Arik Einstein’s final song… about death
The legendary musician’s producer shares the last piece the two worked on together, poignantly entitled ‘Very Few Years Are Left’
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Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
As fans and fellow musicians continued reminiscing about Arik Einstein following his sudden death last Tuesday, producer Guy Bugatti talked about the last song he was working on with Einstein.
Einstein, 74, hadn’t performed in public in more than 20 years but he continued producing songs and albums, of late with Bugatti.
Bugatti told Channel 2 Friday that Einstein often said to him that perhaps they were producing music just for the song itself, not for publicity or money.
Their final song was based on a poem by Avraham Chalfi, an actor and poet who was not well known during his life but whose poems were set to music by several Israeli musicians, including Einstein.
Bugatti said when he first read the Chalfi poem over the phone to Einstein, the musician commented that the poem was intense, with sad, heavy lyrics.
“I never imagined this would be his last song,” said Bugatti. “I was sure he’d reach 90 or 100.”
Very Few Years Are Left
Very few years are left, I know
Because counting the years is all that’s left for me
That’s where I’m heading
That’s where I’m heading
There’s forever and if not
Letting it slip by is sorrowful
But no matter, no matter
I make my departure while living
Coming back by day, coming back by night
From my life
That’s why I’m going
That’s why I’m going
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