Shana tova! Tomorrow evening, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year,
starts. In preparation for this time of reflection and renewal, the
Maccabeats, the Jewish a cappella group from Yeshiva University, have
put together a third video. Like their videos for Hanukkah and Purim,
they based it on a popular contemporary song that I’d never heard of
before (though since the release of the Purim song, it seems like I’m
encountering Pink’s Raise Your Glass everywhere).
This time, the source is OneRepublic’s Good Life,
an ode to youthful wanderlust. Once again, the lyricists are Immanuel
Shalev and David Block, and the video director is Uri Westrich, and
further continuity with previous videos is found in little visual nods
such as the appearance of the orange NASA suit in one young man’s closet
and the bumbling confusion of the toga-clad frat boys – the Greek
bullies from the recounting of the tale of the Maccabees in Candlelight
– as they struggle to read Hebrew songbooks. As before, the song by
itself is wonderful, but the video adds another dimension of fun and, at
the same time, reverence.
Released on September 22, Book of Good Life
finds several contemporary young Jews feeling a bit uninspired by the
idea of having to spend several hours in a synagogue. Gradually,
however, their enthusiasm builds as the holiday helps them to do some
real soul searching and look at the world with a fresh perspective.
While this video celebrates a Jewish holiday just as exuberantly as the
previous videos do, there is a fairly significant difference here in
that the first two are fairly insular, while the third focuses largely
on engagement with the world outside the Jewish community.
Although
several scenes take place in shul or a synagogue, several others occur
out on the city streets, where the apathy of the song’s beginning gives
way to the activism of the second half. Hence, despite the presence of
numerous Jewish images and terms such as yarmulkes, the traditional
apples and honey eaten during this time, the “book of life” mentioned in
Psalm 69 and the phrase “Days of Awe,” the song feels more ecumenical.
What’s more, the focus on caring for one’s neighbors and being good
stewards of one’s habitat make it widely applicable. Being less familiar
with Rosh Hashanah than Hanukkah, I missed several specific references
the first time I listened to it, and at first, I wasn’t sure if this was
a holiday video or simply a general call to engagement with society at
large – sort of a Jewish We Are the World. It does have that epic scope.
Another
thing that’s interesting about this is where it stands in relation to
the song that inspired it. With the first two videos, the originals are
pretty much just party songs, and the new videos retain that celebratory
focus but put a sacred spin on it. In this case, however, Book of Good Life feels like a direct counterpoint to Good Life.
Whereas the original song is one of rugged individualism and getting
all the kicks you can while you can, the Maccabeats present a different
model – a life lived in community, where helping others is both a duty
and a joy. The tension reminds me very much of the fundamental debate
driving The Mystery of the Vanishing Victim,
the 33rd book in the Trixie Belden series. Early in that book,
conscientious Brian, my favorite of the Bob-White boys, stalwartly
declares, “We happen to believe that getting involved with other people
is what life is all about.”
Clearly, so do the Maccabeats. The
later portion of the video is filled with short vignettes of the group’s
members acting in ways that benefit others, from giving up a seat on
the subway to another rider and tossing a tip to a street corner
musician to throwing trash in the bin instead of leaving it on the
sidewalk and helping a man carry his daughter’s stroller up a flight of
stairs. It also extends to showing simple respect in ordinary
interactions. One young man takes the time to have a real conversation
with his housemate instead of tuning her out; another, previously
slumped over his desk in shul, offers an enthusiastic answer, or perhaps
a question, to his rabbi.
As with the previous videos, the
biggest lyrical similarities come in on the chorus. Instead of “I say,
oh, got this feeling that you can’t fight, like this city is on fire
tonight. This could really be a good life, a good, good life” we’ve got
“Say oh, we've got feelings that we should fight. Make sure that we're
choosing right. Gotta earn my own place in the book of good life.”
Meanwhile, the contrast is most striking on the bridge. Instead of
repeating the word “hopelessly” and pairing it with rather hedonistic
expressions, the key word here is “hopefully,” and each phrase addresses
a desire to be a more thoughtful, considerate person this year than
last.
Of course, an a cappella group is ideal to express such a
sentiment, since the power of their vocals lies in their ability to
harmonize with each other. The harmonies on the bridge are richest, but I
found myself moved by them throughout the song, particularly at points
in the video when we see them singing as a group in their coordinated
white shirts and black ties. Meanwhile, perhaps the single most striking
image in the video is the one of four Maccabeats, each in very
different garb, converging upon a vibrantly colored sidewalk drawing
reading “Open Your Eyes” – then scattering again as they realize
missteps they made earlier in the day and move to correct them.
That’s
not to say that there’s no room for silliness in the video. One guy –
the same one with the NASA suit – has an autographed Justin Bieber
poster hanging on his wall. Another – who has a Maccabeats poster over
his dresser – wears a bright red Trix t-shirt throughout much of the
video. The lyrics to the original song reference Abbey Road, and in this
video, four of the guys cross the street in imitation of that famous
Beatles album cover. Then, of course, there are the earnest but clumsy
Greeks, who have become increasingly more sympathetic with each video.
Silly or somber, Good Life
is a wonderful celebration of an important Jewish holiday and an
invitation for people from all backgrounds to reflect upon their lives
and how they might have a more positive impact upon the world. At this
point, the song is not for sale, but anyone can download it free of
charge by following the link under the YouTube video. Meanwhile, those
who want to help support future releases from this talented group can do
so through a donation box on that same page. I’ve been a fan of the
Maccabeats since I discovered them last December, and this is my
favorite video yet. I hope that they will celebrate their heritage with
many more videos showcasing their distinctively infectious style.
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