Shir Habatlanim was the Israeli entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1987 in Brussels performed by actor-comedians Datner & Kushnir. It is a knock-about comedic song featuring the two performers dressed as the Blues Brothers.
The song caused quite a bit of controversy in Israel, a culture minister threatened to resign if the song was sent to Brussels. It did, but his threat remained unfulfilled.
The lyrics describe the daily routine of an idle loafer, evidently unemployed, who wakes up in the morning at 10 a.m., and who cannot see the sun because the shutters, and then a block of buildings impedes his view. It describes his routine of making coffee and smoking, and feeding the birds so that they come and sing the Lazy Bums' Song. It then describes how the lazy guy directs his dog to do the grocery errands, before going for a walk with the dog (accompanied with a pantomimed lifted-leg gesture), and then at the end of the day, having his view of the moon blocked by the buildings.
At the contest, it was performed second following Norway and preceding Austria. At the close of voting, it finished in 8th place with 73 points.
Lyrics[]
Nu vakasha
Kol boker ani mit'orer be'erech sh'ot ha'eser
Rotse lir'ot hashemesh, hatrisim ktsat mastirim
Poteach hatrisim velo ro'e hashemesh
Ki et hashemesh mastirot shurot shel binyanim
Ose li kos kafe umadlik li hasigarya
Yotse el hamirpeset lefatseach gar'inim
Hatsiporim yordot ha'atsitsim shel hamirpeset
Umefazmot iti et shir habatlanim
Hupa hule hule hule... hupa hupa hule hule...
Hupa hule hule hupa pa...
Hupa hule hule... hupa hupa hule hule...
Hupa hule hule hupa pa...
Bish'ot hatsohoraim sholeach et hakelev
Im sal asui mikash liknot li mitsrachim
Kshehu chozer, ani mechin lishneinu tsohoraim
Ki hatsiporim achlu et kol hagar'inim
Pit'om ani shome'a tsiltsul, dofkim badelet
Poteach et hadelet, nichneset hashchena
Sho'elet benimus she'im ze lo yafri'a
Hi tefazem iti et hahupa'le sheli
Hupa hule hule hule... hupa hupa hule hule...
Hupa hule hule hupa pa...
Hupa hule hule... hupa hupa hule hule...
Hupa hule hule hupa pa...
Achar-hatsohoraim yotse li im hakelev
Lish'of ktsat avir bapark michuts la'ir
Hatsiporim afot me'usharot el hashamaim
Ani nishkav al hasafsal, choshev al hachaim
Ani chai li bimtsi'ut kol-kach nehederet
Soche bema'arbolet shel yam bli de'agot
Lo mevin ech efshar lichyot hayom acheret
Venirdam ayef merov hamachshavot
Hupa...
Hupa hole... hole hupa...
Hupa hole... hole hupa... hole hupa...
Hayareach kvar ole, hine magi'a laila
Rotse lir'ot yareach, hatrisim ktsat mastirim
Poteach hatrisim velo ro'e yareach
Ki et yareach mastirot shurot shel binyanim
Hupa hule hule hule... hupa hupa hule hule...
Hupa hule hule hupa pa...
Hupa hule hule... hupa hupa hule hule...
Hupa hule hule hupa pa...
Hupa hule hule hule... hupa hupa hule hule...
Hupa hule hule hupa pa...
Hupa hule hule... hupa hupa hule hule...
Hupa hule hule hupa pa...
Hupa hule... hole hupa... mitbatlim
Hole hupa...
Come on already, please
Each morning I wake up at around ten
I want to see the sun, the shutters are blocking the view
I open the shutters and I can't see the sun
Because the sun is blocked by rows of buildings
I make myself a cup of coffee and light a cigarette
I go out to the balcony to crack open some seeds
The birds come down to the plants of the balcony
And sing with me the bums' song
Hupa hule hule hule... hupa hupa hule hule...
Hupa hule hule hupa pa...
Hupa hule hule... hupa hupa hule hule...
Hupa hule hule hupa pa...
At around noon I send the dog
With a basket made of straw to buy me some groceries
When he comes back, I make us both lunch
Because the birds have eaten all the seeds
Suddenly I head a ring, someone's knocking at the door
I open the door, the neighbour comes in
She asks politely, if it's no bother
To sing with me my hupa'le
Hupa hule hule hule... hupa hupa hule hule...
Hupa hule hule hupa pa...
Hupa hule hule... hupa hupa hule hule...
Hupa hule hule hupa pa...
In the afternoon I go out with the dog
To get some air in the park on the city outskirts
The birds fly happily towards the sky
I lay back on the bench, thinking about life
I'm living in such a wonderful reality
I'm swimming in a whirlpool of a sea with no worries
I don't understand how anyone can live differently nowadays
And I fall asleep, tired of all the thoughts
Hupa...
Hupa hole... hole hupa...
Hupa hole... hole hupa... hole hupa...
The moon is already rising, the night is coming
I want to see the moon, the shutters are blocking the view
I open the shutters and I can't see the moon
Because the moon is blocked by rows of buildings
Hupa hule hule hule... hupa hupa hule hule...
Hupa hule hule hupa pa...
Hupa hule hule... hupa hupa hule hule...
Hupa hule hule hupa pa...
Hupa hule hule hule... hupa hupa hule hule...
Hupa hule hule hupa pa...
Hupa hule hule... hupa hupa hule hule...
Hupa hule hule hupa pa...
Hupa hule... hole hupa... doing nothing
Hole hupa...
| Eurovision Song Contest 1987 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | |||
 Kate Gulbrandsen •  Datner & Kushnir •  Gary Lux •  Halla Margrét •  Liliane Saint-Pierre •  Lotta Engberg •  Umberto Tozzi & Raf •  Nevada •  Patricia Kraus •  Seyyal Taner & Locomotif •  Bang •  Marcha •  Plastic Bertrand •  Rikki •  Christine Minier •  Wind •  Alexia •  Vicky Rosti & Boulevard •  Anne-Cathrine Herdorf & Bandjo •  Johnny Logan •  Novi Fosili •  Carol Rich
| |||
| Songs | |||
| Mitt liv • Shir Habatlanim • Nur noch Gefühl • Hægt og hljótt • Soldiers of Love • Boogaloo • Gente di Mare • Neste barco à vela • No estás solo • Şarkım Sevgi Üstüne • Stop • Rechtop in de wind • Amour, Amour • Only the Light • Les mots d'amour n'ont pas de dimanche • Laß die Sonne in dein Herz • Aspro Mavro • Sata salamaa • En lille melodi • Hold Me Now • Ja sam za ples • Moitié-Moitié
| |||
