Hayu Zmanim

 ( Israeli Songs ) 

" Hayu Zmanim" (, literally 'There Were Times', sometimes translated as 'In Those Days' Israeli Cultural Icon Haim Hefer Dies at 86, Haaretz, September 18, 2012) is a song with lyrics by Haim Hefer and music by Moshe Wilensky written in 1948. It was first performed by the Chizbatron band of Palmach. היו זמנים אז במשלט ישבנו

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History It was first published in Beshaar, the literary supplement of Al HaMishmar on July 22, 1948. Eli Eshed suggests that the song was inspired by a cartoon by Aryeh Navon published in Davar on May 7, 1948, showing an old couple of Palmachniks telling tales to their grandson. Its first performance by Chizbatron with soloist Naomi Polani was on July 20.Eli Eshed, 'היו זמנים' – שירו של חיים חפר בגרסה המקורית, בתרגום לרוסית ובפרודיה, Yekum magazine, August 24, 2018

Of early performers, Shoshana Damari was noted for performing and recording this song, as well as Yaffa Yarkoni. Later it was performed by many others.

Initially the song was written as looking into the future: "The day will come and you will still sit by the fire, and your back will be bent like a hoe, and you will remember your days in Palmach and tell about it..." But as the time passed, it became a nostalgic song about the past.

In 1979, on the occasion of the Egypt–Israel peace treaty Hefer added two more stanzas. היו זמנים, recordings by various performers, archive of Hebrew songs

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See also

• "We Left Slowly"

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