Songs

Captive Brothers

Download 'Captive Brothers' mp3

Here is the latest version of the song, recorded in a professional recording studio, with the generous funding of a Zionist organization here in Johannesburg, South Africa. The song sounds really awesome.

Download Captive Brothers.mp3 (~6 MB)

About 'Captive Brothers'

This is a song that I wrote over a year ago (October 2006), about the 3 most recently captured soldiers of the IDF, the Israeli Defense Forces. Their names are Ehud Goldwasser (אהוד גולדוושר ), Eldad Regev (אלדד רגב) , and Gilad Shalit (גלעד שליט) . These 3 men are still in enemy captivity, and we don't know where they are, or even whether they're alive or not. We can only imagine the conditions in which these soldiers -- if they're even alive -- are being kept by our murderous enemies. We can only imagine the torment and suffering that the family and friends of our soldiers are going through every single day. You know, it's one thing to (G-d forbid) lose a relative or close friend; it's another thing entirely to live for any amount of time in a state of doubt and in the dark of not knowing here or there...

The song is called Captive Brothers, and it's about these 3 captured soldiers. I mention Ehud Goldwasser and Gilad Shalit by name, but the song is about all of our soldiers who are still in enemy captivity. Obviously, my descriptions of the soldiers in captivity and their conditions there are completely based on my imagination: to our sorrow, we don't even know whether they are alive or not.
The Hebrew references in the song come from the prayer 'Acheinu', recited during the week at the time of the public Torah reading. It is a heartfelt prayer to G-d to have mercy on all Jews who are in difficult situations, including captivity.

The song is dedicated to the safe return of all our captive brothers... and to the consolation and relief of their families. May it be very soon.

The song itself is a T'fila, a prayer, that G-d please have mercy on the soldiers, on their families and friends, and on the entire Jewish People, and bring the soldiers back in a state of wholesomeness -- if they are alive, then alive! -- and to bring relief and calm to their families and friends.

News about 'Captive Brothers'

  • I played this song, along with two other unrelated songs, on Thursday 1 March, right after Ta'anit Ester, at a Jewish Battle of the Bands, together with some amazing people, who made up the band with me... Quite exciting... Our band won! It was exhilarating.
  • Thanks to the generosity of the people at the Israel Centre here in Johannesburg, who are funding it, I am now working to professionally record my song in a recording studio. I'm working with a fantastic musician, Ray Perkel, who has graciously volunteered to help us arrange and polish the song for recording. He will also be playing with us for the recording.
  • I played the song at a music evening at the Elphin Lodge Old Aged Home. I accompanied a friend of mine, who sings beautifully, in playing a number of songs for the Jewish people there. And I also played this song for them.
  • I played the song, along with all of the original band members from the Jewish Battle of the Bands, also accompanied by Ray Perkel, at the annual communal ceremony on Yom Hazikaron LeChallelei Tzaha"l, Israel's Remembrance Day for the fallen soldiers... It was a very moving ceremony, and the song really affected people.
  • I played the song with Ray and others at a huge Neshama Jam that we had on Motza'ei Shabbat (Saturday night) of Lag Ba'Omer. I played it on guitar and sang, and Ray played guitar.
  • In latest news, I'm happy to announce that we are moving ahead with arranging the song for recording, which will be followed shortly, Please G-d, by the recording. Watch this space!
  • I'm excited to announce that we spent a day at the recording studio last week, putting down most of the music for the song. I need to spend one more day in the studio, after which the finished, CD-quality song should be available as an mp3. I will update this site when it is ready.
  • Latest news is that we have finally finished a very good recorded version of the song! Please download it and share it with your friends! It sounds awesome. I'm grateful to the following people who contributed to the finished product:
    • Ori Cohen (vocals), Daniel Brooks (guitar), and Oren Chazan (drums) for performing the song alongside me on various occasions, including our successful debut at the Jewish Battle of the Bands! (Go Totally Fry'd!!) Through our many practices, we polished the song in different ways.
    • Ray Perkel, for playing flute in the recording and in some of our performances. Thanks also for your musical sense and knowledge and suggestions, and for writing the beautiful woodwind scores for the song.
    • JP Burke, for playing recorder in the song and in many of our performances, including the Battle of the Bands
    • Velvy Bokov, for singing in our performances and for your vocal harmony in the recording. Thanks for putting us all together for the Battle of the Bands! If not for that, I wouldn't have brought the song so far...
    • Jonny Sklar, for playing guitar in our recording.
    • Neil Kuny, for recording and mixing the song for us, and for playing djembe in the recording.
    • Ariel Isaacson, for some valuable advice.
    • Yair Gordon (me) sang lead vocals, and played keyboard/piano and keyboard/bass in the recording.

