The Latke Song cover

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Written by Debbie Friedman

Lyrics and explanations below:

I am so mixed up that I cannot tell you,
I’m sitting in this blender turning brown.
I’ve made friends with the onions and the flour,
And the cook is scouting oil in the town.

I sit here wondering what will come of me,
I can’t be eaten looking as I do.
I need someone to take me out and cook me,
Or I’ll really end up in a royal stew.

CHORUS: I am a latke, I am a latke.
And I am waiting for Hanukkah to come.
I am a latke, I am latke.
And I am waiting for Hanukkah to come.

Every holiday has foods so special,
I’d like to have that same attention too,
I do not want to spend life in this blender,
Wondering what I’m supposed to do.

Matzah And choroset are for Pesach,
Chopped liver and challah for Shabbat
Blintzes on Shavuot are delicious,
And gefilte fish no holiday’s without.

CHORUS

It’s important that I have an understanding,
Of what it is that I’m supposed to do.
You see, there are many who are homeless,
With no jobs, no clothes and very little food.
It’s so important that we all remember,
That while we have most of the things we need.
We must remember those who have so little,
We must help them, we must be the ones to feed.

CHORUS x2

Oy Vey!

*For those who are unfamiliar, here's some explanations of some of the lyrics:*

"Matzo" is the thin, crisp, unleavened bread traditionally eaten during Passover
"Charoset" is a dish traditionally made from chopped nuts, grated apples, cinnamon, and sweet red wine and is eaten during the Passover Seder. It represents the mortar and brick used by the Hebrew slaves to build the storehouses or pyramids of Egypt.
"Pesach" is Passover which celebrates the exodus of the Jews from Egypt
"Chopped Liver" is very popular is Jewish cuisine and is eaten all year round
"Challah" is a special bread in the Jewish culture, usually braided and typically eaten on ceremonial occasions such as Shabbat and major Jewish holidays. "Shabbat" is our Sabbath which is observed weekly for 24 hours starting on Friday nights just before sundown
"Blintzes" are a popular traditional Jewish cigar-shaped filled pancake of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, similar to a crepe. Blintzes are commonly filled with farmer's cheese or fruit. They are traditionally served for Shavuot and, less commonly, for Chanukah and other Jewish holidays.
"Shavuot" is for Sukkot which is a celebration of the wheat harvest in the land of Israel (Exodus 34:22) but now also commemorates the giving of the Torah by god to the Children of Israel on Mount Sinai
"Gefilte Fish" is a dish made from a poached mixture of ground deboned fish, such as carp, whitefish, or pike. It is traditionally served as an appetizer by Ashkenazi Jewish households.
(Side note: "Ashkenazi Jew" is a Jewish person of central or eastern European descent. More than 80 percent of Jewish people today are Ashkenazim)