She met Abi Ofarim, a guitarist and dancer, in 1959 and subsequently married him. With her husband and without him she began to sing Hebrew and international folk songs.
In 1960 Esther got a small role in the film Exodus. In 1961 Esther won the Song Festival in Tel Aviv, where she sang "Saeni imcha bemachol" and "Neama". Two years later, Esther made the 2nd place at the Eurovision Song Contest with "T'en vas pas", representing Switzerland.
From then on, her duo with her then husband Abi Ofarim began take off. In 1966 they had their first hit in Germany with "Noch einen Tanz". Their greatest success in Germany was "Morning of my Life" in 1967, which was written by the Bee Gees. In 1968 the Ofarims had their international breakthrough with "Cinderella Rockefella", which hit the top of the charts in a number of countries including the UK. They played many live concerts in New York and London, and in 1969 they toured around the world.
As result of problems in both business, and personal relations, they divorced in 1970 [1] (in German).
Esther started her solo career with several albums and concerts. In 1984 she played in Joshua Sobol's piece "Ghetto", produced by Peter Zadek in Berlin (Germany). There she sang some songs, including "Frühling" and "Unter deinen weissen Sternen". The play was extremely successful, which was attributed in part to Esther's strong presence.
Since 1998, Esther Ofarim has been performing several concerts each year, especially in Israel and Germany. This includes annual concerts in the Hamburger Kammerspiele.
Ofarim's songs were prominently featured in the 2004 Israeli film, Walk on Water.
Old Devil Moon
Esther Ofarim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something in your eyes I see,
Soon begins bewitching me.
It's that old devil moon,
That you stole from the skies.
It's that old devil moon in your eyes.
You and your glance,
Too hot to handle.
Stars in the night,
Blazing their light,
Can't hold a candle,
To your razzle-dazzle.
You've got me flyin' high and wide,
On a magic carpet ride,
Full of butterflies inside.
Wanna cry, wanna croon,
Wanna laugh like a loon.
It's that old devil moon in your eyes.
Just when I think, I'm,
Free as a dove.
Old devil moon,
Deep in your eyes,
Blinds me with love.
Old devil moon,
Old devil moon.
The lyrics to Esther Ofarim's song Old Devil Moon are about the intense pull of love and attraction. The singer is looking at their lover and becomes bewitched by the feeling that their presence brings. The "old devil moon" that is referenced in the song is the powerful and all-consuming force of love that has enchanted people for centuries. The singer can feel this force in their lover's eyes, which is why they are so captivated.
The lyrics go on to describe how the singer's lover makes their romance too hot to handle. Even stars in the night sky cannot compete with the razzle-dazzle that their lover brings. They are flying high and wide, feeling as if they are on a magic carpet ride, and experiencing butterflies fluttering inside them. The singer wants to cry, croon, and laugh like a loon because they are so overwhelmed by their feelings. However, just when they think they are free, the old devil moon in their lover's eyes blinds them with love once again.
Overall, the lyrics to Old Devil Moon capture the emotional intensity of falling in love with someone. The old devil moon represents the all-encompassing attraction and desire that can consume people when they are in love. The singer is helplessly drawn to their lover and cannot resist the power of their eyes and the love that they represent.
Line by Line Meaning
I look at you and suddenly,
As soon as I lay my eyes on you,
Something in your eyes I see,
I observe a spark of attraction in your eyes,
Soon begins bewitching me.
It immediately works its magic on me.
It's that old devil moon,
The feeling is caused by the captivating influence of the moon,
That you stole from the skies.
As if you somehow possessed it,
It's that old devil moon in your eyes.
That makes you so bewitching to me.
You and your glance,
Together, your overall presence and your expression,
Make this romance,
Bring forth the love affair,
Too hot to handle.
To the point where it becomes unmanageable.
Stars in the night,
The brilliance of the stars up in the sky,
Blazing their light,
Cannot come even close,
Can't hold a candle,
To compare with your extraordinary style and allure,
To your razzle-dazzle.
The way you captivate everyone around you.
You've got me flyin' high and wide,
You make me feel elated and exhilarated,
On a magic carpet ride,
As if I am traveling on a flying carpet,
Full of butterflies inside.
With butterflies in my stomach,
Wanna cry, wanna croon,
I want to sing in a sentimental and longing manner,
Wanna laugh like a loon.
I want to laugh in an uncontrollable manner,
It's that old devil moon in your eyes.
Which leads me to experience these overwhelming emotions due to your presence.
Just when I think, I'm,
Even though I convince myself,
Free as a dove.
That I am liberated like a bird,
Old devil moon,
The seduction and temptation that is derived from the moon,
Deep in your eyes,
Are so deeply ingrained in your gaze,
Blinds me with love.
That it makes me lose sight and not see anything outside of my love for you.
Old devil moon,
The tempting effect that the moon has on us,
Old devil moon.
The eternal power of the seductive influence of the moon.
Writer(s): E.Y. HARBURG, BURTON LANE
Contributed by Julian L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.