The Last 5 Years Question
#1The Last 5 Years Question
Posted: 4/17/08 at 9:30pmI know this may be a stupid question, but why in the song Shiksa Goddess, does Jamie say that that you could do be anyone as long as you didn't go to Hebrew school, when Jamie is Jewish? Now, am I just hearing the lyrics wrong, or is their a plot point that I missed?
#2re: The Last 5 Years Question
Posted: 4/17/08 at 9:31pmI haven't seen the show so I can't say for sure but I think that's just a bit of rebellion on Jamie's part as he was expected to date and eventually marry the "nice Jewish girl".
The choice may have been mistaken, The choosing was not... "Every day has the potential to be the greatest day of your life." - Lin-Manuel Miranda
#2re: The Last 5 Years Question
Posted: 4/17/08 at 9:33pm
I know a lot of nice Jewish boys who would rather date Shiksas that nice Jewish girls... its a rebellion thing. Plus,what boy wants to marry a JAP?
ETA: if its any consolation, I'm totally in love with a Shaygets right now...
SporkGoddess
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
#3re: The Last 5 Years Question
Posted: 4/17/08 at 9:36pmHe's tried dating all of the Jewish girls he knows and hasn't been impressed, which is why he lists off all of those names.
#5re: The Last 5 Years Question
Posted: 4/17/08 at 10:18pm
Interesting, I always thought of it differently. The lyric, for the record is:
"If you had a tattoo, that wouldn't matter
If you had a shaved head, that would be cool
If you came from Spain or Japan
Or the back of a van
Just as long as you're not from Hebrew school"
My take was always that it wouldn't matter to his mother or grandfather if he dated the tattooed girl or the shaved head girl -- but if they're not from Hebrew School, then there'd be a problem. It's kind of twisted wording, almost like a Yiddish dialect, but that's how I always understood that lyric.
ashley0139
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/3/05
#6re: The Last 5 Years Question
Posted: 4/17/08 at 10:24pm
Jamie is willing to date anyone - someone who drinks blood, someone's whose mother and brother had relations with each other, etc. - as long as they did NOT go to Hebrew school.
Basically, he wants anyone who is not Jewish.
#7re: The Last 5 Years Question
Posted: 4/17/08 at 10:34pmYeah... I always took it that the whole point of the shaved head, tatoo, etc stuff was that he didn't care what his family thought and wanted to go against their opinion that he marry a Jewish girl.
#8re: The Last 5 Years Question
Posted: 4/17/08 at 10:39pmi never realized this song was so confusing.
#9re: The Last 5 Years Question
Posted: 4/17/08 at 10:42pm
I think jasonf is absolutely correct.
As long as she's NOT from Hebrew School,
His mother won't like her.
SporkGoddess
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
#10re: The Last 5 Years Question
Posted: 4/17/08 at 10:44pm
Where's Jason Robert Brown on this board when you need him?
Actually, I think someone asked him that on his website once...
#11re: The Last 5 Years Question
Posted: 4/17/08 at 10:49pm
I have to disagree with CurtainPullDowner and jasonf.
Although I never really thought twice about these lyrics, I think that it's Jamie saying that HE doesn't care if she has a shaved head or once was a man.
Later in the song he sings,
"If your mother and your brother had relations with eachother
and your father was connected to the Gotti clan,
I'd say, 'Well, you know, nobody's perfect"
It's tragic but it's true.
I'd say, "Hey, hey, hey, hey, I've been waiting for someone like you."
He isn't talking about how his mother would react. Like most of the people who replied, I think he's saying that you can be ANYTHING but Jewish, and you're good.
#12re: The Last 5 Years Question
Posted: 4/17/08 at 10:53pmWell, I think it's semantics, and not anti-semantics, but we are actually agreeing.
#13re: The Last 5 Years Question
Posted: 4/17/08 at 10:55pm
Yeah, this is a pretty straight-forward lyric.
This is his "I Want" song in the musical- and the "I Want" statement is "I want to meet a girl who isn't Jewish."
So what he's trying to say is that he could meet the ugliest, most repugnant girl on the street and would fall in love with her, as long as she wasn't Jewish. He wouldn't care if she had a shaved head, as long as she was a Shiksa.
I also never realized this lyric could be so confusing...
#14re: The Last 5 Years Question
Posted: 4/17/08 at 11:06pm
Well put, but being a rebellion, pissing off his Mother is a part of his "I want", and part of his wanting a shiska in the first place.
Oye.
LittlexFallxOfxRain
Featured Actor Joined: 2/25/08
#15re: The Last 5 Years Question
Posted: 4/18/08 at 10:35pm
I just assumed it was rebellion and him not being satisfied with the Jewish girls.
Beautiful show by the way.
Unknown User
Joined: 12/31/69
#16re: The Last 5 Years Question
Posted: 4/18/08 at 10:40pmBut how did a Jewish guy get named "Jamie"?
#17re: The Last 5 Years Question
Posted: 4/18/08 at 10:49pm
Let's explore that.
He probably changed it for good copy.
But he didn't change his last name?
#18re: The Last 5 Years Question
Posted: 4/18/08 at 11:55pmWell they mounted it here ib Denver and I plan to see it.
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