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The God Album

by Rory Michelle Sullivan

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Jewel-case CD with lyrics and liner notes booklet - artwork and photography by Laura Togut.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The God Album via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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1.
Tagid li [Tell me] Why are there angels? And what are they singing to me? Praise You. Tifartecha. Hallelujah! Chorus: Praise You. Tifartecha. Hallelujah! Praise You. Tifartecha. Hallelujah! Gali li [Show me] How I can receive them And what they’re singing to me. Praise You. Tifartecha. Hallelujah! Chorus: Praise You. Tifartecha. Hallelujah! Praise You. Tifartecha. Hallelujah! Adonai [Lord/God] Why are there voices If not to sing to You? Praise You. Tifartecha. Hallelujah! Chorus: Praise You. Tifartecha. Hallelujah! Praise You. Tifartecha. Hallelujah! Adonai (Lord/God) You gave us voices. So we will sing to You. Praise You. Tifartecha. Hallelujah! Chorus: Praise You. Tifartecha. Hallelujah! Praise You. Tifartecha. Hallelujah!
2.
Song To You 03:55
Oh, God, I’m tired of this rain Tired of the rain not comin’ Jerusalem sits and waits for You We’re sitting in a winter song And while we’re waiting… We’ll sing a song to You, song to You, song to You, song to You Song to You, song to You, song to You, song to You Let the rain fall down, let the rain fall down Insert Hebrew here Or anytime of year When we don’t have the words to praise you, O Lord Let our actions and our lips, and our songs and our hips as we dance and sway While we are praying, while we are swaying, oh, hear what we’re saying With our song to You, song to You, song to You, song to You Song to You, song to You, song to You, song to You Our lost brothers and our sisters Join us in our dance Oh, our brothers and our sisters We can all take the chance To be caught singing a song together To be caught singing all to You together To be caught singing and praising and loving and laughing Singing a song to You Song to You, song to You, song to You, song to You Song to You, song to You, song to You, song to You Rain or no rain Pain or no pain
3.
Oh, God, I’m crying for You Oh, God, let Yourself be found Oh, God, we’re crying for You Oh, God, let Yourself be found Repeat with: praying, singing, dancing, marching, fighting Oh, My people, I’m fighting for you Yisrael, let yourself be found Oh, My people, I’m fighting for you Oh My holy people, let yourself be found Oh, God, I’m whispering for You Oh, God, let Yourself be found Oh, God, I’m whispering for You Oh, God, let Yourself be found Repeat with: crying Oh, My people, I’m crying for you Yisrael, let yourself be found Oh, My people, I’m crying for you Oh My holy people, let yourself be found
4.
It’s Passover – Pesach! Break out the Passover-only dishes and get your brooms and dust pans ready because it’s – spring cleaning! Unnnhh... Give me a giant, jumbo, huge cyclone To mix up every knife and fork I own So I have to rekasher everything Bsari and halavi, fleischig, milkhic – Pesadich! - I choose thee Over this whole Pesach cleaning thing CHORUS: Spring cleaning, another name for Pesach Spring cleaning is Passover in our dictionary! Spring cleaning, another name for Pesach Spring cleaning – ugh! Is this really necessary? Give me nat bar nat in every pot I won’t moan over a kli rishon I’d rather deal with shishim than have to clean Chametz has such strong ta’am? C’mon! With all this soap, it’s all pagum! When did we become so frum? CHORUS Give me ayno ben yomo -- Ugh! On Pesach, it doesn’t exist, though! There’s no bittl, so I have no reprieve. Comes Pesach – Chametz! Suddenly, the house is all treif! Add in this CLEANING and there is no relief. CHORUS …I wish this spring cleaning for Pesach wasn’t necessary BRIDGE: Wait – you mean we only have to clean the kitchen? Why all this balagan in addition? Bedroom, the bathroom, den – oy vey! Then I’ll save those for another holiday! It’s gonna take me ‘till Shavuot anyway. ‘Cause Pesach cleaning is fictitious We are just so superstitious Where does it say to clean your windows in any source? People, here’s the truth; it may hurt: We’re searching here for bread, not dirt! Though I suppose you could do more, of course! But here is what I want to reinforce – ALT CHORUS: Spring cleaning, is not a name for Pesach Spring cleaning isn’t Passover in our dictionary! Spring cleaning, is not a name for Pesach No spring cleaning for Pesach – it’s revolutionary.
5.
Hazan et haolam kulo You are the One who nurtures In its vast expanse, the whole universe Hazan et haolam kulo Chorus: Hazan et haolam kulo, hazan et haolam kulo Hazan et haolam, hazan et haolam, hazan et haolam kulo Umfarnes lakol, umfarnes lakol You support and maintain Hold the space and sustain Umfarnes lakol Chorus Umaitiv lakol, umaitiv lakol You cause us to grow Become more and more whole Umativiv lakol Chorus Umaikhin mazon, umaikhin mazon You prepare and provide Make real dreams from inside Umaikhin mazon Chorus Hazan et haolam kulo You are the One who nurtures In its vast expanse, the whole universe Hazan et haolam kulo Chorus
6.
God has a plan to bring us together A miracle is something that happens which confirms In the mind of a person or group the existence of God The existence of God God has a plan to pull the idols from the land What do we idolize? To my surprise We’ve got arrogance, hatred, guilt, and dishonesty We’ve got issues and “fix yous” and low self-esteem Chorus: When you stay in the moment you trust that it all will be right When saying these blessings you’re real and not just polite And all will be right. All will be right. God has a plan that we see God’s hand In the acts of creation, moment to moment: Unpredictable, changing uncertainty Continuous constant stability Chorus x2 You’re safe in this moment
