Whether you’re Jewish or not: This Adam Sandler song is a great way to celebrate the end of Chanukah
This year, the annual, eight-day festival comes to an end on Monday. Sandler first performed the song on SNL 30 years ago.
Chanukah is at an end for another year, the Festival of Lights concludes this Monday December 22.
The celebration lasts eight days as it refers to the famous “miracle of light”, which is when the Jews, after recovering the Second Temple in Jerusalem, managed to light a candelabra (menorah) for the Hebrew God with a vial of oil, which is enough to keep the flame lost for a single day. However, the fire prevailed for eight days, which was the period in which the Jews managed to produce more oil to keep the candlestick lit.
And in recent years, another new tradition has become part of Chanukah, a song composed and sung live on television by Brooklyn-born actor-comedian Adam Sandler.
The Chanukah Song is born
Sandler was part of the Saturday Night Live team during the early 90s and first aired his new festive composition, acoustic guitar in hand on the show’s Weekend Update segment on December 3, 1994.
The song is an ode to all of those who “feel a little left out at this time of year” as well as “the only kid in town without a Christmas Tree” and namechecks several high-profile Jewish celebrities from the world of showbiz such as James Caan, David Lee Roth and Goldie Hawn. There is a mistake in the original lyric: “Harrison Ford’s a quarter Jewish…” which Sandler explained, “I remember when I met Harrison Ford, he goes: ‘Half!’ ”
Such was the success of 'The Chanukah Song’, Sandler continued performing it as part of his stand-up routine, after being released by SNL in 1995. It was also included in Sandler’s 1996 album What the Hell Happened to Me? released by Warner Bros.
Sandler has updated the song several times, but here’s the original:
Put on your yarmulke
Here comes Chanukah
So much fun-ukah
To celebrate Chanukah
Chanukah is the festival of lights
Instead of one day of presents, we have eight crazy nights
When you feel like the only kid in town without a Christmas tree
Here's a list of people who are Jewish just like you and me
David Lee Roth lights the menorah
So do James Caan, Kirk Douglas, and the late Dinah Shore-ah
Guess who eats together at the Carnegie Deli
Bowzer from Sha Na Na and Arthur Fonzarelli
Paul Newman's half Jewish, Goldie Hawn's half too
Put them together, what a fine lookin' Jew
You don't need "Deck The Halls" or "Jingle Bell Rock"
'Cause you can spin a dreidel with Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock, both Jewish
Put on your yarmulke
It's time for Chanukah
The owner of the Seattle Supersonic-ahs
Celebrates Chanukah
O.J. Simpson, not a Jew
But guess who is? Hall of Famer Rod Carew, he converted
We got Ann Landers and her sister Dear Abby
Harrison Ford's a quarter Jewish, not too shabby
Some people think that Ebenezer Scrooge is
Well he's not, but guess who is, all Three Stooges
So many Jews are in showbiz
Tom Cruise isn't, but I heard his agent is
Tell your friend Veronica
It's time to celebrate Chanukah
I hope I get a harmonica
On this lovely, lovely Chanukah
So drink your gin and tonic-ah
And smoke your marijuana-kah
If you really, really wanna-kah
Have a happy, happy, happy, happy Chanukah
Happy Chanukah
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