bnewman: (guitar)
Ben Newman ([personal profile] bnewman) wrote in [community profile] bn_songbook2020-07-19 01:03 pm

The Real Story of Chanukah

Chanukah is complicated. The real political history behind the holiday is problematic, and the miracle of the oil is a later rabbinic insertion, but in the end, we're still here and we get to eat fried food, so I guess it's all good.

lyrics and music by Benjamin Newman
 
/ C - F C / F - G - / F C G C / /
 
Once upon a time there was a proud and pompous tyrant
Who desired to be worshipped as a god
In a corner of his empire lived our pure and pious people
Who refused to give said tyrant half the semblance of a nod
 
/ F C G C / F - G - / F G C FC / F G C - /
 
Well, except for quite a lot, who were attracted by the good points
Of said empire's trade, philosophy and art
And, since words like "multiculturalism" hadn't been invented yet
Our people was divided in its heart
 
So the people who were pious fought the people who had sided
With the tyrant's empire's culture, and they won
But the tyrant's empire's soldiers had defiled the holy temple
So the pious people saw there was more cleanup to be done
 
But when they had cleansed the temple there was just one jar of oil
Just enough to keep the lamp lit for one day
But the lamp stayed lit for eight days, a miraculous occurrence
Or at least that's what the songs we sing all say
 
But that part about the oil was made up later 'cause our sages
Thought it crass that we should celebrate a war
Especially since the winners turned out later to be nearly
As annoying as the tyrant they'd defeated was before
 
But the story's not about them — it's about G!d's saving power
Which worked through them but was never theirs to wield
So it's G!d Whom we should thank for any miracles in this story
Both the oil and the victory in the field
 
Even though one's just a story, both these miracles have meaning
Which determines why we celebrate, and how
If it weren't for the victory, our people might have perished
And there'd be nobody here to have this conversation now
 
But the oil represents the light that cannot be extinguished
It's the spark of G!d each person has inside
Which is what we're celebrating, and, in memory of the oil
We still celebrate with food that is deep-fried