The Ballad of John, Yoko and Arik

My friend John corrected me regarding the release of the song - it only appeared as a single and on Past Masters Vol 2., never on the White Album. John - I bow to thy higher wisdom. -Yours truly, October 19th, 2008

The song I bring to you this time is called "The Ballad Of John and Yoko", which appeared for the first time on the Beatles' White Album as a single in 1969. A link to the lyrics.(wait, there's more below the clip!)



It turns out that Arik Einstein, arguably the father of Israeli pop-rock, recorded a number of Beatles songs, which he translated in the characteristically ironic mood.

His version is called "היה לנו טוב, נהיה לנו רע", which translates as "It was once good, it became worse". You may see the lyrics under this link.
Of worth is the following stanza:

ג'ון ויוקו הם על הכיף-כיפאק
אייבי נתן גם כם נחמד
אולי הם רק סתם שיש בהם דם
וגם אולי זה כבר הגיע הזמן

This translates as -

John and Yoko are both OK,
Abie Natan's very nice too
Their plethora is showing its signs,
But maybe it is really the time

(Tr. by yours truly. I wasn't actually aware of the medical meaning of 'plethora' until I had to translate this)

YouTube hosts a recording of Arik Einstein performing it, however it amused me more to bring the video version of the song, recorded by the punk band "Safed Elders" , in Hebrew "זקני צפת", "Ziknei Zfat" (notorious for their masterpiece "שישי שבת", "Weekend").



So here your are. For the sake of proper credit, "The Ballad Of John & Yoko" by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, lyrics translated as "It was once good, it became worse" by Arik Einstein, recording by "The Elders of Safed".