Songs for the Soul
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Music has the power to calm, help heal, and give voice to emotions that can be difficult to express.
Explore this selection of songs, old and new, curated for the uniquely challenging days since October 7.
Special thanks to Jake Gillis of “Sababoosh” for partnering on this playlist. For a daily dose of Israeli music and slang, join the “Sababoosh” WhatsApp group here.
You can find additional iCenter-curated playlists here.
Ana, Ana, Ana (אנא, אנא, אנא) | Please, Please, Please
A translation of Leonard Cohen’s “Lover, Lover, Lover,” “Ana, Ana, Ana” is a prayer, a plea for the return of one’s lover, as repeated by the first line in the chorus—“Ana, ana, ana, ahuvah na chizri elai”—“Please, please, please, return to me, my love.”
Kol Hazman Hazeh (כל הזמן הזה) | All This Time
While this song speaks of a relationship gone and of the loneliness that is left behind, the main line of the chorus receives new meaning in this new context: “Vekol Hazman Hazeh, Hayiti Levad”—“And all this time, I was alone, all this time.”
Hakol Koreh Leyadi (הכל קורה לידי) | Everything Happens Next to Me
Hakol Koreh Leyadi tells the story of a man observing his life as it passes him by. He seems to be in a state of suspension, disconnected from his own life, leading some to associate the song with the plight of those Israelis and other nationalities held hostage.
Yamim Shel Sheket (ימים של שקט) | Days of Quiet
Written in 2000 by a band member grieving her father’s death, Yamim Shel Sheket became an anthem of the difficult days of the Second Intifada. The song calls and prays for better times with the line “Hineh Hem Ba’im, Yamim Shel Sheket”—“Here they come, quiet days,” days we all hope for in this terrible time.
Eizeh Yom (איזה יום) | What a Day
Eizeh Yom is a moving song of desperation, of exhaustion. Its lyrics convey a feeling of hopelessness that many are feeling at this time:
“Eizeh yom avar alai, ze ktzat yoter mi’dai… ein pitaron kan… ein pitaron kal”
“Oh what a day it has been, it is a bit too much to handle… there’s no solution here… no easy solution.”
Lashuv Habaitah (לשוב הביתה) | To Return Home
Written as a song about returning to one’s origins, Ishay Ribo’s spiritual lyrics strike an especially powerful chord today:
“K’she haben koreh hatzilu, aba shebashamaim megia afilu”
“When the son calls for help, even Father in heaven comes to aid.”
