Raise Up The Barricades! Alei Barricadot!

I don't usually read my fellow A7 blogger, Ben Bresky's blog about Jewish music, but somehow this morning I took a look. I noticed that it was about a "Sarah." Now, the only Sarah recently in the news is Sarah Palin. What would she be doing in Jewish Music blog?

Wrong Sarah. He had written about Sarah Livni, the poor Etzel fighter, who's probably turning in her grave to the tune of "Alei Barracadot!" Yes, Sarah was Tsippi's mother, and as you can see from the pictures, Tsippi did not inherit her mother's looks.

Strange coincidence, just the other day, I sang the refrain from that song. It was after my friends and I had finished our weekly "divided" T'hilim Psalms. One of them mentioned a peculiar funeral she had been at. The attendees sang. It wasn't strange to me. I have been to quite a number of funerals of former Lechi and Etzel fighters, and they always ended with the singing of the fighting songs, especially "Alei Barricadot." If I'm not mistaken, the custom began during the Israeli War of Independence.

Raise Up the Barricades
by M. Ashbel

Today my little Sarah
We'll part as I go to war
To establish the state
On both sides of the Jordan
Harden your heart
And tighten your belt
Embrace me, take the Sten
And join me in the ranks
Raise up the barricades we shall meet
Do not cry For such is my fate Wipe away your tears

Raise up the barricades we bring freedom with blood and fire.
Rifle to rifle, barrel to barrel
Bullet to bullet we shall fire
Raise up the barricades we shall meet
And if on the gallows
I shall give my life for the nation
Do not cry
For such is my fate
Wipe away your tears
Hold the Sten close to your heart
And choose for yourself another
From the men of my squad

We're missing good inspring songs to help us to the victory we need today.