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Human

LOVE IN THE TIME OF GAZA

I was born inside the rain on a day of wonder
Deep inside my brain memories of thunder
I grew up a refugee, my life not fixed or free
I know the world’s not to blame
Cos’ everybody carries my name

CHORUS:
Oooh! These are my Fathers’ people – (Hawu Ngitshele! Ngitshele! - tell me! tell me!)
Oooh! This is where the Human tree once grew
Oooh !  We are the children of  a new world
Oooh ! We have a new dream pushing through

The sky is black with gunships , but I’m dreaming of a girl
In her eyes love  and friendship , but will she understand my world ?
Now I’m like a windswept sea, fear  and hope washing over me
Will she think my world is cruel , when I share my point of view?

CHORUS

Oh …It’s a strange world …   hawu ngitshele !  Ngitshele !yeah!
Oh ..It’s  a caged bird …yeah!
Oh…gimme what you say ….yeah!
Oh… gimme a brand new day …yeah!

CHORUS

 

               
THE WORLD IS CALLING

Tonight I had a happy hour
And loved your gentle style
I grabbed the day with both hands
It has taken me a while
I’ve been waiting to breathe out
To look up  and see you smile
Walking through your laughing country
Free from exile

CHORUS
But  I must rise now and leave your company
The world is calling and the road is longer
And as I go now my heart is breaking
Will I ever see you again?

Through all tribulation
Through all fake pretence
Just  an hour of your company
Gives my life true sense
Like a prisoner holding out
For a final visit
I see you through my empty glass
And you can fill it

CHORUS

But I must rise now  and leave your company
The world is calling   and the road is longer
And as I go now my heart is breaking
For will I ever see you again?
What is this feeling and I hardly know you?
What is this sorrow as I walk away ?

Hold onto this night forever
Hold onto this night – remember!

 

ALL I GOT IS YOU

 I lie here in the dark
On my own
I see the stars , they make me smile
‘Cos they  are so far and I feel I can touch them

I know you
Like the stars
Are so far
You make me cry
As I lie here
‘cos I know I  am lost without you

CHORUS
All I got is you babe , all I got is you  baby!
Take my fortress with a kiss , shoot your arrow  and never miss
All I got is you babe, all I got is you baby!
Helter skelter in the swelter, through the hard night give me shelter

I , saw you
Dancing free
 Like a soul that was on fire
I saw the glow
And the crowd did cheer and the king was smiling

CHORUS
ANY DREAM WILL DO BABE , AS LONG AS IT’S WITH YOU !

 

ASILAZI ( we don’t know the day)

CHORUS:
ASILAZI, ASILAZI THINA ILANGA LETHU LIZOFIKA NINI
SILINDILE  NGENHLIZIYO , YONKE  KODWA SENZENI NA?
 (We don’t know when our day will come
(We have been, waiting with all our hearts,
(What have we done to deserve  this?

You know this hard for me
Facing the judgement of history
I’m a small man ,I never stood up against anything at all
Always been just  another brick in the wall
It’s hard to know how to make a change
It’s hard to give up what you got  and just walk away
So I got to go now   and face this day
Goodbye my friend, goodbye

You know it’s so hard to fight
On your own against the fading of the light
From the school to the church to heart of the state
To the invisible power of the hidden hand of hate
Where was I when this all began
From the father to the son to the man
So I gotta now  ,  and fact this day
Goodbye my friend ,goodbye

CHOURS

 

GIMME THE WONDER

Tell  me new  words
And break this thirst
Sing me iron songs
Let me be strong
Give me right
Give me wrong
So I know where I belong
Give me dark give me light
So you dance in my sight

CHORUS:

In the dark night of the soul
I will never be alone
I will always find my way home
Gimme the wonder of life
Gimme the wonder of love
GIMME THE LIGHT
GIMME THE NIGHT

Tell me new words 
And break this thirst
Sing me iron songs
Let me be strong
Give me life
Give me death
Give me night
Give me breath
Give me down
Give me up   and fill my cup

CHORUS

 

CONGO

White stone hidden in the ground
Gonna take a life before it’s found
(INDLELA YASE-CONGO – the Congo way)
Tribesman from jungle town
He’s heading down to the digging mound
Young man in the sun , dig for diamonds everyone!
Soldiers in camouflage , drinking and playing cards

CHORUS:
UBANI ONGAKHOMBA-NJE?( who  can show me ?
UBANI ONGASIZA , MADODA , (who can help me ?
INDLELA EYASE-CONGA , NGIYA YASE –CONGO( the way to the Congo , I am going to the Congo)

Life pulsing with such hope , we digging down  in the river slope
Shiny stone set me free , I’ll go home a Big Daddy
Freedom is food to eat , good strong boots upon your feet
Can you sneak a small stone by a  waiting soldier’s  hungry eye?

CHORUS
Let me lie with you a while
And hope this dream will carry over
A new hand to deal
A new hope to feel
My hands hold real seeds of a Sower
If I could fly ,across your sky
And make you laugh
I know I could be a winner!