7.
CHORUS: Oh Rabban Gamliel, will we survive to tell the tale? Oh, Rabban Gamliel. Rabban Gamliel sits with students standing, Torah study is demanding! Rabban G relays his teachings quietly To the spokesman, word for word, who makes sure all the boys have heard Rabban G is waiting, poised to squash his rivalry. Suddenly, Rabban Gamliel shouts, pointing Rabbi Yehoshua out Asks him, “Did you rule a different way?” Rabbi Yehoshua sighs, “I can’t tell lies, not while a witness is alive – Yeah, I did, just earlier today.” For Rabbi Yehoshua knows that it’s worth the ego blows To acquiesce without animosity For even when Rabban G is wrong, his position must stay strong The point here is not truth, but stability. Rabbi Yehoshua is made to stand (degrading for the right-hand man: It’s student status - public humiliation). Meanwhile the students plot, offended by Rabbi Yehoshua’s lot And plan to depose Rabban Gamliel from his station CHORUS: Oh Rabban Gamliel, will we survive to tell the tale? Oh, Rabban Gamliel. - “Who can really run the school? - “Not Rabbi Yehoshua, he was just overruled.” - “Rabbi Akiva? “ – “Not from a proper family.” - “How ‘bout Elazar ben Azarya?”- “Hey! He could go pretty far, yah! He’s a wealthy scholar with a fitting family tree.” All the students have now voted. Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya is promoted, But not before he checks in with his wife “They’ll just throw you out,” she says to him. But Rabbi Elazar won’t stay grim. “Nu? Glass breaks, but we use it for its life.” “Elazar, you little pisher! Won’t you ever get the picture? You’re just eighteen, how can you be so bold?” But Rabbi Elazar, miraculously, grows 18 rows of white hair immediately, Saying, “I’m like - seventy years old.” Elazar (with the students, being mensches) filled the hall with all new benches Saying, “They’d rather sit. All this standing, let’s renounce ‘er. And what’s with all this exclusivity? Let everyone in, indiscriminately!” So he flung open the doors and kicked out the bouncer. CHORUS: Oh Rabban Gamliel, will we survive to tell the tale? Oh, Rabban Gamliel. Now everyone is learning Torah, people really from all over Rabban Gamliel is nervous about their new ideas ‘Cause new ideas could be polluted, Torah from Mount Sinai is now diluted! This is everything Rabban Gamliel fears So he goes to find dear Yehoshua, who says, “Rabban G, what’s it to ya? Would it kill you to ask me about my life? Until now, after all these years, you’ve had clearly no idea How I made my living. You know nothing about strife.” - “I just said I hadn’t known that you make charcoal from your home.” - “You’re so out of touch. I can’t believe you lead this generation.” - “Sorry,” says Gamliel, “But listen – you know we both have a mission: Save the Torah! Forgive my insensitive communication.” “No? Forgive me for my father’s sake!” And the Rabbis both embraced, United in their mission once again. Returned together to the Yeshiva, laid down the law to Elazar ben Azarya And granted that one week per month, he could remain. CHORUS: Oh Rabban Gamliel, will we survive to tell the tale? Oh, Rabban Gamliel. Yes, three weeks each month Rabban Gamliel would rule and one week per month Elazar ran the school Quite an interesting administration But Rabban G did recognize the values that the students emphasized And so factored them into the equation. And now the Yeshiva’s back to traditions, but not without a few additions: The benches stayed, the bouncer is still gone. For the moral of our humble tale, is: Keep Torah alive, not stale, Find the balance, like the way the school’s now run. Take three parts continuity and one part ingenuity And you will have a Torah that can thrive Yes, three parts of preservation and one big heap of innovation. That’s the way to keep Torah going – and alive. Oh, use three parts continuity and one part ingenuity When passing on your precious testament Yes, three parts of preservation and one big heap of innovation. That’s the way to keep it relevant. CHORUS: Oh Rabban Gamliel, will we survive to tell the tale? Oh, Rabban Gamliel. (2x)
8.
Hinei el yeshuati… ekrah. [Hebrew text from traditional Havdalah prayer.] Chorus: Oh, Goodbye, Shabbat, Goodbye Ya-dai-dai-dai-dai-dai Oh, Goodbye, Shabbat, Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye As we welcome the new week I promise you I’ll seek To bring you into it, so you don’t have to go ‘Cause I’ve been in your warm embrace Had your cheek against my face But you’re leaving me again, I know Chorus At this table where I sit I tell you I commit To have a week in which I’m preparing me for you Oh your majesty and grace Is far from commonplace It so completes me that it’s hard to say adieu Chorus But the spices and the wine Remind me it’s just time Until you come back anyhow Oh, Shabbat, my love, my Queen This extra soul I’ve seen Is leaving me again, I feel it now Instrumental break But, next week you’ll come again Until then I remain Your willing servant, lover, and your friend Yes, this brush of eternity Is once a week for me And once more it’s coming to an end So hello to the new week It’s hard to even speak But we welcome you with this lullaby: Yai-dai-dai dai-dai dai-dai Dai-dai dai-dai dai-dai Yai-dai-dai-dai-dai-dai Yai-dai-dai-dai-dai-i Chorus Tag: Goodbye, Shabbat, Goodbye

