not quite nostalgia
November 6th, 2006Have you ever missed something that may never have existed? I sometimes feel like I’m living in the wrong place, maybe the wrong time. I feel like things were better once, but I can’t remember when that was.
A recently e-mailed me a music video by Arik Einstein, a noted Israeli musician whose music was popular in the sixties and seventies. He continues to make music today, and this video spans his career in a way. In it, you can see modern Tel Aviv contrasted with its black and white images from the days when Arik was a young musician. His younger, cartoon self wanders around the city, which morphs from old to new in his wake. Einstein sings about life as it was back then, but insists that he’s isn’t quite nostalgic, just enjoying his memories. In the end, he meets his younger self, an ephemeral cartoon image, monochromatic and stuck in the past along with yesterday’s Tel Aviv.
Here’s the video, along with my rough translation of the lyrics.
“Eden” Cinema, Eddie Cantor,
Something funny with Roman soldiers.
Menahem Mendel, Aleppo Pistachio [film character],
Skies strewn with a million stars.
The cabin of “the Tent,” the scent of the sea,
A lone sail blanches on the horizon.
Amiram field, the sand is so hot,
“The deer,” Emil, Eyal, and Ofer.
It isn’t quite nostalgia,
It’s just kinda nice to reminisce.
I’d rather not analyze the reasons,
It comes and goes fleetingly.
Shimshon’s club [a local football league], David Ben-Gurion,
Sprinting on Kakal Boulevard.
Shmulik solves a riddle on the radio,
And the crimson thread is always LaSalle street.
It isn’t quite nostalgia,
It’s just kinda nice to reminisce.
I’d rather not analyze the reasons,
It comes and goes fleetingly.
Marlene Dietrich, Lily, legs,
Frank Sinatra now and forever.
Marcello Mastroianni, Edison Jerusalem [old movie theater],
Burt Lancaster, everyone’s hero.
It isn’t quite nostalgia,
It’s just kinda nice to reminisce.
I’d rather not analyze the reasons,
It comes and goes fleetingly.
November 8th, 2006 at 8:40 am
Nostalgia or not nostalgia..
I love your post, I feel like you , sometimes in the wrong place or time.. !
I love the hebrew song and the video + the English version too !;)
Thank you :-)
November 9th, 2006 at 12:12 pm
Chanit,
I so enjoyed the Arik Einstein vedio…My family moved to the US when I was eight years old. My first trip back to Israel was in the early 70′s, my cousin “introduced” me to Arik Einstein and his music. I just fell in “love” with him and left back to the US with his album and have since aquired a collection of his music given to me by this cousin. I also got a chance to actually see him in concert in trips I’ve made back to Israel, though disappointed at his performance, I’ve always remained a big fan of his songs/singing/music. This was truly a piece of nostalgia for me….hard to see him getting old…the reality.
Thank you!!!!
November 9th, 2006 at 2:38 pm
Yes , we have to thank shelly for sharing with us this post, the song and the video lot of beauty !
November 9th, 2006 at 2:52 pm
Chanith,
Thanks for looking over the translation :). It’s hard to translate the feel of a song. I hope some of it managed to come through.
Isn’t the video lovely? Like trying to combine two different worlds. Really nice editing, too.
Thanks for visiting :).
shelly
November 9th, 2006 at 2:56 pm
Pesia,
Glad you enjoyed the video! It *is* weird to see Arik Einstein looking like such an older fella. He represents Israeli pop music for a lot of people. And there he goes, growing older :). Still makes good music though.
Thanks for stopping by!
shelly
November 10th, 2006 at 7:04 am
shelly
I love this video , I watch it again and again !
Arik Einstein was handsome when he was young… many years ago..