# So ... what the heck is the song "Hava Na Gila"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 19, 2003, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-the-heck-is-the-song-hava-na-gila/219990 "2003-12-19T16:24:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-the-heck-is-the-song-hava-na-gila/219990/21 "2003-12-19T22:59:09Z")
At our wedding this summer, we used a surf rock version of this song done by Dick Dale and the Del-tones as our recessional. It lends itself very well to the Dick Dale style. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-the-heck-is-the-song-hava-na-gila/219990/22 "2003-12-19T23:04:49Z")
According to Mel Brooks’ take on world history, in the _agoras_ of Ancient Rome, it was soft-shuffled by uncircumcised Jewish Ethiopian slaves from 125th Street. 😃 [d&r] ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-the-heck-is-the-song-hava-na-gila/219990/23 "2003-12-20T03:25:35Z")
Well, as “Joe Pesci” said once on SNL, “To all my Hebwew fwends out dere, have a nagila on me!” ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-the-heck-is-the-song-hava-na-gila/219990/24 "2003-12-20T04:30:28Z")
Every entry-level bar-band gigger is required to know this song. I bet even Kurt Kobain knew it. Also required is, _You Picked A Fine Time To Leave Me, Lucille_, and, in case they play a union-hall gig, _Molly Garrity Forever._ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-the-heck-is-the-song-hava-na-gila/219990/25 "2003-12-20T18:10:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Captain Amazing \* > \*\*Uru na achim b’lev shameach, > Uru na achim b’lev shameach, > Uru na achim b’lev shameach! \*\* I always heard these lines as: _Put it aquí, molest the mailman, Put it aquí, molest the mailman, Put it aquí, molest the mailman!_ ---
**Author:** ![Dizzy\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dizzy\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dizzy_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-the-heck-is-the-song-hava-na-gila/219990/26 "2003-12-20T18:53:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeff Olsen \* > \*\*[Here’s one](http://sniff.numachi.com/~rickheit/dtrad/pages/tiHAVANAGI.html) but I can’t vouch for its accuracy. \*\* The literal English translation is more like: Let’s be happy, Let’s be happy, Let’s be happy, And let’s rejoice. Let’s be happy, Let’s be happy, Let’s be happy, And let’s rejoice. Let’s be happy, Let’s be happy, Let’s be happy, And let’s rejoice. Let’s be happy, Let’s be happy, Let’s be happy, And let’s rejoice. Arise, arise, arise arise arise arise, Arise, brothers, with a happy heart, Arise, brothers, with a happy heart, Arise, brothers, with a happy heart, Arise, brothers, with a happy heart, Arise, brothers, arise brothers, with a happy heart! (Irving Berlin it ain’t.) ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-the-heck-is-the-song-hava-na-gila/219990/27 "2003-12-20T20:22:49Z")
I must have had to learn to sing this like ten times in school, primary and high. But nobody ever bothered to translate it. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-the-heck-is-the-song-hava-na-gila/219990/28 "2003-12-20T23:13:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bordelond \* > \*\*It always floors me when I am not acquainted with some ostensibly common facet of pop culture. > > I can’t believe I’ve never heard this song! \*\* Ah, a chance for me to feel smug(ish). Wow - methinks this century is better than the last one! 🙂 What a terrific century this is! For some reason I have known this tune since very young (zero exposure to Judaic culture, though). I_think_ it might have been from those "Sing songs from around the world " type thingies we had in primary shcool, wherein I think they pcked songs pretty much for being well known/lowest common denominator/whatever of their nationality, _e.g_ Russia = full of Volga chaps chucking wives out of boats, _etc_. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-the-heck-is-the-song-hava-na-gila/219990/29 "2003-12-20T23:20:24Z")
Not the song itself being form the silly primary school thing, of course - oops, perhaps they should have taught me to write instead. (Re. wrting, the above mess _very_ nearly referred to women being thrown out of “boas”, rather than boats, which makes for an amusing, less lethal, picture.) ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-the-heck-is-the-song-hava-na-gila/219990/30 "2003-12-23T21:04:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dizzy Fingers \* > \*\*The literal English translation is more like: > > Let’s be happy, > Let’s be happy, > Let’s be happy, > And let’s rejoice. > > […] > > Arise, arise, arise arise arise arise, > Arise, brothers, with a happy heart, > Arise, brothers, with a happy heart, > Arise, brothers, with a happy heart, > Arise, brothers, with a happy heart, > Arise, brothers, arise brothers, with a happy heart!\*\* If the lyrics are supposed to be this uplifting, then _ **why the heck is the song in a minor key?!** _ It’s like the opposite of Steve Martin singing “Oh death, and grief, and sorrow, and murder” on his banjo. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-the-heck-is-the-song-hava-na-gila/219990/31 "2003-12-23T21:16:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SpoilerVirgin \* > \*\*On this week’s episode of “It’s All Relative”, Bobby’s Irish-Catholic sister had set her cellphone to ring with “Hava Nagila” because she was trolling for Jewish guys. Apparently it’s one of the ringtones available from Nokia. > \*\* I’m not Jewish, but “Hava Nagila” is my ringtone. (I have Motorola, by the way, not Nokia.) It’s convenient because I’ve never heard another person’s phone ring that way, so I always know it’s mine. ---
**Author:** ![curwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-the-heck-is-the-song-hava-na-gila/219990/32 "2003-12-25T13:09:05Z")
Here are a couple of links describing the background of the song: [http://www.geocities.com/josephnow3/hava/1.htm](http://www.geocities.com/josephnow3/hava/1.htm) [http://www.radiohazak.com/Havahist.html](http://www.radiohazak.com/Havahist.html) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-the-heck-is-the-song-hava-na-gila/219990/33 "2003-12-25T17:02:28Z")
The song is usually accompanied by a circle dance called a _hora_, which is quite lively. ---
**Author:** ![Dizzy\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dizzy\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dizzy_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-the-heck-is-the-song-hava-na-gila/219990/34 "2003-12-25T17:12:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tracer \* > \*\*If the lyrics are supposed to be this uplifting, then _ **why the heck is the song in a minor key?!** _. \*\* I heard about an ethnomusicologist who conducted a study among Israeli children. . . he played them several pieces of music, some in major keys and some in minor. When asked, they all replied that the minor keys “sounded happier.” ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-the-heck-is-the-song-hava-na-gila/219990/35 "2003-12-25T17:29:05Z")
And it should be noted that “brothers” in the translation is also used as the word to mean “sisters and brothers.” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Babbington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mr.Babbington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Babbington)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-the-heck-is-the-song-hava-na-gila/219990/36 "2003-12-25T22:38:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dizzy Fingers \* > \*\*I heard about an ethnomusicologist who conducted a study among Israeli children. . . he played them several pieces of music, some in major keys and some in minor. When asked, they all replied that the minor keys “sounded happier.” \*\* Ah, the wonders of collective psychology. ;j [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-the-heck-is-the-song-hava-na-gila/219990.md?page=1)