about

My favorite movie has long been Yentl. In the film, Barbra Streisand’s character grows up studying sacred texts with her rabbinic scholar father. When he dies, she disguises herself as a boy in order to enter the yeshiva. I did not grow up with an extensive knowledge of either Torah or Talmud, but like Yentl, I have always yearned for an “in” to what I sensed was a source of spiritual growth and wisdom that seemed so close and yet so far.

I wrote these songs while studying Torah and Talmud at Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, Israel. Learning in a co-ed, intellectually open, modern Beit Midrash (house of learning) at Pardes is something I am hugely grateful to have gotten the chance to do. It was truly that “in” to a whole world of richness, cultural heritage, excitement, struggle, and fun for me.

I hope that these songs – inspired, informed, and infused with Jewish text – will serve to help you find your “in”. May we always keep learning, growing, and connecting – and having fun while doing it.

L’shalom,
Rory Michelle

credits

released December 17, 2015

Lyrics and music by Rory Michelle Sullivan (c) 2015 (ASCAP)
Co-produced by Rory Michelle Sullivan, Olivia Brownlee, and Jay Psaros of PB&J records
Recorded, engineered, mixed and mastered at Mojo Studios, Franconia, NH by Anthony Cimino

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Rory Michelle Sullivan Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Rory Michelle Sullivan is a singer-songwriter, composer, musician, and educator whose work explores relating to ourselves, others, and a spiritual Source in healthy, authentic, creative, and constructive ways.

She has recorded and performed her songs internationally, from parlor rooms in Jerusalem to bars in Vienna to Jimmy’s No. 43 in NYC’s East Village.

Her favorite letter is "p."
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