![]() ![]() ![]() The calf in the song represents the body, the seat of desire. But there a deeper message in this song that points towards spiritual liberation. They all find in it a universal message about the victims of oppression and the desire for political freedom. Many folk singers have sung this song, from Yiddish sopranos to klezmer bands to Joan Baez who sang it in English. The final line, however, does give a hint that this song is not talking about a calf and a swallow, but about freedom. The song concludes with a wry observation about the helplessness of calves and how easy it is to end their short lives. The farmer rebukes the calf, criticizing him for being one and goading him into growing wings like the swallow, as if he could. The calf is sad because he is going to die and the swallow is flying overhead, indifferent to the calf's plight. Is it just nostalgia or is there a deeper message? First let's review the words, and then look beneath the surface to find the hidden treasure of meaning.Īt first glance, this song seems like a light-hearted, somewhat sentimental dialogue between a farmer and his calf on the way to the slaughterhouse. There is old Jewish folk song called Dona Dona that I learned as a child in summer camp and it calls to me now. ![]()
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