"The Chanukah Song" -- An Appreciation

Chanukah is here.

Actually, wait, tonight's the last night.

Which means I'm almost out of time to go deep on one of the seminal songs of our generation.

I am, of course, talking about Adam Sandler, who, in 1994, on Saturday Night Live, debuted his iconic "The Chanukah Song", which he later would update three times.

Many people remember where they were when The Beatles debuted on the Ed Sullivan Show. Others may vividly recall the moment they first heard their favorite musician perform live.

As for me, I sadly - and to my everlasting shame - can’t pinpoint the first time I heard "The Chanukah Song." However, I do remember the first time I was on YouTube and realized there were now three versions.

Three versions! Talk about your rabbit hole! Did I sleep that night? Did I sleep that week? What would be the over-under on amount of times I listened to parody perfection? Would Vegas even want to set a line? Really, the whole thing is a blur.

Then, in 2015, he UPDATED the song - again. With some of the funniest lyrics yet.

So, on the final day of Chanukah, let me provide a historic Public Service Announcement (PSA) by sharing all four links (in one place!) - along with three of my favorite, family-blog appropriate lines from each version.

What is appropriate for a family blog you ask? I guess you follow blog precedent and just go by the old you know it when you hear it. So that is why Lenny Kravitz, Courtney Love, Yasmine Bleeth and Mary Tyler Moore were not included. I did make an exception for a link to my bonus Larry David lyric (some salty Susie language).

With that preface, time is wasting. Step away from your menorah, and listen to each link. Stop your dreidel game and laugh, sing along, appreciate. Put those latkes down and think. Really think. Ponder if you want.

Decide what your favorite lines are. After listening, go about your day, if you can.

 Link to Part 1 -3 best family blog appropriate lines

      Paul Newman is half Jewish, Goldie Hawn’s half too.

      Put them together, what a fine ‘lookin Jew.’

      We got Ann Landers and her sister Dear Abby. 

      Harrison Ford’s a quarter Jewish – not too shabby.

         You don’t need “Deck The Halls” or “Jingle Bell Rock”, 

      Cause you can spin a dreidel with Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock – both Jewish.

Link to Part 2

             Winona Ryder drinks Manischewitz wine, 

       then spins a dreidel with Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein.

       So many Jews are in the show biz, 

       Bruce Springsteen isn’t Jewish but my mother thinks he is.

           Put on your yarmulke, it’s time for Hanukkah, 

       two-time Oscar winner Dustin Hoffmanaka celebrates Chanukah.

Link to Part 3 

              Melissa Gilbert and Michael London never mix meat with dairy, 

       maybe they shoulda called that show Little Kosher House on the Prairie? 

       Houdini and David Blaine escape strait jackets with such precision, 

       but the one thing they could not get out of was their painful circumcision

       There's Lou Reed, Perry Farrel, Beck and Paula Abdul, 

       Joey Ramone invented punk rock music, but first came Hebrew school.

Link to Part 4

      We may not have a cartoon with a reindeer that can talk, 

      but we also don’t have polio thanks to Dr. Jonas Salk (smart Jew!)

      We got Scarlett Johansson, talk about a Kosher crush, 

      and if you need a higher voice to turn you on, how about Geddy Lee from Rush?

      It’s cool that Santa Claus makes Christmas so merry, 

      but we get two jolly fat guys: ice cream’s Ben & Jerry (both Jewish!)

Some Final Chanukah Song Thoughts

How is it possible that the first four versions do not include the co-creators of Seinfeld?

Does that mean a fifth version may be in the works? Doesn't it half to?

To give Adam some creative inspiration, here are two select lyrics for his consideration.
            Larry David, has a healthy respect for wood,                                                                                     And when it comes to Jewish humor, he’s pretty, prettttty, prettttty, pretttttty good.

            Paul on the Wonder Years, was a Jewish best friend who sometimes answered to Fife                  Josh Saviano is such a good actor that he’s not dorky at all, actually handsome in real life.

So, did I only provide two lyrics because that is the extent of my song-writing ability? Or do I have more lyrics at the ready and just don't want to give away the store here for free?

It's a provocative question, one for Mr. Sandler to consider.

Adam, no need to be a stranger.