon is Jewish , with a musical career that began when he started singing with Art Garfunkel when they were both 13. In the six decades (or so) since then, he has picked up 16 Grammys (out of 35 nominations); was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ; landed in the top ten of Rolling Stone's list of 1...

"Baby, It's Cold Outside," by Frank Loesser, as sung by Lady Gaga and Joseph Gordon-Levitt: Video posted by Dragon Blast New York hasn't seen temps above freezing in almost two weeks and at this point it's cold inside, too! Alas, it is no longer possible to play this song without addressing the controversy that has arisen around it over the years because of the "wolf" and "mouse" aspects of the song, especially the "Say, what's in that drink?" lyric. And of course, if you look at the lyrics (or listen to some of the recorded duets), it certainly sounds like a man pressuring a woman to submit to sex. First, that line, which sounds suspiciously like it's referring to a date rape drug. TODAY. The song was written in 1944, before date rape drugs were a thing that people normally thought of, and I've definitely heard that line used (mostly by men) in several movies of that period--a slangy way of saying "I didn...

Me either. "It's Just Another New Year's Eve" by Barry Manilow and Marty Panzer, sung by Barry Manilow: Video posted by BarryManilowOfficial Okay, okay, Murphy Brown joke, whatever. But did you listen to the song? Because it's really good. Try listening to the same song sung by Lea Salonga: Video posted by LeaSalonga--Topic (Provided to YouTube by Sony Music Entertainment) It's really lovely. I've often heard it said that all Manilow's songs sound the same, but my theory is that he sings in a very stylized way and it's a strong enough style that the songs he sings sound more alike than different. Not that he doesn't have a distinctive music writing style--he does--but the songs on his albums that he didn't write sound as much like Barry Manilow as the ones he did. (This one is based on a Bach melody , even.) That's a neat trick. Besides, right about now, I find it really nice to hear someone sing "We've come throu...

Okay, well, me either. (I don't do that, and if I did it would have been done a few month ago.) But apropos of making changes in a new year, here are Ian Axel and Chad King (otherwise known together as A Great Big World) singing their song "This is the New Year" on stage: Video posted by AGreatBigWorldVEVO Or if you prefer, here's the official video, which does not feel very "official" at all: Video posted by AGreatBigWorldVEVO That video is just joyous, isn't it? Apparently that was the point, according to the guys in a Reddit AMA . They were at a friend's holiday party when Lief Parton (another friend) came up with the idea, so they just filmed it there and then, using the partygoers present. In their words, "[W]e just wanted to capture pure, unscripted joy." In a 2014 Huffington Post interview , the two had this to say about the song: In 2008 we went to the most epic New Years party ever in the middle of nowhere, Pennsylvania. ...