Here Come the Chanukah Videos: The Maccabeats Turn a Wicked Song Into a Tribute to Jewish Survival

With so many Jewish singing groups coming up with Chanukah parodies and new lyrics for songs from the hit movie Wicked, we expected one from the Maccabeats and here it is.

In 2010 The Maccabeats, an a cappella group from Yeshiva University, released their first Hanukkah music video, Candlelight, and every Hanukkah (and other holidays) since then we've seen many more videos by them and lots of other groups.

Originally formed in 2007 as Yeshiva University’s student vocal group, the Maccabeats have recently emerged as both Jewish music and a cappella phenomena,  with a large fan base, more than 20 million views on YouTube, numerous TV appearances, and proven success with three albums, 2010′s Voices From The Heights, 2012′s Out Of The Box and 2014′s One Day More.

Many of their songs are parodies of pop hits, and this Chanukah they're continuing the tradition with new lyrics for the movie's signature song Defying Gravity that celebrates  the spirit of the Jewish people. The lyrics appear below.

Enjoy!

 

 

Lyrics 

 

Some things have changed around us 

Some things have stayed the same 

Through every change we’ve weathered 

Our spirit always burns the same. 

 

When shadows rise to meet us 

Our flame will burn through the night 

An ancient spark ignites 

And fills the void with light. 

 

We’ll rise above, defying gravity 

Through every trial defying gravity 

And they won’t bring us down. 

 

Our light will continue to shine 

this flame is no trick or delusion 

Never accepted limits, 

Cause someone says they're so

 

Thousands of years so far 

But we’ve still got a ways to go. 

No time to be afraid of 

Those who’d try to see us gone 

They didn’t know the strength that we’ve had all along. 

 

We’ll rise above, defying gravity 

Through every trial defying gravity 

And they won’t bring us down. 

So if your faith is shaken 

Pray to the Eastern sky 

As someone told me lately 

Od Avinu, Am Yisrael Chai 

 

We’re never flying solo 

We’re never left alone 

To those who’d ground us 

Here’s a message of our own 

 

We'll rise above, defying gravity 

We’ll shine our light, defying gravity 

And we will make our presence known. 

In every land that we call home 

We’ll say it loud and make it known, 

You’re never gonna bring us down.