This is a ripoff of “Why We Tell The Story” from Once On This Island. It's a natural, because let's face it: the purpose of the seder is to tell the story. The refrain and bridge are shameless plagiarism, but I can’t improve on the original.
I realize readers will be unfamiliar with the tune, but several performances are available on YouTube. Anyway, think of it as my revenge; I don’t know any songs by Taylor Swift.
Elly Shevin
Oak Park, MI
WHY WE TELL THE STORY
(Sung to the song of the same name from Once On This Island, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens [Jewish], music by Stephen Flaherty [not])
Torah tells us to remember we were strangers
So we'll understand the pain the stranger knows
How he suffers the derision and the dangers
From his foes.
And that is why we tell the story
Why we tell the story
Why we tell the story
Why we tell the story
If you want to know the joy of liberation
You must first endure the taste of slavery
Only then will you have joined this grateful nation
Who are free.
We tell the story
We tell the story
Life is why
We tell the story
Pain is why
We tell the story
Love is why
We tell the story
Grief is why
We tell the story
Hope is why
We tell the story
Faith is why
We tell the story
You are why-y-y-y-y
We tell the story
Why we tell the story
Why we tell the story
Why we tell the story
Even now when tyrants rule with harsh oppression
Others cannot know the liberty we share
So we end our seder night with one more question:
Will you care?
May G-d redeem them when we call
For next year in Jerusalem for all.
We tell the story.