Israel through the Eyes of Contemporary Singer-Songwriters: Steve Earle and Rosanne Cash

Israel holds a deep place in the Jewish psyche. But few non-Israeli songwriters seem to write about Israel (gospel and spirituals are a different story of course). But here are two profound songs written within the last decade by two of the great American songwriters: Jerusalem by Steve Earle and The Western Wall by Rosanne Cash. Jerusalem takes on the current stalemate in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict (That I believe that one fine day all the children of Abraham/ Will lay down their swords forever in Jerusalem) while Western Wall focuses on the spiritual symbolism of Jerusalem’s Kotel Ha-Maaravi (“western wall”): It’s a crumblin’ pile of broken stones/ It ain’t much but it might be home/ If I ever loved a place at all/ It’s the Western Wall.

Jerusalem (hear it here)
(Steve Earle)

I woke up this mornin’ and none of the news was good
And death machines were rumblin’ ‘cross the ground where Jesus stood
And the man on my TV told me that it had always been that way
And there was nothin’ anyone could do or say

And I almost listened to him
Yeah, I almost lost my mind
Then I regained my senses again
And looked into my heart to find

That I believe that one fine day all the children of Abraham
Will lay down their swords forever in Jerusalem

Well maybe I’m only dreamin’ and maybe I’m just a fool
But I don’t remember learnin’ how to hate in Sunday school
But somewhere along the way I strayed and I never looked back again
But I still find some comfort now and then

Then the storm comes rumblin’ in
And I can’t lay me down
And the drums are drummin’ again
And I can’t stand the sound

But I believe there’ll come a day when the lion and the lamb
Will lie down in peace together in Jerusalem

And there’ll be no barricades then
There’ll be no wire or walls
And we can wash all this blood from our hands
And all this hatred from our souls

And I believe that on that day all the children of Abraham
Will lay down their swords forever in Jerusalem

This song appears on Jerusalem (2002). Lyrics provided by The Original Unofficial Steve Earle Site.

Western Wall (hear it here)
(Rosanne Cash)

I stand here by the Western Wall,
Baby, look at that wall, standin’ silent an’ tall.
An’ I shove my prayers in the cracks.
Got nothin’ to lose, no-one to answer back.
All these years I’ve brought up for review,
Wasn’t taught this but I learned somethin’ new.
Had to answer a distant call,
At the Western Wall.

An’ I’ve got a heart full of fear,
An’ I offer it up on this altar of tears.
Red dust settles deep in my skin.
Don’t know where it starts or where I begin.
It’s a crumblin’ pile of broken stones;
It ain’t much but it might be home.
If I ever loved a place at all,
It’s the Western Wall.

Instrumental break.

I don’t know if God was ever a man,
But if She was, I think I understand.
Why he found a place to break his fall,
Near the Western Wall.

The song appeared on Ten Song Demo (1996). Lyrics provided by Coquet-Shack.

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