Jewish tunes similar to non-Jewish ones

Question

What are some examples of a traditional Jewish song that bears a strong similarity to a non-Jewish melody?

(I am wording this question carefully to exclude recent Jewish take-offs of secular music; and to avoid unproductive discussion about which version came first.)

Does singing dror Yikra to the tune of the beach boys count as "recent Jewish take-offs" or "traditional Jewish song"? — avi, Jul 09 '11 at 20:43
@avi - "recent Jewish take-offs" for sure. I haven't heard that one, so it can't be too traditional. :) — Dave, Jul 10 '11 at 02:32
I'm sure you have heard it. Listen to the song Sloop John b. It's normally sung as Seudat Shlishit. http://www.zemirotdatabase.org/view_song.php?id=53#rec — avi, Jul 11 '11 at 06:17
@avi - Nope, never heard Dror Yikra sung to that tune. I guess we live in different parts of town... :) — Dave, Jul 11 '11 at 17:52
A rabbi of mine told me the following in the name of Rabbi Nachman from Breslov: Only on shabbat do gentile melodies become holy. Mah she'ein ken regarding Jewish songs that are holy the entire week all seven days including shabbat. — Adam Mosheh, Apr 17 '12 at 18:54
How about Yehuda!'s Umacha and Blind Melon's No Rain? — Baal Shemot Tovot, Apr 17 '12 at 23:36
Should we close as too broad and opinion-based? Who knows how many answers there are, and it's really up to the listener to decide if they're similar enough to count. — DonielF, Aug 10 '16 at 03:45
How would anyone know, if you're not allowed to listen to music? — DonielF, Jun 28 '17 at 00:09

score 8 · Answer 1 · edited Jul 11 '11 at 17:48

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Two popular Chabad Chassidic niggunim were both adapted from French songs:

"Napoleon's March," taken from the marching tune used by the French army during their invasion of Russia in 1812. (R' Shneur Zalman is said to have heard the tune and said that it represents the ultimate victory of "our" - the Russian - side, as indeed occurred.)
"Ha'aderes Veha'emunah," set in 1973 by some French chassidim to the tune of La Marseillaise. (Interestingly, a few months later the French government formally altered the tune - their national anthem - somewhat. In a talk of his in 1991, the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt"l observed that evidently, on a spiritual level, they realized that the original tune no longer "belonged" to them.)

edited Jul 11 '11 at 17:48

Dave

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answered Aug 04 '10 at 07:38

Alex

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Any links to these? – Dave Aug 04 '10 at 13:30
http://chabad.info/php/audio.php?action=playsong&id=211 and http://www.chabad.info/php/audio.php?action=playsong&id=683, respectively. – Alex Aug 10 '10 at 07:54

score 5 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 04 '10 at 04:05

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A few examples that come to mind are:

1) Maoz Tzur, which is said to be an adaptation from an old German folk-song

2) The Kaliver niggun Sol A Kokosh Mar, which was taken from a shepherd's song

3) The Purim song "Mishenichnas Adar," taken from "Pick a Bale of Cotton."

answered Aug 04 '10 at 04:05

Dave

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It seems that this tune of Mishenichnas Adar was actually taken from an Irish folk song (which is where Pick a Bale of Cotton probably orginiates), since British Jews were singing this tune long before they would have heard Pick a Bale of Cotton. – Joshua Pearl Aug 15 '23 at 10:47

Yahu · Answer 3 · 2010-08-04T04:20:22.627

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Well, the traditional Ashkenazic "Maoz Tzur" would be a great candidate since it is in perfect cadence and key with "Deck the Halls". The problem is that Maoz Tzur (the Ashkenazic tune) is actually a knock-off of a German folk tune! See here and here. As per the wiki article it actually was chosen by Luther sr"y for one of his hymns. What is still amazing is the similarity between Maoz Tzur, being of German origin and Deck the Halls, being of Welsh origin.

edited Aug 04 '10 at 04:20

answered Aug 04 '10 at 04:12

Yahu

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Man, Dave you jumped me while I was working on the source links! – Yahu Aug 04 '10 at 04:13
Well, I did have a bit of a head start :) – Dave Aug 04 '10 at 04:25

Jeremy · Answer 4 · 2010-08-04T17:39:33.120

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Hatikva is based on an old Italian folk tune "La Mantovana"

And of course the wedding favorites of "Asher bara sasson v'simcha":"I come from a land down under" and "yiddin": "Ghengis Khan"

edited Aug 04 '10 at 17:39

answered Aug 04 '10 at 15:54

Jeremy

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score 4 · Answer 5 · answered Jul 11 '11 at 17:56

The Syrian and Jerusalem sephardic traditions for chazzanut are based heavily on arab songs. One can look in many Sephardic song books and see the name of the arabic song that the melody comes from.

R' Ovadia Yosef defends this practice in a teshuva in Yechave Da'at vol 2 #5, and says "על ערבים בתוכה תלינו כנרותינו" -- on the Arabs within it, we hung our lyres (i.e. our musical tradition).

Hacham Gabriel · Answer 6 · 2012-04-17T23:03:26.163

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El Galil is really Ya Galmil from Farid Al Atrash.

edited Apr 17 '12 at 23:03

answered Apr 17 '12 at 22:24

Hacham Gabriel

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Can you link to the Arab version? (Youtube, perhaps.) – Baal Shemot Tovot Apr 17 '12 at 22:59
done...........15 character rule – Hacham Gabriel Apr 17 '12 at 23:03
thanks! I'll listen to it as soon as I can. My friends and I always argue about how a certain part is sung (בזכותו עמד עולם...) cant wait to hear how he does it. – Baal Shemot Tovot Apr 17 '12 at 23:05
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sure it is! And I was right!! This is so awesome thank you so so much! – Baal Shemot Tovot Apr 18 '12 at 02:08
@vram no prob. My bad, it is in there. I just haven't heard the song in a while. – Hacham Gabriel Apr 18 '12 at 02:20

score 2 · Answer 7 · edited Aug 10 '16 at 03:16

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A great resource for traditional Jewish music (with lots of information on history, influences): Jewish Music Research Centre

edited Aug 10 '16 at 03:16

Ken Graham

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answered Aug 04 '10 at 12:01

chaimkut

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I can't access that link – follick Dec 30 '11 at 02:37
@follick: Fixed. – Chanoch Apr 17 '12 at 23:05

score 2 · Answer 8 · answered Nov 09 '10 at 22:48

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One tune of Psalm 150 is based on Allahu by Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn

answered Nov 09 '10 at 22:48

Matthew Miller

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score 2 · Answer 9 · answered Jul 09 '11 at 18:34

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1) See here, where apparently Kah Ribon is meant to be sung to the tune of some Arab Melody entitled "Ya Rabi Shalim Sha'ilmi.

answered Jul 09 '11 at 18:34

Zvi

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score 1 · Answer 10 · edited Jul 11 '11 at 17:46

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Mi Armiya Admora - A communist march adapted by R' Ben Tzion Shemtov

Lyuba Brtsi Lyuba - a Cossack song sung by the mashpia R' Mendel Futerfas.

edited Jul 11 '11 at 17:46

Dave

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answered Jul 08 '11 at 23:48

ertert3terte

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Any links to these? – Dave Jul 10 '11 at 02:34

Jewish tunes similar to non-Jewish ones

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