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.
You Know Who I Am
Esther Ofarim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You cannot follow me.
I'm the distance you put between
All of the moments that we will be.
You know who I am,
You've stared at the sun,
Well I am the one who loves
Sometimes you need me naked,
Sometimes you need me wild,
You need me to carry our children in
And you need me to kill a child.
You know who I am...
If I should ever track you down
You will surrender there
And you'll leave with me one broken man
Whom you will teach me to repair.
You know who I am...
I cannot follow you, my love,
You cannot follow me.
I'm the distance you put between
All of the moments that we will be.
You know who I am...
In Esther Ofarim's song "You Know Who I Am," the lyrics depict a complex and tumultuous relationship between two individuals. The first stanza suggests that there is a sense of distance and disconnect between the two partners, as they cannot seem to fully understand or follow each other. However, the chorus implies a deeper knowledge and understanding between them. The repetition of the line "You know who I am" suggests that despite the challenges they face, the two individuals share a deep connection that goes beyond words.
The second stanza delves further into the complexity of the relationship, describing the different roles each partner plays in the dynamic. The singer acknowledges that at times their partner needs them in vulnerable and intimate ways, while at other times there is a need for brutality and violence. Yet, despite the extreme nature of these needs, the chorus again reiterates the sense of understanding and knowledge between them.
The final stanza offers a glimmer of hope for reconciliation and repair, as the singer suggests that if they were to eventually reunite, they would leave as "one broken man" who they would work together to fix. Through its complex and evocative lyrics, "You Know Who I Am" portrays a relationship that is both challenging and deeply meaningful.
Line by Line Meaning
I cannot follow you, my love,
I can't always follow your lead in life, my love,
You cannot follow me.
You can't always follow my lead in life either.
I'm the distance you put between
I represent the physical and emotional distance you create between us,
All of the moments that we will be.
I represent everything that we could have been, all the experiences we could have shared.
You know who I am,
You already know who I am,
You've stared at the sun,
You've faced the truth about me,
Well I am the one who loves
I am the one who loves you,
Changing from nothing to one.
I am someone who can become anything, who can be everything to you.
Sometimes you need me naked,
Sometimes you need me vulnerable and exposed,
Sometimes you need me wild,
Sometimes you need me untamed, unrestricted.
You need me to carry our children in
You need me to bear and nurture our offspring,
And you need me to kill a child.
You need me to take on the darkest, most painful of tasks for us both.
If I should ever track you down
If I ever find you again,
You will surrender there
You will let me bring you back to me,
And you'll leave with me one broken man
And you'll be a changed, damaged man in my arms,
Whom you will teach me to repair.
But I will be there to heal and mend you, to make us whole again.
You know who I am...
You already know me... and you always will.
Contributed by Brooklyn V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jim Douglas
It really doesn’t get better than this. thank you Esther XXX
Tony Skoyled
Timeless Esther so thanku
Wonderful … solitary… moving … beautiful voice
X
Jim Douglas
Perfection in this world is rare I am now listening to it. Xxx
04opocin
Nothing less than brilliant.
Klaas Hovenkamp
Fantastic Song, beautiful voice
Peter Ambler
a great cover version leonard cohen would be proud to listen to both great artists
Lenah J
Good version of an old favourite song!
Klaas Hovenkamp
On the same album is "Bird on a Wire" , also a briljant Cohen cover
Christian Bio12Code Appelt
perfection
Lenah J
@Soundcarver: I've always loved this song!