Greenbaum was born in Malden, Massachusetts. He was raised in an Orthodox Jewish household and attended Hebrew school at Congregation Beth Israel. His initial interest in music was sparked by southern blues music and the folk music that was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He performed with various bands in high school and studied music at Boston University for two years. In college he performed at local coffeehouses but eventually dropped out and moved to Los Angeles in 1965.
Greenbaum is best known for his song "Spirit in the Sky". The song, with its combination of 'heavy' guitar, hand-clapping, and spiritual lyrics, was released by Reprise Records in 1969. It sold two million copies in 1969 and 1970, and received a gold disc from the R.I.A.A. It has subsequently been used in many films, advertisements, and television shows.
Although "Spirit in the Sky" has a clear Christian theme, Greenbaum was and remains an observant Jew. Greenbaum says he was inspired to write the song after watching country singers singing a song on television. In an interview Greenbaum stated that western movies were the real inspiration for "Spirit in the Sky".
Though Greenbaum is generally regarded as a one-hit wonder, several of his records placed prominently in the charts, including "Canned Ham" in 1970, which reached number 46 on the Billboard pop chart. In 1966, under the name Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band, he recorded the novelty hit "The Eggplant That Ate Chicago". In the 1960s Greenbaum also performed under the name Bruno Wolf with the Jim Kweskin Jug Band.
Greenbaum has been a long-time resident of Santa Rosa, California. He was critically injured when the car in which he was a passenger made a left turn in the path of a motorcycle on Occidental Road on March 28, 2015, killing the motorcyclist and also injuring the motorcycle passenger. Greenbaum has since gone back to performing.
Jubilee
Norman Greenbaum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Scooping up the seeds there, scoopin'
Daddy's outside pulling up the weeds
Pulling up the weeds, pulling up the weeds
I said hey, pulling up the weeds, scooping up the seeds
I said hey, what a day, jubilee
Cooking up a storm, she's cookin'
Grandma's in the cellar making liquor outta corn
Liquor outta corn, liquor outta corn
I said hey, liquor outta corn, cooking up a storm
I said hey, what a day, jubilee
Things going my way
I said hey, what a day, jubilee
I say (Jubilee, jubilee)
I say (Jubilee, jubilee)
I say (Jubilee)
I said hey
I said hey, yeah, hey
Sister's at her girlfriend's looking for a can
Looking for a can, she's lookin'
I'm on the roof, I'm playing Superman
Playing Superman, playing Superman
Hey, playing Superman, looking for a can
I said hey (Hey), what a day, jubilee
Things going my way
I said hey, what a day, jubilee
I said (Jubilee, jubilee)
I say (Jubilee, jubilee)
I say (Jubilee)
I say hey, hey, yeah, hey, yeah
Norman Greenbaum's song Jubilee is about a perfect day of celebration and harmony. The lyrics describe a typical day of family work and fun in the countryside, where everyone in the family is busy doing something. Birdie is scooping up seeds in the backyard, and Daddy is pulling up weeds to make the garden look neat. Mama is cooking up a storm in the kitchen, and Grandma is making liquor out of corn in the cellar. Sister is off looking for a can and having some fun with her girlfriends, and the singer is playing Superman on the roof.
The chorus repeats the phrase "I said hey, what a day, jubilee" several times, building up momentum to a euphoric celebration of the day's events. The word "jubilee" means a joyous celebration or a special anniversary, and the song reflects this with the joyous energy of the music and lyrics. The song communicates a sense of unity and happiness among family and friends, and the little frustrations of dealing with weeds and chores are put aside for a day of pure celebration.
Line by Line Meaning
Birdie's in the backyard scooping up the seeds
Birdie is in the backyard gathering seeds from the ground
Daddy's outside pulling up the weeds
Father is outside removing the unwanted plants from the ground
I said hey, pulling up the weeds, scooping up the seeds
In acknowledgement of the gardening work, I shout 'hey', with reference to removing the weeds and collecting seeds
Mama's in the kitchen cooking up a storm
Mother is working hard to prepare a large amount of food in the kitchen
Grandma's in the cellar making liquor outta corn
Grandmother is creating a drink from corn in the cellar
I said hey, liquor outta corn, cooking up a storm
In acknowledgement of the producing of liquor and the large amount of food being prepared, I shout 'hey'
Things going my way
Everything seems to be going well for me
Sister's at her girlfriend's looking for a can
Sister is searching for a can at her friend's house
I'm on the roof, I'm playing Superman
I am up on the roof, pretending to be the superhero Superman
Hey, playing Superman, looking for a can
As I play the role of Superman, my sister is still searching for the can
I said hey (Hey), what a day, jubilee
In reflection of the enjoyable day I am having, I exclaim 'hey', referencing the celebration and happiness associated with a jubilee
I say (Jubilee, jubilee)
I repeat the term 'jubilee', continuing to express the joy and celebration of the day
I say hey, hey, yeah, hey, yeah
I continue to express my excitement and happiness with various vocal expressions
Writer(s): Norman Greenbaum
Contributed by Carson S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mercurydime8663
Great song very catchy
@monkeykarma
Last year, this became my every year birthday celebration song! What a day - jubilee! All the things I want on my day - food, corn likker, maybe a touch of what’s in that ‘can’… sharing with family and friends.
Anyhoo, thanks for a great life song - my second-favorite Norman! ;)
@richardnotman787
I remember when this came out, I liked it then and I still like it today. Good tune, well written.
@davidhunter5062
Wow. I had that album and probably haven’t heard that song since 1982 or so. Great memories….kinda like Alice Bodine. LOL.
@oywee928
Probably the only song were you can hear grandma's in the cellar making liquor outta corn. ;))
@brianbannon6746
😃💞
@-..._-.
hey