"Ariel" is a hit single written and performed by Dean Friedman, released in April 1977. It was the first of two hits from Friedman's eponymous debut LP. "Ariel," however, was his only hit in North America. It reached number 26 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, number 17 on the '' Cashbox'' Top 100, and number 19 in Canada. The song spent 22 weeks on the Billboard chart and 24 weeks on ''Cashbox.''

Background

"Ariel" has been described as a "quirkily irresistible and uncategorizable pop song about a free-spirited, music-loving, vegetarian

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

ish girl" from

Paramus, New Jersey Paramus ( Waggoner, Walter H, ''The New York Times'', February 16, 1966. Accessed October 16, 2018. "Paramus – pronounced puh-RAHM-us, with the accent on the second syllable – may have taken its name from 'perremus' or 'perymus,' Indian for ...

, where Friedman grew up. The lyrics describe the young girl from "deep in the bosom of suburbia," who sang "mighty fine," with "' Tears on My Pillow' and '

Ave Maria The Hail Mary or Ave Maria (from its first words in Latin), also known as the Angelic or Angelical Salutation, is a traditional Catholic prayer addressing Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the mother of Jesus. The prayer is based on two biblical pa ...

'." It describes the girl Ariel, "standing by the ince dismantledwaterfall at Paramus Park," one of the many shopping malls in Paramus. The quarters she was collecting for "friends of BAI" refers to the New York radio station

WBAI WBAI (99.5 FM) is a non-commercial, listener-supported radio station licensed to New York, New York. Its programming is a mixture of political news, talk and opinion from a left-leaning, liberal or progressive viewpoint, and eclectic musi ...

, and their listener association, while the song also makes reference to "channel 2", which refers to local CBS flagship station

WCBS-TV WCBS-TV (channel 2), branded CBS New York, is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the CBS network. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside Riverhead, New York–lic ...

. Chicago radio superstation WLS, which gave the song much airplay, ranked "Ariel" as the 60th most popular hit of 1977. It reached as high as number four on their survey of August 20, 1977.

Controversy

The record label (Lifesong) that produced "Ariel" insisted Friedman change the song's second verse, which refers to the

eponym An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...

ous Ariel as "a Jewish girl", believing that radio stations might use it as an excuse not to play the record. The management company received threats from the Jewish Defense League protesting against the edit in the single, which also varied from the album version by having the third verse removed to make the single shorter for radio.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

External links

Lyrics to "Ariel"

"Ariel" on Song Facts
* {{authority control 1977 singles 1977 songs Songs about New York City Lifesong Records singles