S/O Jewish Music: Which songs are from non-Jewish sources?

amother

OP ↓

Thu, Nov 03 2022, 1:34 am

I choose not to listen to non-Jewish music (other thread for debating that!), but apparently I'm listening unknowingly to non-Jewish music, which I am unhappy about.

Which songs from frum singers are non-Jewish in origin, for those who wish to avoid listening to them?

Thanks!

LovesHashem ↓

Thu, Nov 03 2022, 2:42 am

Too many.

Many many songs aren't nonJewish songs but the introduction is. There was an entire wedding CD that came out a few years ago and I remember every single song was a nonJewish introduction.

There's also some music that isn't directly taken from nonJewish music but definitely sounds like it was inspired by style wise.

Just stick to MBC

shabbatiscoming ↓

Thu, Nov 03 2022, 4:10 am

amother OP wrote:

Way too many to fill this thread. So many songs are tunes from non jewish songs. If you dont want to hear any such songs, you will have to stop listening to almost any jewish music at all.

DrMom ↓

Thu, Nov 03 2022, 4:40 am

If you want songs composed by Jews, you can listen to:

"White x-mas" by Irving Berlin
Bob Dylan tunes (birthname = Robert Allen Zimmerman)
Maroon 5 songs (their lead singer Adam Levine also wrote some of their stuff)
Paul Simon/Simon & Garfunkel
Neil Diamond
Carole King
Billy Joel
Lou Reed
George Gershwin
Gustav Mahler

Israeli music

zebra111

Thu, Nov 03 2022, 4:50 am

There was an editors letter in family first recently where Bassi Gruen talked about her daughters wedding and that the only thing the chatan insisted on was a particular band who played only jewish music, ie nothing with non jewish tunes etc. She didnt name who they were but maybe reach out to them and see?

imasinger ↓

Thu, Nov 03 2022, 5:53 am

About half of all Uncle Moishy songs are from non Jewish source tunes.

Chabad sings part of bentching to France's national anthem.

The best known tune for Maoz Tzur has been attributed by a Jewish musicology expert as coming from a German folk tune, and that melody is also used in Xian churches. German Jews have been singing those words to that tune since the 1400s.

amother

Crystal ↓

Thu, Nov 03 2022, 6:01 am

I think there are a few Jewish singers who don't use non-Jewish music or compose their own music. If anyone know who they are please list them. To my knowledge Abie Rottenberg and Baruch Levine are two of them.

amother

↑ Crystal ↓

Thu, Nov 03 2022, 6:11 am

imasinger wrote:

There's a huge difference between Uncle Moishe and Yanky Strudel songs (Mary had a little lamb, london bridge songs) and some of the other songs I.e. lambada (Yidden?) and some other songs which are trashy and vulgar and then our children are walking down the aisle and dancing to them on a day that should be full of Kedusha. I truly believe that after 120 these singers will have to give a Din v'Cheshbon and I don't envy them.

↑ shabbatiscoming ↓

Thu, Nov 03 2022, 6:30 am

amother Crystal wrote:

This is the original for the yidden tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeXG9-wyzw0

But I do agree with you about the vulgar english songs being used by frum singers. I listen to secular music, but when I heard those jewish remakes, I actually change the channel or turn it off.

GrowingUp ↓

Thu, Nov 03 2022, 10:09 am

amother Crystal wrote:

I actually just listened to an interview with Abie Rottenberg (I’ll link it below) and he discussed this.

All music is influenced by your surroundings. Even the rebbes’ niggunim in the “alter heim” sounded like the songs that were popular in their country at the time.

Abie himself said he was inspired by many Jewish and non Jewish artists alike.

Hr also addressed the idea of Jewish singers singing non Jewish songs.

Everything can be used for good and bad. What is wrong with taking a song and elevating it to a new level where it can enhance our connection to hashem and yiddishkeit?

(I don’t believe that “A Milliom Dreams” accomplishes that. There are many other songs that do.)

Link to interview:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8jwQgmKKbV0

amother

Strawberry ↓

Thu, Nov 03 2022, 10:40 am

GrowingUp wrote:

Some things are just bad.
Listen to the clip essie helpfully posted for us of Fifth Harmony singing "Give it to me I'm worth it".
Then come back and tell me if you want that playing at your child's wedding.
Think of yourself standing in shul at the end of the fast Yom Kippur saying "Hashem melech..." and explain to me why someone thought it was normal to teach my kids to sing those words to Marc Anthony's music.
This is enhancing our connection? Or destroying any hope of spiritual connection?