CHORUS:
Here comes that feeling oh Boy!
I’m rising above the earth again
Here comes that feeling oh boy!
I’ll be delivered but I don’t know when

 AWU! AWU! AWU!
HAWU NGIYAKHUMBULA INDAWO ENGINGAYAZI
(OH !OH !OH!  I am remembering a place that I have never seen and do not  know)
WENHLIZIYO YAMI NGIYAKHALA –my heart is aching
ENGINGAYAZI MINA –a place that I have never seen

Comets and clouds  and red , red rain
Filling up my sky above this dark empty plain
Somebody reading a book, “God for Beginners!”
Looking around , I saw you ,sitting with us sinners
And so you fill my mind,  give me a new design
I see your river-smile while I float like a feather
Leave what’s behind ‘cos all the words are spoken
It’s the Time of the Sign when the Code is never broken

CHORUS

 

HIDDEN AWAY DOWN

Clear summer day
You became the prey
You gave your best defence
Your smile was just pretence
You want to shout , nothing comes out
A shadow blocks the sun
Where does that day live where part of you did drown ?

CHORUS:

Hidden  away down
Hidden away down deep inside
Didn’t the day drown?
Didn’t the day drown in the night?
You running away now
You running away till the morning light
A criminal take –down
A criminal take-down with no fight

Pretend confidence
Keep the beast at bay
Like a fugitive
It’s you yourself you blame
Sparrow sing the morning in
You feel the light of day
Can the promise of redemption reach that place ?

CHORUS

The world breaks everyone
And afterwards you will find some
Stronger in their broken parts
In the wild mountain of their hearts
Love can mend a broken soul
But who can trust a heart not whole
Waiting for the wounds to close
In that dark place

Hidden away down …

 

I  KNOW THAT SOUND

I  know that sound
It’s the night train passing
It won’t slow down
Like some hope everlasting
Sixty nights in the desert
And the truth is still so far away
Through all kinds of weather
Wake up to the same day…

CHORUS

I’M STANDING ON THE SHORELINE
AND MY LIFE IS FAR FROM HERE
DRINK TO END OF THE BOTTLE
AND TRY TO FIND SOME CHEER

Just you and I
‘Cos there’s safety in numbers
Two wings to fly
We are lightning and thunder
We stood at the edge of the forest
Daring to see who‘d go in
Like trying to join the chorus
But really scared to sing

CHORUS:
Once you were a dancer
And your dream was loud and clear
And you gave the world an answer
Made the questions disappear

BRIDGE:
While the world is turning
I don’t know if you’ve been around here
It’s a spiritual dessert  
And our leaders don’t have  an idea

I’m standing on the shoreline
And my life is so far from here
So we drink to the end of the bottle
And try to drown this fear
Once you were a dancer 
And your dream was loud and clear
And the world is spinning and spinning and spinning
While we try to find our way out of here

 

MANQOBA (Victorious)

When I look at all the choices I made in my life
It’s like some natural law
When they bring me trouble and strife
I find my way to your door
Like a wheel , turning round  and round
I always find you
And lay my head down
We’re like some warriors from some forgotten war
Recalling songs from a long forgotten shore

CHORUS

YITHI UMANQOBA ( we are the victorious
SESANQOBA IZIZWE( we conquered the world
UMA UFUNA THINA  WOZA!( if you want to take us on , come!
UZODELA INKANI( you will be satisfied…

 

Once we were warriors
Now we are the playthings of fortune
We always stood on solid ground
Standing back to back
To the wind we threw caution
Nothing could bring our hearts down
 Now I sometimes feel we are nowhere bound
Then I hear an old familiar sound
It’s a song from a time when we were kings
Conquered the world and flew on eagle’s wings

CHORUS

Yesterday’s  gone and tomorrow is just a dream
All we have  is NOW
Nobody knows where the time goes , where the time goes ….

 

NYEMBEZI (Tears)

Ujabul’ uhlezi omendweni m’ntanami , wathola umendo
(happy is she who is married , my child , you have  found marriage
Umuzi wakiwe ngenyembi m’ntamani
( a home is built on tears ,
Bazokutshela uzengobuthakathi m’ntanami
(your in-laws  will say you are a witch
Ugabanaki, m’ntanami ungabanaki
(don’t listen to them my child , don’t give in , ignore them

Khumbula isithembo sakho
(remember your hope  and the promise you made
Khumbula  indoda yakho
(remember your  husband who you love
Khumbula isithembo sakho
(remember your hope  and your promise
Ungabanaki  m’ntanami
(ignore those who bring you down , my child )

CHROUS:

Tears  are falling   down like rain
I will never be the same

MAGUMEDE (Mrs.Gumede)

Balithatha ibhulukwe lami maGumede, ibhuluwe lami
(they have taken my trousers Mrs. Gumede  ,my trousers !
O! liphi ? ibhulukwe lami wemaGumede, ibhulukwe lami
(where are they ? my trousers Mrs.Gumede, my trousers ?

She replies:
Ulele-phi izolo ?  Ubuza ibhulukwe lakho!
(Where did you sleep last night, think before you ask about them?)

 

 

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