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.
September Song
Esther Ofarim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the days grow short when you reach September
When the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame
One hasn't got time for the waiting game
Oh, the days dwindle down to a precious few
September, November
And these few precious days I'll spend with you
The lyrics of Esther Ofarim's September Song depict the vivid images and feelings of the autumn and the beauty of the season while also symbolizing the fleeting nature of life. The opening lines "Oh, it's a long, long while from May to December, but the days grow short when you reach September" seem to urge the listener to realize the passing of time and how it affects us emotionally. The mention of autumn weather turning leaves to flames creates a stunning picture of the beauty of this natural phenomenon. However, it also symbolizes the fact that everything comes to an end, and we have to make the most of every moment in life instead of just waiting for things to happen. The lines "One hasn't got time for the waiting game" encourage us to appreciate and be present in every moment, just like the fleeting beauty of autumn.
As the song progresses, the feeling of urgency and the realization of the shortness of life becomes more apparent in the lines, "Oh, the days dwindle down to a precious few, September, November." These lines effectively convey the message that life is brief, and we must cherish it while we can. The song concludes on a hopeful and optimistic note, with the lines "And these few precious days I’ll spend with you. These precious days, I’ll spend with you." These lines provide hope that even though life is fleeting, we can still appreciate the beauty of life in each moment, especially when we spend it with people who matter to us.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, it's a long, long while from May to December
Time passes slowly from the start of summer to the end of winter
But the days grow short when you reach September
When the month of September arrives, the days seem to get shorter
When the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame
During the fall season, the weather causes the leaves to change color and fall off the trees
One hasn't got time for the waiting game
There's not enough time to waste on waiting for things to happen
Oh, the days dwindle down to a precious few
The days start to come to an end and there are only a few left
September, November
The months of September and November, which are typically associated with the autumn season
And these few precious days I'll spend with you
I will spend these last few days with you because they are very important and valuable
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Volker Dielmann
Esther, meine Knochen sind zwar nicht mehr so gelenkig wie vor 45 Jahren, doch immer noch knie ich vor Ihnen und Ihrer göttlichen Stimme nieder.nieder
Andrew Reinert
The juxtaposition of the video – all curtain calls and farewells – and the audio – this lovely song – makes this all the more poignant. Beautiful work.
מנחם חפץ
זמרת הכי טובה בעולם קול פעמונים
Валерий Романов
Уважаемая Эстер Офарим! Считаю: Ваше лучшее, классическое исполнение прекрасной еврейской колыбельной песни,,Laila, Laila,,!!! Мне довелось посмотреть наYT два варианта исполнения- на мой профессиональный музыкальный слух лучший из них тот где Вы поете на берегу моря, в белом платье, ожерелье белого цвета, серьги(или) клипсы?! белого цвета. Примерно три недели тому назад впервые, случайно, увидел и услышал Ваше пение и благодарю либо ЕГО ВЕЛИЧЕСТВО-СЛУЧАЙ! либо-ПРОВИДЕНИЕ!!! Так или иначе спасибо Вам за то, что Вы есть-прекрасная еврейская женщина ЭСТЕР ОФАРИМ!!! Берегите эту запись! С уважением, Валерий Романов. Оперный певец.
Olaf Grauer
Zum Niederknien zauberhaft.
Klaus Frey
...ohne Worte... Esther... I love you......
שלוה בלבד
רוצה להאזין לך עוד ועוד. נהדרת.
Nigel. Brown.
quite simply she cannot sing now
Stefanie Antunes
Is she Christian?
Toby R
@Ingeborg Helmer hahaha