The Ultimate Song Session Setlist
March 24, 2011 by Herzl Camp Admin, under Top 10 Lists.
By: Aiden Pink
One of my most cherished memories in my years at Herzl Camp was getting to play piano and sing “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” during Song Session on my last Ozo Shabbat. This is dear to my heart not only because I’m a total ham who loves performing in front of people, but also because Song Session is by far the best part about Herzl, no matter what the Herzl Magic Bracket might say. It has everything that makes Herzl great – continuity with the past, deft mixing of Jewish and secular content, incredibly gifted campers and staff, and little campers sitting a bit too close to fire.
I’ve been lucky enough to have been at Machaneh Herzl through the tenure of six immensely talented Roshei Shira – Flip Frisch, Bryan Grone, Noah Sugarman, Dan “Gordo” Goldschmidt, Jonah Chilton, and Bobby Lewis. Each of them has introduced amazing songs – and in a few cases, wrote new Shironim. So I attempted to the ultimate setlist for Friday Night Song Session, one that would mix Hebrew and English, and older classics with contemporary hits. Bear in mind that my first year of camp was 2001, so I’m not aware of some songs people might have sang back in the day. Also, I’m pretty sure my list would make the lengthiest Song Session ever, but I had an incredibly difficult time cutting it down. I really have a new appreciation for the work that goes into essentially creating a concert every week. Anyway, without further ado, here are my choices.
- “Mitachat Lashamayim” by David Broza. A good, solid pick to start the Song Session, with an added bonus of being easily mashup-able. By the way, look up the English translation to the lyrics; you’ll be surprised to find out that all this time you’ve essentially been singing the Hebrew version of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On.”
- “Fire and Rain” by James Taylor. One of my favorites, for no other reason than substituting “Moses” for “Jesus” in the third verse.
- “Waste” by Phish. This one’s not in the book, although for the life of me I can’t understand why. Great guitar solo.
- “Sabbath Prayer” from Fiddler on the Roof. A great duet, and those minor chords are very poignant. This is the second-best song from the best musical ever (the best is “If I Were a Rich Man,” obviously, but that wouldn’t really work on Friday night).
- “Simple Twist of Fate” by Bob Dylan. Yes, I know there are more popular songs by Bobby Z in the canon, but I’m picking this precisely because it’s one of his lesser-known songs. I remember seeing it in the old blue Shironim, but I can’t remember anyone ever playing it. Help me out, alums. I’m really curious: Was it ever sung? Did it sound OK? Any effort to expose campers to obscure Dylan tracks is fine by me.
- “Al Kol Eileh” by Naomi Shemer. Does anyone know why people go “Pshhhhhh” during the chorus? For those who don’t know, the Official Herzl Version™ of this song now has people clapping their hands in air and making a noise like a waterfall. I’ve always wondered who the first guy to do that was. Did everyone at his table give him dirty looks, or think he was crazy? I guess it’s one of those Herzl shticky things.
- “Falling Slowly” by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. To the best of my knowledge, this has never actually been sung on Friday night. I think that’s a shame. If there’s one Oscar-winning Irish duet about boats that needs to be sung in the Chadar, it’s this one.
- “Ani V’Ata” by Arik Einstein. By the way, it’s about at this point that the Tasters are asleep.
- “Gravity” by John Mayer. This was probably the coolest single song I’ve ever heard at Song Session, sung by Bobby Lewis and Jonathan Alter with dueling guitars on the first Shabbat of 2010. People were snapping so loud at the end of the song, I thought the roof was leaking.
- “In My Life” by the Beatles. This beautiful song about appreciating friends and memories is incredibly meaningful when being sung to campers and staff who don’t see many of their friends 10 months out of the year. I know it gets me every time.
- “The Circle Game” by Joni Mitchell. This narrowly beats out “Cat’s in the Cradle” to win the “song about growing up way to fast” slot, only because the last verse of “Cat’s in the Cradle” is incredibly depressing, and “The Circle Game” ends on a much more hopeful note. Seriously, I don’t want to leave the Chadar ruminating on parental failure – it’s a total downer.
- “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by John Denver. Yes, I’m assuming that this is the last Shabbat of the summer. Make sure you have a box of Kleenex handy.
- “Tfilat HaDerech” by Debbie Friedman. Really, is there any other choice?
Kadimah, stick around for Israeli dancing. Everyone else, back to your tzrifim. What songs would you put on your ultimate Shabbat setlist?
Shabbat Shalom!