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Why is Damon Albarn, front man of the acclaimed British band, with his Quaker roots, singing about a rabbi?
Blur, the acclaimed Brit-pop band, recently came out with a new chart-topping album titled “The Ballad of Darren.” This record, their first in over eight years, is riddled with religious and spiritual imagery, describing a lot of lead singer Damon Albarn’s personal experiences throughout the band’s hiatus.
On the deluxe version of their album that was released just a few weeks ago, we were treated to two new songs, one of which was titled “The Rabbi,” inspired by an encounter Albarn had with a Canadian Rabbi a few years ago. Let’s uncover the hidden meaning of the song and how it relates to Judaism.
Right from the opening guitar notes there is a very familiar feeling to this song. Something about this song is both contemporary and nostalgic. Blur has long been one of the most revered and influential Brit-pop bands, who along with Oasis helped shape the sound of a generation. This song has an extremely raw feeling of existentialist angst and uncertainty.
The question that begs to be asked is why Damon Albarn, front man of Blur and mastermind behind virtual band Gorillaz, with his Quaker roots would name his most recent song "The Rabbi"?
In a 2021 radio interview with Tom Power, he first discussed his encounter with a Winnipeg-based Rabbi he met on a plane.
They were both traveling to Iceland and the rabbi struck up a conversation with Albarn, without even realizing that he was the lead singer of the famed UK pop-rock outfit.
Albarn at first was slightly annoyed that his peaceful plane trip was being interrupted by a chatty seat-mate. But a few minutes into the conversation after he had learned he was seated next to a rabbi, he was struck by the similarities in their professions and relished the chance to wax philosophical.
One of the main commonalities Damon found with the 70-year-old Rabbi was their shared love of telling stories – one through songwriting and the other through sermons. A rock-star and a rabbi both have the ability to deeply affect people through their words and potentially change lives.
On the plane ride Albarn spoke about his feeling that the universe is made of positive and negative forces. But that even the negative energies are the harbingers of change which lead to the great discoveries and innovations which have changed our lives.
These thoughts very much echo the mindset of many Jewish thinkers. In the song "The Rabbi" we see the need for change poignantly displayed with Albarn's questioning of "...who's gonna be tomorrow’s heroes?"
The song also focuses on the idea of being lost and confused, with the rich religious metaphors in the line "We're all practitioners of vague illusions, hieroglyphics and pictures" striking a chord with the Jewish need for answers in a world that only supplies hints.
In the interview Albarn revealed that despite their very deep conversation Albarn forgot to catch the rabbi's name, and desperately wanted to express his gratitude.
In the song he writes of the feeling of being lonely in his search for meaning and spirituality: "The loneliness of the long-distance driver" seemingly comparing the road to spiritual revelation to the journey of a driver on a lengthy road trip.
Albarn has always been a very spiritual individual, so it’s not all that surprising that he was inspired by his meeting with the Rabbi. In an interview about the spirituality of music, Albarn said, "It drives me to do everything. It’s acknowledging the power of the Spirit, and allowing the Spirit to enter you. I wouldn’t say every day is sort of level-five spiritual, but… as Ian Dury said, I’ve seen “glimpses”.’
In the climactic chorus of the song, he sings, "I was lost…and then you saved me." He may be talking about his profound plane experience or perhaps it's a reference to a moment of divine revelation.
Even after piecing together what Albarn has said about the song in interviews, the significance of the titular rabbi remains ambiguous. This ambiguity allows us to come up with our own idea of what the song means.
More than 20 years into their acclaimed career, Blur continue to craft songs that feel both sonically captivating and emotionally resonant. “The Rabbi” stands as the latest example of their artistic brilliance, with its blend of cryptic poetry, textured instrumentation, and universal themes that linger long after the final notes fade out.
Listen to the song below:
When he speaks of his beings "saved", it may very well, to me it does, mean many things. That is art. Life, reality are often ambiguous.
"Who will be the heroes of tomorrow...."? Another song springs to mind from a different time and place but with a similar theme..."who will be the zaides of our children...".
Very interesting article, feels like moshiach's on the way.