Nefesh Mountain Bluegrass Band Sings Woody Guthrie's "Happy Joyous Hanukkah"

Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie was an American singer-songwriter and musician whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional, and children's songs, along with ballads and improvised works. His best-known song is This Land Is Your Land.

It's not well known that Woody Guthrie also wrote the lyrics to Chanukah songs. Woody moved to Coney Island in 1942 and spent much of his time learning from and collaborating with his Jewish mother in law and Yiddish poet Aliza Greenblatt. He identified with the stories and hardships of the Jewish people inspiring him to write these unique and powerful poems and songs. Though these works and Jewish writings were little known at the time, their rediscovery by his daughter Nora Guthrie paints a fuller picture of Woody as a writer, social activist, and humanitarian.

Woody Guthrie wrote the lyrics to Happy Joyous Hanukkah and Hanukkah's Flame but never himself actually set these beautiful words to music. Nefesh Mountain, the new bluegrass group founded by husband and wife team Eric Lindberg and Doni Zasloff, arranged the music by Frank London to Woody's inspirational words. 

We posted Nefesh Mountain's rendition of Hanukkah's Flame back in 2016. Last week the band released a new Hanukkah album including that song and another Guthrie song, Happy Joyous Hanukkah.

Here are the band's comments on their interpretation of Guthrie's song:

This is our take on the great Woody Guthrie Holiday classic 'Happy Joyous Hanukkah'. To honor Woody's lyrics and the progression of the candle lighting, we chose to add a few of our favorite fiddles tunes in between verses - bringing our love of traditional bluegrass to the magic of Hanukkah. Hanukkah is such Joyous Holiday for us, and we wanted to share fiddle tunes that shared the same joyful spirit.

The video was recorded and filmed in the Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY. The lyrics are posted below the video.

Enjoy, and Happy Chanukah!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

 

Happy Joyous Hanuka
Words by Woody Guthrie, Music by Lorin Sklamberg (Klezmatics)

How many nights for Hanukah?
Happy joyous Hanukah
Nights and days, days and nights,
Happy joyous Hanukah

Chorus:
Eight are the nights of Hanukah
Happy joyous Hanukah
Eight are the days, and eight are the nights
Happy joyous Hanukah

How many candles do I light?
Happy joyous Hanukah
Eight are the candles you should light
For a Happy joyous Hanukah

CHORUS

One for Moses on the Mount
Happy joyous Hanukah
Two for the mother and father love
Happy Joyous Hanukah

CHORUS

Three for the Books that Ezra taught
Happy joyous Hanukah
Four’s for the Hebrew children
Happy joyous Hanukah

CHORUS

Five for the Brothers Maccabee
Happy joyous Hanukah
Six for the tricks the King did play
Happy Joyous Hanukah

CHORUS

Seven for the sons of Hannah that died
Not so happy Hanukah
Eight for the newbuilt alter place
Happy joyous Hanukah

CHORUS

Nine is the light of God that shines
Happy joyous Hanukah
Around this whole wide world tonight
Happy joyous Hanukah

CHORUS

Nine is for God’s light that shines
Eight for the newbuilt alter place
Seven for the sons of Hannah that died
Six for kings and the tricks they tried
Five for the brothers Maccabee
Four for the Hebrew children
Three for the Books that Ezra taught
Two for the father and mother love
One for Moses on the Mount

Eight are the night of Hanukah
Happy joyous Hanukah
Eight are the days and eight are the nights
Happy Joyous Hanukah

HAPPY JOYOUS HANUKAH!