Shirat Hasticker ({{langx, he, שירת הסטיקר, "The Sticker Song"), is a song recorded by Israeli hip-hop group

Hadag Nahash Hadag Nahash ( ', ) is an Israeli hip hop and funk band, founded in 1996 in Jerusalem, which makes leftist political statements in many of its protest songs. History Hadag Nahash has been a major contributor to the Israeli hip-hop scene, and ...

, appearing on their 2004 album

Homer Mekomi ''Khomer Mekomi'' (חומר מקומי) (lit. "local material") is Hadag Nahash's third studio album, released in 2004. The album features " Shirat HaSticker" (The Sticker Song), whose lyrics are based on bumper stickers in Israel. The lyrics wer ...

, written by Israeli novelist

David Grossman David Grossman (; born January 25, 1954) is an Israeli author. His books have been translated into more than 30 languages. In 2018, he was awarded the Israel Prize for literature. Biography David Grossman was born in Jerusalem. He is the eld ...

. This unusual collaboration of a mainstream author with a popular hip-hop group makes the song rather unusual.

Samuel G. Freedman Samuel G. Freedman (born October 3, 1955) is an American author, journalist, and longtime professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Biography Born in 1955 in Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, Freedman was raised in H ...

wrote in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', "imagine the dazzling unlikeliness of

Russell Banks Russell Earl Banks (March 28, 1940 – January 8, 2023) was an American writer of fiction and poetry. His novels are known for "detailed accounts of domestic strife and the daily struggles of ordinary often-marginalized characters". He drew from ...

having collaborated with

Mos Def Yasiin Bey ( ; born Dante Terrell Smith; December 11, 1973), formerly known as Mos Def ( ), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. A prominent figure in conscious hip hop, he is recognized for his use of wordplay and commentary on social an ...

Chuck D Carlton Douglas Ridenhour (born August 1, 1960), known professionally as Chuck D, is an American rapper, best known as the leader and frontman of the hip hop group Public Enemy, which he co-founded in 1985 with Flavor Flav. Chuck D is also a me ...

on a chart topper."Honk if You Love to Sing Bumper Stickers; Israeli Author Turns Slogans Into Rap Hit - New York Times
/ref>

Puns and cultural references

The lines in the song are all direct quotes or plays on slogans appearing on

bumper sticker A bumper sticker is an adhesive label or sticker designed to be attached to the rear of a car or truck, often on the bumper. They are commonly sized at around and are typically made of PVC. Bumper stickers serve various purposes, including p ...

s in Israel. The unique collage of opposing political slogans juxtaposed against apolitical slogans and satires creates a bitter irony. As such, the song demonstrates a cross section of Israeli society. The music video features the members of the band dressed as the different sectors of society (e.g.

Haredi Haredi Judaism (, ) is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is characterized by its strict interpretation of religious sources and its accepted (Jewish law) and traditions, in opposition to more accommodating values and practices. Its members are ...

m (ultra-orthodox), Arabs, secular Jews, settlers), each singing a line from the song, often contradicting the character singing it. For instance, the Haredi man sings, "Mandatory conscription for everyone" and the suicide bomber sings "No Arabs, no terrorist attacks." The song contains puns and references to Israeli society. The chorus contains the line: קוראים לי נחמן ואני מגמ-מגמגם "I am called Nachman, I stutt-stutter," referencing the

Breslov Breslov (also Bratslav and Breslev) is a branch of Hasidic Judaism founded by Nachman of Breslov (1772–1810), a great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism. Its adherents strive to develop an intense, joyous relationship with ...

mantra A mantra ( ; Pali: ''mantra'') or mantram (Devanagari: मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words (most often in an Indo-Iranian language like Sanskrit or Avestan) belie ...

widely popularized by Rabbi

Yisroel Ber Odesser Yisroel Dov Ber Odesser () (approx. 1888 – 23 October 1994), also known as Reb Odesser or Sabba ("grandfather" in Hebrew), was a Breslover Hasid and rabbi who claimed to have received a "Letter From Heaven" sent directly to him by Rebbe Nachma ...

: '' Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman,'' a phrase written as

graffiti Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elabor ...

across Israel. Another pun used is the phrase "Religious state? The state is gone", which actually means "Religious state? The state is ruined". This is the direct translation from the Hebrew: מדינת הלכה - הלכה המדינה: ''Medinat Halacha, Halcha ha-Medina'', where ''Halacha'' is Jewish religious law, and ''halcha'' is the past feminine singular conjugation of the verb 'to go.'

References

External links

Curriculum based on "The Sticker Song"listen to "The Sticker Song"Israel from Bumper to Bumper- Stickers Rapped by Hadag Nahash by Gabe SalgadoRolling Stone articleHadag Nahash website
Songs in Hebrew Israeli songs Political songs Hadag Nahash songs 2004 singles 2004 songs