The Chanukah Song
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"The Chanukah Song" is a series of humorous songs written and performed by Adam Sandler. All variations center on the theme of Jewish children feeling alienated during the Christmas season, and Sandler's listing of Jewish celebrities (both real and fictional).
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[edit] Part I (1994)
This version appeared on Sandler's 1996 comedy album What the Hell Happened to Me?.
Persons referenced in "The Chanukah Song":
- David Lee Roth
- James Caan
- Kirk Douglas
- Dinah Shore (replaced in some performances with Pauly Shore)
- The Carnegie Deli (not a person, but a place notable for traditional Jewish fare)
- Bowser (Jon Bauman) from Sha Na Na
- Arthur Fonzarelli (Henry Winkler)
- Paul Newman (half-Jewish)
- Goldie Hawn (half-Jewish)
- Captain Kirk (William Shatner)
- Spock (Leonard Nimoy)
- Howard Schultz, former owner of the Seattle SuperSonics
- O. J. Simpson is explicitly stated as "not a Jew!" to great applause from the audience
- Rod Carew, who is stated to have converted to Judaism
- This is an error. Carew married a Jewish woman and their children were raised as Jews, but he never converted to Judaism.[1]
- Ann Landers
- "Dear Abby" (Pauline Phillips at the time, although her daughter, Jeanne Phillips—who took over the column—is also Jewish)
- Harrison Ford (quarter-Jewish)
- This is an error; Ford's mother is actually fully Jewish.[2]
- Ebenezer Scrooge is explicitly stated as not Jewish
- The Three Stooges
- Tom Cruise's agent (Cruise is not Jewish)
During the final verse, performed originally on Saturday Night Live and on a radio cut, Sandler sings the line "Drink your gin and tonic-ah, but don't smoke marijuan-icah." On the uncut album version, and during various concert appearances, the line was changed to "Drink your gin and tonic-ah, and smoke your marijuan-icah." The uncut version, despite the reference to marijuana, receives most radio airplay today; another radio edit skips completely over the gin and tonic/marijuana line altogether.
[edit] Part II (1999)
The "Chanukah Song, Part II" was recorded live at Brandeis University for Sandler's 1999 album Stan and Judy's Kid.
Persons referenced in "The Chanukah Song, Part II":
- Winona Ryder
- Ralph Lauren
- Calvin Klein
- Louise Post and Nina Gordon of Veruca Salt
- Michael "Mike D" Diamond, Adam "MCA" Yauch, and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz of the Beastie Boys
- Lenny Kravitz (half-Jewish)
- Courtney Love (half-Jewish)
- Harvey Keitel
- Jennifer Beals
- This is an error. Beals says she once wanted to be Jewish, but is not.[3]
- Yasmine Bleeth
- Dustin Hoffman
- O.J. Simpson, who is "still not a Jew"
- Don Messick, voice actor of Scooby Doo
- Bob Dylan
- Robert Levine, husband of Mary Tyler Moore
- Tiger Woods (not Jewish)
- Happy Gilmore, Sandler's title character in the 1996 film
- Bruce Springsteen, who "isn't Jewish," but "[Adam's] mother thinks he is"
[edit] Part III (2002)
Included on the Eight Crazy Nights soundtrack featuring vocals from actor Rob Schneider and the children's choir The Drei-Dels.
Persons referenced in "The Chanukah Song, Part III":
- Ross (David Schwimmer) and Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) from Friends
- David Lander of Laverne & Shirley
- Debra Messing
- Melissa Gilbert
- Michael Landon
- Jerry Lewis
- Ben Stiller
- Jack Black
- Tom Arnold ("converted to Judaism, but you guys can have him back!")
- Deuce Bigalow, Rob Schneider's title character of the 1999 film
- Mickey Raphael ("The guy in Willie Nelson's band who plays harmonica celebrates Hanukkah!")
- Osama bin Laden, who is "not a big fan of the Jews"
- Sarah Hughes (half-Jewish)
- Harry Houdini
- David Blaine
- Sean Penn (half-Jewish)
- Marlon Brando, who is "not a Jew at all, but it looks to [Adam] like he ate one!"
- Perry Farrell
- Beck (1/8-Jewish)
- Gwyneth Paltrow (half-Jewish)
- Jennifer Connelly (half-Jewish)
- Lou Reed
- Paula Abdul
- Joey Ramone
- Natalie Portman
Also, in an unedited version that Sandler sings at some of his comedy shows, he replaces the lyric "As for half-Jewish actors, Sean Penn is quite the great one. And Marlon Brando's not a Jew at all, but it looks to me like he ate one" with "Gwyneth Paltrow's half-Jewish, but a full-time Oscar winner. Jennifer Connelly's half-Jewish, too, and I'd like to put some more in her". This edition is not played on radio versions. However, the music video shows a background screen shows a picture of Sandler licking his lips as the Jennifer Connelly lyric is sung, with shocked laughter coming from the audience. This version is hidden about four minutes after the edited version on the Eight Crazy Nights soundtrack.
[edit] Covers and spoofs
In the season 3 The Office episode "Diwali", Michael Scott (Steve Carell) parodies Sandler by performing "The Diwali Song" during a Hindu Diwali festival.
In 2009, a cover of the song by Neil Diamond was released on A Cherry Cherry Christmas.[4] This version featured several changes in lyrics, including the change from "Tom Cruise isn't but I think his agent is" to "Tom Cruise isn't, but Jesus Christ is".
[edit] Notes
- ^ Charlton, James; Shatzkin, Mike; and Holtje, Stephen. The Ballplayers: Baseball's Ultimate Biographical Reference. (New York: Arbor House/William Morrow, 1990), pp 155-156. ISBN 0-87795-984-6.
- ^ Jenkins, Gary (March 1999). Harrison Ford: Imperfect Hero. Kensington Books, 9–12. ISBN 10080658016X.
- ^ Jennifer Beals Interview - Apr 2004
- ^ http://www.spinner.com/2009/09/29/neil-diamond-covers-adam-sandlers-chanukah-song/
[edit] External links
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