Lyrics

Captive Brothers

Lyrics & Music: Yair Gordon
All rights reserved


1.
Ehud sits alone,
In silent solitude
Kidnapped under gunfire,
Just 'cause he's a Jew
Mother lies awake at nights,
Wondering where he is;
Praying to Hashem to bring him home.

2.
Gilad is a captive,
They taunt him ruthlessly;
Lying in the silence,
The boy begins to weep:
G-d, how much longer
Prisoner in the dark?
Please Hashem, won't You bring me home?

CHORUS
Acheinu kol beit yisrael
Hanetunim b'tzara
U'v'shivya...
G-d, please show us mercy,
And bring our soldiers back;
How long must their mothers lie
Crying through the night?

3.
Our enemies have captured
Brothers, sons of ours;
We haven't heard a sound from them,
For countless bitter hours;
There's only One to turn to;
He's with them in their pain,
We ask Him to return them
Mishi'bud lig'ula!

[CHORUS]
~~~

Chords

To view the chords for the song, click here.
Please feel free to copy and distribute them! Please include my name and email address on your copies.

Lonely Prisoner

Download 'Lonely Prisoner' mp3

This is a pretty good recording I've made on my home studio, though it's still a little rough

Download Lonely Prisoner.mp3 (~3.5 MB)

Lyrics

Lonely Prisoner - to Jonathan Pollard

Lyrics & Music: Yair Gordon
All rights reserved
1.
Lonely prisoner,
Sand runs through your fingers, days run through the bars,
And you sit... and you wait.

Lonely prisoner,
Has your hope turned bitter, lost faith in those you saved?
Still, you sit... and you wait.

CHORUS
Uf'duyei Hashem ye'shuvun, u'va'u tziyon be'rinah...
G-d, please bring him home now, it's been so many years...
Uf'duyei Hashem ye'shuvun, u'va'u tziyon be'rinah...
Bring Jonathan home to Israel, mishi'bud li'ge'ulah!

2.
Lonely prisoner,
Silence, bitter grey gloom, fills your tortured headroom,
And you sit... and you wait.

Lonely prisoner,
You turn to G-d, imprisoned; you plead with Him every day,
That you sit... and you wait.

[CHORUS]
NIGUN

3.
Lonely prisoner,
Lies of politicians hurt you more than help you,
And you sit... and you wait.

Lonely prisoner,
G-d will bring you home soon! We ask Him every day
That you sit... and you wait...

[CHORUS]

About 'Lonely Prisoner'

This song describes Jonathan Pollard in prison. (More detailed explanation of the song to come)

News about 'Lonely Prisoner'

19 Feb 2008 Rough recording of 'Lonely Prisoner' is uploaded to this site, available for mp3 download.
3 Apr 2008 Uploaded lyrics to this site. Also uploaded a new version of the song, which I've recorded using Rosegarden and my keyboard. It sounds great!
15 Apr 2008 'Lonely Prisoner' is featured in a Hebrew article on kipa.co.il.

Copying these songs

Please note that these songs are completely original: lyrics and music were composed by me (Yair Gordon). I therefore reserve and hold all copyrights! I'm very happy for anyone to download the songs, to copy them, to share them with friends around the world. In fact, I encourage you to do this! However, please always mention (in writing, if possible) that they were written by me, Yair Gordon (yairgordon@<nospam>gmail.com ) [Just take out the <...>s]

If you play a musical instrument, please play the songs for yourself and those around you! If you want chords, check the chords sections for each song!

About me

Hello! :) My name is Yair Gordon. I'm a Jewish guy living in Johannesburg, South Africa. I'm passionate about Israel, the Jewish People, people in general, music (I play keyboard, piano and guitar), and making an effort to do what I can to enhance and better the world. I am a creative thinker, writer, and songwriter.

Contact me

I'd love to hear any comments, suggestions or questions, about the song or anything, really! :)

Please contact me at yairgordon<nospam>@gmail.com ; just take out the <nospam> part