About Me
It all started on a crowded commuter train going from NYC to New Haven, CT.I had spent the day racing around Manhattan only to find that the 6:05 was so packed that I'd probably have to stand for the duration of the trip. Finally a seat appeared and I claimed it as the faceless trench coats continued to fill the car. With a lazy lurch the train pulled out of the station and into the evening rush towards Harlem and Stanford.It was then that I noticed my seatmate wore a dark shirt and white color. I had sat down next to a priest. He must have noticed me checking out his outfit, because he smiled and asked me if I was living a spiritual life. I requested he define his terms and so began a friendly debate that lasted most of the trip. Near its conclusion I revealed my Jewish background and he immediately expressed his disappointment. "Why not reconsider your religious life? Take control, steer the vessel. Your mind is sharp. But right now, Jesus doesn’t love you. You’ve shut him out.†His words were harsh and the awkward silence that followed left me feeling hollow.As the train doors opened at the New Haven station we exchanged polite farewells and went our separate ways. His words continued to churn in my head as I reached my dorm room. “Jesus doesn’t love youI wondered why religion had become a vehicle of exclusion, rather than inclusion. I turned on the TV to clear my head. There, in an international news broadcast, I watched the wars rage in Israel between the Palestinians and Jews. Bombs, sirens, fires, and death. Those people seemed different than me in so many ways. A world away physically and intellectually, yet like the priest, trying to draw lines of exclusion.And in the chaos of that moment, I wrote American Jew, defining for myself where I fit in this turbulent world.LYRICS TO AMERICAN JEW
Israel's dark and cold outside
fire bombing made me wonder where I'd hide
I see what's in your mind
there I go, judging someone blind
her eyes go down,her hand won't shake
never wonders for a moment about her fate
she'll pull the cord...
And Jesus doesn't love me now
but I think about him anyhow
I'm an American Jew
Where will it end?
Another blast in Palestine
suicide, the children were not mine
those mourners burn with rage
with violence, they'll never turn the page
each time it's more...
I guess that I'm OK
life is hard, and they're so far away
but what's it going to take
to let the truth be told?
Tell us your story. What makes you an American Jew? Let us hear about your defining moment. . . . .
Two Louies Review of American Jew
98lb Weakling- "American Jew"
If this song was all about melody, it would write itself permanently into the code of your mind's personal hard drive with its gutsy guitar passages and power pop arrangement. But you could throw out the melody and even the music and still have an ironically timely and introspectively fascinating journey into one man's view of conflict. It's timely with Israel marching into Lebanon yet ironic in its personal nature as seen by a Jew in America not knowing how to feel, just hating the violence and wondering what can be done. Even more ironic, this song was written over a year ago and predates the current headlines. The writer tries to see things from all sides and see the truth from the proper point of view, but real problems defy all the simple answers.98 lb Weakling's "American Jew" with its attention grabbing playing and lyrically potent storyline brings home the meaning of "power pop". -FG
"American Jew" can be found on the latest CD from 98lb Weakling titled, "Icons Are From Yesterday." Order your copy today! Click HERE to buy.
