RASHI, RAMBAM and RAMALAMADINGDONG
A Quizbook of Jewish Trivia Facts & Fun
A Quizbook of Jewish Trivia Facts & Fun
Don McLean, the singer/songwriter best known for his song American Pie, was scheduled to perform at the National NRA convention last weekend in Houston but he withdrew following the horrific school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. McLean stated that because of that tragedy “it would be disrespectful and hurtful” for him to perform. McLean has a number of Jewish connections in his life, most notably his song Dreidel, with the lyrics “I feel like a spinning top or a dreidel/The spinning don’t stop when you leave the cradle.” What is another Jewish connection in McLean’s life?
Don McLean at Westport 2009 by Alan Howard is licensed under CC BY 2.0
A. In the late 1970’s, McLean was in a long-term relationship with Orly Sarfati, an Israeli army sergeant. Said McLean later, “We had a great time together. I knew her family, and I enjoyed her and the country very much.”
B. At the behest of Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek, McLean appeared in a promotional film about the city for which he wrote a song titled Jerusalem. Among the lyrics are the lines “Jerusalem is old, Jerusalem is new./Jerusalem can hold, Moslem, Christian, Jew.”
C. McLean’s Jewish former wife of 27 years, Patrisha McLean, obtained a restraining order against the singer in 2016 after she accused him of trying to strangle her. She also claimed that he abused her in many other ways, including calling her a “hebe,” a claim which he denied.
D. McLean included the song By the Waters of Babylon (written by Philip Hayes) on his album American Pie, and he regularly performed the song when touring. Among the lyrics are the lines “By the waters, the waters of Babylon/We sat down and wept, and wept for thee, Zion.”
E. Prior to writing the song Dreidel, McLean toyed with other Jewish themes to the same tune. Among the lyrics he wrote but never released were:
I feel like a matzah ball, a kneidel./I'm boiling in the soup, sitting in the ladle.
I feel like a slab of meat, a pastrami./I ate the whole thing, my gut's a tsunami.
I feel like an old grandma, or a bubby./I’m eating lots of kugel, I'm feeling chubby.
I feel like a fried potato, a latke./I need to chill out, gotta get me vodka.
I feel like a duck foie gras, or chopped liver./I’m floating in the sun on the Jordan River.
I feel like a giant meal, or a seder./I’ve eaten all the food in the refrigerator.
I feel like a holy book, or a Torah./Except the chapter on Sodom and Gomorrah.
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