I spent the academic year of 1986-87 in Israel, participating in a program from which two of my fellow bloggers are also past participants (and one of whom is even a current staff member). It was an exciting, unforgettable year, which began with me unceremoniously breaking my leg and requiring surgery (enabling me to learn all sorts of words that they didn’t teach us in Hebrew class), leaving me in a cast for ten weeks and laying the groundwork for future dealings with the Israeli medical system (of which, unbeknownst to me at the time, there would be many), teaching me how to argue and get what I want as a patient (which was not as common as you might think back in those days – I made an enemy of one doctor who was insulted that I demanded a second opinion. Fortunately, the second doctor had the hots for my friend, and I was able to use it to my advantage…).
The year continued with my friends and me becoming involved with a charming group of young Armenian men living in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City in Jerusalem, providing us with a window into a culture of which we knew very little. To this day, I have a soft spot for all things Armenian, and hanging in our hallway is a small piece of artwork created by Jerusalem-based ceramics artist Vic Lepejian, whose work I have admired since I first entered his shop (Vic’s Armenian Art Studio, located just inside the Jaffa Gate on Armenian Patriarchate Road) back in 1986.
There are, of course, certain songs that I will always associate with that year, songs that will conjure up memories of different events, whether it be me on my first Armenian date (we went to see Top Gun at the long gone Edison Theater, with me in a full leg cast, and to this day, “Take My Breath Away” takes me back to that evening), the song “We’re In the Army Now“, by Status Quo, which, to me, symbolizes the Israeli experience, given that the Israelis who were my age during that year were all doing their compulsory military service, and the remake of the song “Lean on Me” by Club Nouveau, which I can remember listening to endlessly while working in the apple packing house of a certain northern kibbutz.
One of my favorite songs to come out that year was a rap song, a parody of a song made popular by Madonna. The artists were the Dutch duo MC Miker G & DJ Sven, and the song is “Holiday Rap”. As I recall, the song was a huge hit in Israel, and I remember being incredibly frustrated when I couldn’t find it anywhere once I returned to the US.
Holiday Rap
MC Miker G & DJ Sven
We celebrate seven weeks Miker “G” and Sven
We took a holiday with all our friends
It was a time to relax and let your worries behind
Exactly seven weeks or something crossed my mind
It was the shine of the time we never forget
One morning our parents kicked us out of our beds
We told them it was stupid, don’t play the fool
But the answer was short: you gotta go to school!
“G”‘s running up and down and everybody know
Rappin’, rockin’, poppin’ in the street-kid-show
Miker “G” rocks the house and you know what I’m saying
Now when he’s on the mike there is no delaying
So you better run to see him in your neighbourhood
He’s rappin’, rockin’ all the way to Hollywood
He, check it out, these are the words we say
You scream with us: we need a holiday!
We gonna ring-reng-a-dong for a holiday
Put your arms in the air and let me hear you say
We gonna ring-reng-a-dong for a holiday
Put your arms in the air and let me hear you say
We gonna ring-reng-a-dong for a holiday
Miker “G” and Sven were here to stay
We gonna ring-reng-a-dong for a holiday
He, check out the new style we just play
We are going on a summer holiday, if you want to go, yoh Sven
We’re going to London and New York City
And we take a little piece of Amsterdam
We are going on a summer holiday, if you want to go, yoh Sven
We’re going to London and New York City
And we take a little piece of Amsterdam
I wanna holiday, I scream a lot, school is the only thing we got
Sven’s parents told me I better go
‘Cause Sven’s hangin’ on the street in the street-kid show
In the bar “Rox” what happened to you?
I told him it’s my life and I know what I’m doin’
I saw the school I thought I’ll never stay
Give me seven weeks again, I need my holiday!
Well, this is my partner with the number one jam
Famous in the boogie-box in Amsterdam
He’s the fastest rapper and his name is Miker “G”
His rap is stronger than the sucker M. C.’s
Well, let me show you what my man can do
Rappin’, rockin’, poppin’ and the boogaloo, too
But anyway, no more delay, just listen to the beat-box he will play
My name is M. C. Sven, I’m also deejay
I didn’t like the schools, I took another way
Yoh like the Miker “G” so I used my voice
And soon I bought a big Rolls Royce
That’s right, my name is Miker “G”, I use the holiday with the M. I. C
On the street was a party bigger than Hollywood
I grew up in this neighbourhood
We gonna ring-reng-a-dong for a holiday
Put your arms in the air and let me hear you say
We gonna ring-reng-a-dong for a holiday
Put your arms in the air and let me hear you say
We gonna ring-reng-a-dong for a holiday
Miker “G” and Sven were here to stay
We gonna ring-reng-a-dong for a holiday
He, check out the new style we just play
We are going on a summer holiday, if you want to go, yoh Sven
We’re going to London and New York City
And we take a little piece of Amsterdam
We are going on a summer holiday, if you want to go, yoh Sven
We’re going to London and New York City
And we take a little piece of Amsterdam
Bite is the thing most rappers do, but I can write my own thing, too
I can understand things most rappers say
‘Cause rappin’ is my thing and I do it every day
I’m the number one rapper, yoh, my name is Sven
I can rap more raps than a superman can
So I’m the guy on your radio, also rockin’ to the rhythm in stereo
And you don’t stop that bodyrock, and you won’t stop that bodyrock
You spell my name right, I’m Miker “G”, M-I-K-E-R and “G” you see
Well, “M” is for microphone and “G” is genius
Miker “G” in the house that’s serious
And you know that and you show that, it’s time Sven, so let’s go bad
We are going on a summer holiday
We’re going to London and New York City
We are going on a summer holiday
We’re going to London and New York City!
Lovely…
Thanks for reminding us that rap can be understood even when done by dutch. Lately I am afraid that I cannot follow what today’s rap singers are saying.
A small correction, it is “You are in the army now” and if I am already mentioning this then “…Uncle Sam does the best he can..” is quite a strong line when thinking of it.
Hmmm… You pushed me to recheck, and it turns out we’re both wrong. It’s actually just “In the Army Now”. Thanks for the push!
this song scares me… mostly because I hadn’t heard it before and I thought I was the queen of 80’s music!!!
Does anyone remember the first rap I ever experienced? The Sugarhill Gang? Excellent rollerskating tune from back around 1980-81…
“…hotel, motel, Holiday Inn….” I recall great pride at learning all the words.
Swedish rap is actually pretty good, Rami, do you concur?? 🙂
Goodness, you did it again and took me right back to one of the best years of my life.
I thought “In the Army Now” was U2!! I had no idea it was Status Quo. That one song I had forgotton to ask you about, my kibbutz was full of Garin and that song was huge just before they went for basic training so it has always resonated.
Good times.
Just listened to Status Quo. Why on earth did I have that song filed in my head under U2? Probably just because they were so popular back then.
I’d forgotten this completely. Terrible but it’s quite catchy. Had no idea they were Dutch. Dig that eighties cardi! Wow, I’m sure I must have wanted one of those back then.
I have a little fond spot for Armenia too:-)
I swear to G-d, when I sent you the list of song ideas yesterday, I almost included the Top Gun song before deciding it was too girly. Classic movie.
So, Benji. Just so I understand. The Top Gun song is too girly, but repeated requests for Wham is manly? 😛
I still want to hear Oh L’Amour!!
wake me up before you go – go is my all time FAVORITE song.
i did put up my list, but not surprisingly, it went way over the “five” things limit. whoops 🙂
Wham isn’t girly, dammit! It’s British! (Ok, maybe it’s a little girly.)