The Maccabeats Call For Introspection and Outward Action in Book of Good Life

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.