On his 70th birthday, Zeev released his 10th album - Tsa'ir Ani Kvar Lo Amut (Chompi Records 2017).
As with most of Zeev's albums, true to his 'cease the moment' aesthetic, this album was recorded live in 4 days with producer Kosta Kaplan, and no rehearsals.
The album was released in mark of 50 years of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories with a one day tour, held on a semi truck in different locations between Israeli and Palestinians settlements across the green line.
His ninth album - Room (part of the Rooms album series), featured "tight" versions to 14 of his known classics. Songs from this album achieved substantial radio airplay and one of them, Beirut, was featured on the acclaimed movie "Waltz With Bashir". The movie has won the Golden Globe award and the Cesar for "Best Foreign Film" and was also nominated for an Academy Award at the same category.
Tene has released his debut book, "Short Memory" – a collection of his "snapshot" memoirs, told in his unique style. The book was edited by Lior Suliman.
Beirut
Zeev Tene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
בין פטריות עשן באור ראשון
יכולתי גם לחזור בתוך ארון
כל יום הפצצתי את צידון
כל יום הפצצתי את ביירות
כל יום הפצצתי את ביירות
יצאתי חי יכולתי גם למות
בלחיצה קלה גמרנו
על אנשים שלא הכרנו
הרגנו בטח כמה בטעות
יצאתי חי יכולתי גם למות
כל יום הפצצתי את ביירות
עכשיו אני יושב פה על הבר
אני לא כוכב, אני לא טיפוס מוכר
אני סתם אחד שבכל חלום
צולל ישר אל תוך הגיהנום
בלחיצה קלה גמרנו
על אנשים שלא הכרנו
הרגנו בטח כמה בטעות
יצאתי חי יכולתי גם למות
ולא הבנתי אז- שזו סתם שטות!
כל יום הפצצתי את ביירות
The lyrics of Zeev Tene's song Beirut can be interpreted as a reflection on the destructive and deadly consequences of war. The repetition of the line "every day I bombed Beirut" can be seen as a metaphor for the daily violence and destruction of war. The references to "Sidon" and "Beirut" specifically point to the events of the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) where the two cities were heavily bombed and shelled. The lines "I could also go back inside a closet" imply that the singer of the song had to hide and seek shelter during the bombing, while the following lyrics "I went out alive, I could have also died" underscores the danger and unpredictability of war.
The second part of the song shifts to a more introspective tone, with the singer reflecting on their present state. The lines "now I'm sitting here on the bar/ I'm not a star, I'm not a famous guy" suggest a sense of displacement and disillusionment after the war. The final lines "and I didn't understand then- that it was just nonsense!/ every day I bombed Beirut" can be interpreted as a moment of realization or regret, where the singer recognizes the futility and senselessness of the violence they once participated in.
Line by Line Meaning
כל יום הפצצתי את צידון
Every day I felt like I was destroying myself.
בין פטריות עשן באור ראשון
I was surrounded with smoke and chaos, never seeing the light of day.
יכולתי גם לחזור בתוך ארון
I was so scared that I felt like I could hide away forever.
כל יום הפצצתי את ביירות
Every day, I felt like I was destroying myself even more.
יצאתי חי יכולתי גם למות
I survived through it all, but I also felt like I could have died at any moment.
בלחיצה קלה גמרנו
Things could end so easily with just a small push.
על אנשים שלא הכרנו
We were fighting against people we never even knew.
הרגנו בטח כמה בטעות
We killed innocent people in the chaos and confusion.
עכשיו אני יושב פה על הבר
Now I'm just sitting here, trying to make sense of everything that happened.
אני לא כוכב, אני לא טיפוס מוכר
I'm just an ordinary person, trying to deal with the trauma that I experienced.
אני סתם אחד שבכל חלום
I'm just someone who is trying to move on and heal from the past.
צולל ישר אל תוך הגיהנום
I'm diving straight into the depths of my own personal hell.
ולא הבנתי אז- שזו סתם שטות!
At the time, I didn't understand that the situation was completely insane.
Contributed by Ruby V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.