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Daily Lyric: JERUSALEM BLUES

Well, The Hesh drove his dad’s brand new beamer into town the other night

Took a right on King George, slammed on the brakes, pulled up to the light

Parked the car, went down to Champs to watch the drunken dibs fight

What a sight

Joe and Moe are making hakofos looking for something to do

BT makes his grand appearance in his silver Subaru

Boruch and the G-d Squad are trying to find lost Jews

I think he’s got the blues

JAPs all gathered on Ben Yehuda for the usual weekend bash

Bus drivers race down King George never dreaming of a crash

Soldiers head out to the bars on the weekends and by Saturday night they’re smashed

Nothing too rash

The dark side of the midrechov is lined with hippies and punks

And other assorted lowlives trying to hawk their junk

Some young kid trying to act so cool with his boombox blasting out funk

It’s all bunk

Blues

Got those Jerusalem Blues

Blues

Got those Jerusalem Blues

It’s been a long time since the heyday of JBR and JBB

A dozen other local bands that you’ll probably never see

A music scene that once bloomed waiting for discovery

But now it’s only a memory

Starry eyed would be lovers meet under the Talitha Kumi

Girls from Machon Gold parade their latest wardrobe from Bloomie’s

Trying to look their best as they noodge the soldiers for a goomie

Va va voomie!

Stiff necked clerics and proper laymen with baznatim down their backs

Naïve and curious they stop to hear the wisdom of Meshugena Max

While all the locals who’ve heard it all before can’t control their wisecracks

And give old Max the axe

Blues

Ah got de Jerusalem Blues

Blues

Got dose ol Jerusalem Blues

No one seems to remember the way it used to be

Looks like everybody’s new here but the old chevra and me

We can try to recapture the old glories of 82 and 83

But now it’s only a memory

When the shooting’s over

We’ll still be here

But there’s every reason to live in fear

When the shooting’s over

There’ll be no peace

But the day to day living

Will never cease

Until the music stops

Until the music stops

Until the music stops

Until the music stops

The music won’t stop

The music won’t stop

Sharona waits in front of Atara with no patience—she outgrew it

She wanted The Hesh to call her but he never got down to it

Picks herself up and leaves took her last fuse and blew it

Don’t do it

The dogs of Katamon bark like banshees as they go mad in the heat

And B company doesn’t have to go back to base, they’re stone happy as can be

‘Cause they just found the lieutenant in an overturned jeep

No one weeps

Blues

Got those Jerusalem Blues

Blues

Got those Jerusalem Blues

Blues

Ah got de Jerusalem Blues

Blues

Got dose ol Jerusalem Blues

Got those Jerusalem Blues

Got those Jerusalem Blues

Got those Jerusalem Blues

Got those Jerusalem Blues

Listen to the music you’ll find your reason to be

Listen to the music the beat will set you free

Listen to the music you’ll forget the futility

Of living out your high school memories

Jerusalem blues

Jerusalem blues

Jerusalem blues

Jerusalem blues …

©2023 The Hesh Inc.

New Year's Eve 2012, Ben Yehuda, Jerusalem (original photo by The Hesh Inc.)
All gathered on Ben Yehuda for the usual weekend bash

This song was my snapshot of Jerusalem street/night life as it was, or how I wished it would be, in the mid-1980s, written in a sort of Doors/"LA Woman" style. I was in the army at the time but my off-base social life was centered in the Holy City where, believe it or not, there is much more to do besides Sit And Learn, seek spiritual highs, or get involved in various political activities. Names have not been changed (!) but some scenarios have been embellished. If you were there, you'll recognize a lot of this.

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