Living right here in Pico-Robertson is a man you may have seen playing his music on Pico Boulevard, or perhaps playing at a melaveh malkah after Shabbat.
He’s an unassuming, humble and easily approachable man. His name is Seth Glass, and he’s got a super power: he’s a lyrical genius and a world-class musician.
I first met Seth, who played with Reb Shlomo Carlebach, when I was a child growing up in Long Beach, New York. We went to the same synagogue, The Sephardic Congregation of Long Beach. I would travel to Greenwich Village to see him perform, and I knew I was in the presence of someone special.
The years rolled by, and I lost touch with Seth, but his music was always in my head. One day, while walking down Pico, I ran into him. We quickly became friends again. When my wife Kylie Ora Lobell converted to Judaism and needed a Hebrew name, Seth suggested the name “Ora,” which means, “light.”
We asked Seth to play at our wedding. While it was a thrill, it also felt like an injustice that such a brilliant musician as Seth was available and not playing a sold-out show at Dodger Stadium. Just look at the beautiful lyrics where Seth talks about his relationship with G-d from one of my favorite songs of his, “The King is in the Field.”
“Sister here
So full of fear
Crying and wild
A love sick child
She’s not even sure what she’s crying for
So long now asleep
She dreams no more
So I tell her listen to me
He ain’t too far to see
And believe me holy little one
You’re gonna see a new rising sun
“Because the King is in the field
You can talk to him he’s real
He’s calling you, he’s accepting all your pain
He will open up your eyes
You begin to realize
He’s been with you all your very days
Forever blessed be his holy name”
The song is full of Talmudic phrases and mystical ideas that flow together as smoothly as the honey on your table this time of year. So, being that we are coming out of Elul and into Yom Kippur, a time where we learn that G-d’s presence is among us and likened to a King in the field visiting his subjects, I thought it’d be a good idea to talk to Seth himself about the song:
“In Elul, compassion is dripping from the heavens.“ – Seth Glass
Jewish Journal: What does your song mean?
Seth Glass: “The King is in the Field” is a metaphor. When we come into every new month, we see time is not a circle or square. It’s a spiral. It does repeat itself, but it goes into a state of elevation every year. In Elul, compassion is dripping from the heavens. The King is in the field; you don’t have to go to the castle to get a second with Him. He comes out, and everyone can connect with Him.
JJ: How did you come up with the song?
SG: The majesty and poetry of the phrase “The King is in the field” agitated my neshama (soul). I can’t tell you why. It just seemed very important. I was 36 when I wrote it. It was the second song I ever wrote. I passed out for three minutes, I woke up and it was in front of me on the paper.
JJ: What do you hope people get out of your song?
SG: Hope, faith, love, acceptance, forgiveness and consolation. It’s a song about healing.
JJ: Do you have any thoughts on the new year?
SG: I bless us all to take full advantage, whopping portions and big bites of the opportunity for redemption, forgiveness, letting go and embracing the better us that we all are and will be.
Let’s pray in this coming year that the world wakes up to Seth’s gift, and his music and messages will be echoing off the walls of every home, from LA to Jerusalem. In the meantime, go treat yourself to something special by seeing him in a local venue while you still can (and tuning in on SoundCloud).
May we all be written for a year of life, peace, health and prosperity. Or, as Seth says, “Believe me holy little one, you’re gonna see a new rising sun.”
