The one thing that almost all Jewish holidays have in common is the abundance of parody songs, and Passover is no exception. While I wish they were a lot more diverse, I must admit a lot of them make me laugh and put a smile on my face.
I’ve been listening to parody songs for as long as I can remember. Not entirely by choice — my twin brother, who is much taller and stronger than I am — would always call dibs on music and blast “Weird Al” Yankovic. I still have “White and Nerdy” and “eBay” stuck in my head. I am still trying to figure out whether this is a good or bad thing.
But back to Passover — watching Passover parody song videos has become a tradition of mine. And so I watched a ton of them so you don’t have to (well, you can, but that’s your decision). Here’s a definitive ranking of them (warning: some are a lot better than others).
21. “We’ll See Miracles” (Parody of “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic)
The sheep in this video are cute, but the singing isn’t.
20. “Can’t Eat This” (Parody of “Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer)
The rapping reminds me of gefilte fish — a bit bland. I love the Star of David necklaces many of them are wearing, though!
19. “Passover” (Parody of “Hangover” by PSY)
I feel weird watching boys who look 14 and 15 years old singing about drinking wine. Their dancing is also interesting… to say it nicely.
18. “Now We’ve Got Matzo” (Parody of “Bad Blood” by Taylor Swift)
It’s cute that a synagogue made this, but the graininess of the video is a bit distracting. Time to invest in better equipment!
17. “Help Me Rabbi” (Parody of “Help Me Rhonda” by The Beach Boys)
This cover of a Beach Boys classic is charming.
16. “FourFiveSeconds” (Parody of “FourFiveSeconds” by Rihanna, Kanye West, and Paul McCartney)
The content and quality of the song are good, but it would be better if multiple people performed it like with the original. I, too, often ask, “When are we getting to the eating part?”
15. “Leavened” (Parody of “Cheek to Cheek” by Irving Berlin)
Adam B. Shapiro is an amazing singer, and him sadly looking at bread knowing he can’t eat it is a mood.
14. “Shalom” (Parody of “Hello” by Adele)
This video plays tribute to the original music video, but the cursive text on screen is a bit distracting.
13. “All of the Nights” (Parody of “All of the Lights” by Kanye West)
Shout out to the synagogue featured in this music video!
12. “Bubby Got Run Over by Elijah” (Parody of “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer”)
This music video feels very homey, which is good, considering the parody it’s based off of. But, a parody of this song for Hanukkah would be better, as it falls around the same time as Christmas.
11. “Floating In The Reeds” (Parody of “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele)
Felicia Sloin is without a doubt a talented singer. In all seriousness this video should be used to teach people about the Jews’ exodus from Egypt.
10. “Best Seder in the USA” (Parody of “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus)
This cover goes into the stress of planning a seder (especially if you’re hosting for the first time!). I’m still trying to figure out if there are brothers in this video or if special effects were used.
9. “Passover Rhapsody” (Parody of “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen)
One word: puppets! The puppeteering is impressive (at least to me, though I’m no expert).
8. “Let Them Go” (Parody of “Let It Go” from Frozen)
There are a lot of Passover “Let It Go” parodies. Way too many. This one stands out from the rest because of the quality of singing, and the children are adorable.
7. “Let My People Go, Story, Why Do We Lean” (Parody mashup of “Love Yourself,” “Sorry,” and “What Do You Mean?” by Justin Bieber)
This mashup has major barbershop quartet vibes, and I’m here for it. I’m sorry to ever have judged Justin Bieber’s songs.
6. “A Lion King Passover”) (Parody mashup of a bunch of Lion King songs)
One of the best things about parodies is that there are always new ones. Take this engaging Lion King Passover mashup, which just came out. The singing was great and the frogs were a nice touch.
5. “Seder Crew” (Parody of “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran)
Vocals are on point, but the the clapperboard made out of matzah takes the cake.
4. “Why Seders Are Slow” (Parody of “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana)
This parody mentions everything I have ever thought during Passover seders but have never confessed out loud. I too “wish I could understand” Hebrew, but that’s nothing my bubbe will ever hear me admit to.
3. “God Split The Ocean” (Parody of “Cake by the Ocean” by DNCE)
This cover of the bop “Cake by The Ocean” tells the story of the Israelites, led by Moses, leaving Egypt in a fun and engaging way.
2. “La La Passover” (Parody of “Another Day in the Sun” from La La Land)
The vocals and dancing are incredibly beautiful — I forgot I was watching a parody and not Passover: The Musical (which isn’t a thing, but should be).
1. “Passover Funk” (Parody of “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars)
Like with “Let It Go,” there are a surprising amount of “Uptown Funk” parodies. This high-energy version oozes with confidence and is incredibly engaging — which is the exact opposite of me when reading prayers in Hebrew.
Bonus:
Passover – Songs from Les Misérables by The Maccabeats
This technically isn’t a parody as the lyrics are the same, but who would have guessed that music from Les Misérables works so perfectly for Passover?
Happy Passover, and happy binge-watching Passover parody songs if you’re anything like me.
