THE OLDEST SONG IN THE WORLD

This song to the Hurrian goddess Nikkal, is the oldest piece of music for which we have both the words and the accompanying musical notes. The work was written on clay tablets around 3500 years ago, and was discovered by archaeologists in the 1950’s in the ruins of the ancient city of Ugarit.

The tablets, which are written in the Hurrian language using Sumerian cuneiform script, have been studied for years by a number of eminent scholars, and several theories have been advanced as to how the music should be interpreted. In my opinion, the most thorough and convincing interpretation (and by far the most musical), is that offered by archaeomusicologist, Dr. Richard J. Dumbrill, and that is the one which you hear in this video.

The long-necked lute you see me playing is a cross between the Turkish baglama and the Persian setar. I made this instrument myself as an experiment. It has four strings but the bass notes are a double course. It is tuned F-C-F. Lutes of this type have been played since the most ancient times throughout Mesopotamia and Anatolia.

The pipes you hear are replicas of the 5000 year old silver pipes discovered in the Sumerian city of Ur in the 1920’s. These are reed instruments but since I cannot play wind instruments and sing at the same time, I sampled the pipes and I am playing them by means of a pedal keyboard, similar to the kind of pedalboard used by organists. My left foot controls the lower register pipe, and my right foot the higher register. Players of these instruments used the technique known as “circular breathing”, which is still used today for wind instruments like the Armenian duduk, and the Australian didgeridoo. This song was performed live, in a single pass. Nothing was added or overdubbed.

The text of the song is not well understood because the Hurrian language has not been thoroughly studied and the original tablet has bits missing. The goddess Nikkal, like most lunar deities, was associated with fertility and childbirth. Here is a very rough idea of what experts believe is being sung by the singer. I have tried to make this poetic rather than literal.

I have made offerings to the goddess
That she will open her heart in love,
And that my sins will be forgiven.
May my jars of sweet sesame oil please her,
That she may look kindly upon us,
And make us fruitful.

Like the sprouting fields of grain,
May women bring forth with their husbands
And may those who are yet virgins
One day be blessed with children.

[zalogiannis]

Dude is carrying the bronze age community

[ophois]

I am going to download this song on my clay tablet.

[poncho.]

Imagine being the guy to write such a banger it's played for thousands of years.

[amhenotepakkardius]

I recall this. Centuries ago I was sitting outside the walls of the big city of Uruk one moonlit night, drunk staring into the distance where the river Euphrates ran into the darkness of the horizon. My friend Unnnak Lil started singing this. And I joined in. We heard some dogs howling along with this. That was fun. Now in my hundred and fifty first rebirth, I still retain those memories. How time flies . Thank you singer.

[xPoemi]

Just the thought that people 3'500 years ago sang the same song is utterly amazing.

[Ejacquantumbreeeeze]

Biggest tune of 1480 BC. Who's still listening in 2020?

[James-vmcl]

Good cover but man you should have seen it played live in Mesopotamia.

[justinmorgan]

Oldest song we know of, and it's not exactly banging rocks together. Makes one wonder what other wonderous music and lyrics have been lost to us, never to be heard again.

[skrowmedia]

No seriously, let's talk about how insanely good his voice is.

[blueshit]

it ain't an ancient song without the "OoOoOoOoOoOo!" in it, absolutely love it!

[kominbunsri]

After 3, 500 year, finally we got remastered version

[mopromiseland]

I was born and riesed in Ugarit. Itś Pleasure to hear this piece pf art again from you. I feel the soul of My Granddad, who worked for years with the frensh archaeologist Prof. Cloude Shaeffer, would be happy and pleased in his grave.

[hopekee]

Sung by people who have long since turned to dust, their names unknown... forgotten through the drift of time except for this song that once slid of the edges of their lips. As in thousands of years we will also be forgotten.

[AveTrainOnDaTrack]

They used to play this song 24/7 on Gilgamix FM radio back in the day

[TrashenClaw]

Man such a nostalgic feeling, only true homies know how it was to dance to this banger at the hanging gardens.

[LordTravisBruh]

Me: "Hey pass the aux "
:Friend: " You better not play that old stuff "
:Me: plays this song

[elirabadi]

i remember listening to this on my i-stone

[Muchyza]

Oldest song or not, this man's academic interpretation definitely, . well to me, captures the spiritual nature of song in those times..
I can listen to this for hours.
Very impressed!!

[deacon]

I remember back in 1448 BC when me and my crew, “The Sons Of Teshub” used to crank this riding our chariots against through Amurru and Nuhashe. #Mittaniforever #Carcemishstands #CurseEgypt #Thutmosethebastard

[archonmagosaugustus]

My 10 months old son loves listening to this . The oldest written song in the world puts my baby to sleep. I find it very poetic and beautiful. I am certain that someone 4000 years ago sang this same song to their child to sleep.