Anybody who has ever been to a live sporting event should easily recognize Queen’s arena-rock anthem “We Will Rock You”. It is a song of praise, support, and unfaltering loyalty to your team, sung at the top of your lungs with patriotic fervor. Every country has one of these songs, every club in the English Premier League, and every college basketball team. Recently, over the past couple of years, Jewish Young Adults across the lands have found their own anthem in “I Gotta Feeling”, by the Black Eyed Peas.
From mega-bars in Tel Aviv, to wedding receptions in London; from Hillel mixers to your little cousin’s Bat Mitzvah, “I Gotta Feeling” has become the de rigueur theme song wherever JYAs are present. Interestingly, there is no direct correlation between any members of the Black Eyed Peas and JYAs. None of the members of the band are Members of the Tribe, none went on a Birthright trip, and none of them went to the Matzah Ball. Yet their song has resonated with the hearts and booties of JYAs everywhere.
One possible explanation for this unprecedented coupling is that the song features references to things all JYAs recognize in the chorus. Specifically, the band makes the dubious rhyme of “Fill up my cup / Mazal Tov”. Such a blatant reference from such a popular non-Jewish band is enough to get the heart of any JYA palpitating. Then, as an additional bonus, singer and it-girl Fergie, belts out a clearly audible “L’Chaim”, which is frequently sung out loud by female JYAs when the song is in the background.
Not since 2 Live Jews released “Oy, It’s so humid”, has one song so galvanized JYA culture as “I Gotta Feeling”, leading some to believe that JYAs should get a shout out on Fergie’s twitter feed.
