Monday, April 12, 2010
Lyrics
(Held me some) Trouble
I held me some trouble
In the palm of my hand
The purpose of which was
Help me understand
Though our existence may not go as we planned
We have to believe and do what we can
Well the doctor he cut me
And sent me a way
Didn’t feel nothing
Couldn’t feel any pain
Now I am working every day
I feel the tingle in my fingers as they play
People will cut you
Look the other way
They give you nothing
No time of day
Still I am working
Replacing the pain
Feeling that tingle in my fingers as they play
So if you have trouble
Coming in your front door
You may not be ready
Who knows what it’s for?
Take some assistance from man to a man
Help you achieve and do what you can
Better or worse
I hear you’re leaving her for better or worse
To follow your dream or maybe a curse
You’ve been in the wilderness I was there too
And this time, my friend, again I will be there with you.
Every day above ground is a good day
These are your words - they’re easy to say
Wisdom on white boards is not always true
But I know it’s not what we say but what we do
We are all rich and poor, black and white
We have all that we need
Stand back and let the thunder roll
Let it rain
I cannot call you; your country has changed
Don’t know where you are, it’s all rearranged
You said write it down
It’s what your dad should have done
Well it’s been done now and guess what …..
I was the one
Lizard
She came to him like a lizard in the sun
Blissfully unaware of the damage he might have done
They threw their lots together and travelled mostly in the night
To avoid publicity and keep intentions out of sight
I can smell the sea, he said, and she could see the stars
He could feel her skin on the strings of his guitar
As for politics and money they did not have a clue
That is all man made, she said. He knew that it was true - ly crazy
In the beginning it was easy they were beautiful and free
The countryside was colourful, spring was everywhere
Who needs the Provence, he said; we have it all right here
This belongs to us, no need to travel over there - Do we, Lizzie?
It was unavoidable, no reason to resist
Playing house to all the rules it seemed obvious
He tried his best to keep her in the style he did not know
Living in the suburbs where was there to go? Slowly, nowhere
She could not forgive him when he stumbled on the way
Richer poorer I forget which was the one to blame
They were good together but good was not enough
No amount of sunshine could warm the lizard’s blood
Like a desert
Feeling like a desert
Lean and mean and dry
Permanently thirsty
Memory’s on fire
Drivin through that Great Karoo
Into the blue of the old Karoo
She was rollin’ and a tumblin’
Driven by the wind
And all that she desired
Was classified as sin
What could she do in the old Karoo
When all her colours returned to blue?
Fly now, pay later
They tell me it’s the thing to do
I believe we’re worth it
But I wonder if it’s really true
In the Chinese stores in all the little dorps
Who the hell are they for - there should be a law
Close the door..
Cheese cake and cappuccino
Under the endless sky
The waitress is amazing
She’s from Nigeria
And she won’t do in the new Karoo
No she don’t do it like we do
Miles Away
Miles away but still I
Feel you in my bed
Your face is just a picture
Hanging in my head
Release me from this hunger
Wash away my thirst
In the cool of your evening
Give me shelter from my heat
This journey has no ending
Destination’s gone
The truth is buried somewhere
That could take too long
But the answer to my question
Could suddenly appear
In that celebrated second
When you get back here
Too Late
If you go away
I won’t forget your face
It’s burned into my memory
Was it a dream, or just reality
Is there a difference between?
Those long and lazy evenings
By your fireside
Is it too late, to delay your leaving
Was I too late for you?
Will wilderness trails
Become concrete highways
Will that be our history
Is this a dream, or just reality
Is there a difference between?
That slightly curved horizon
In the full moonlight
Are we too late to delay this progress
Are we too late for you?
uMoya
Used to be that you were not white enough
Good for sugar business not the sweet stuff.
Victory in ’93, sure you were free…
But now not black enough.
You were in the trenches, they were in exile
In Paris and London, living in style.
Providing for the children can become a trial
When you’re not in the tribe
Umoya, umoya!
You’re still blowing in the wind
While they wonder about the ending
You’re still waiting to begin
Along the way they sold their ideology
Tanzania, Zambia look at Mozambique.
They renamed the system ‘Democracy’
And forgot about poverty.
Innocent or guilty it’s the same to me
You are in my memory as a man to be.
What you gave your children is a legacy
Much stronger than the wind.
Umoya, umoya!
You’re still blowing in the wind
While the big fish swim in blue water
You lie gasping on the beach
New Moon
She’s been waiting by the riverside
Counting the days, watching the tide
Surely he’s coming back home soon?
Waiting for you new moon
And it’s rolling in
Big sea, driven by the wind
New moon, new moon
Waiting for you, new moon
There’s a guy living in the street
He’s the kind you never get to meet
Will he find his silver spoon
Looking for you new moon?
And it’s rolling in
Big sea, driven by the wind
New moon, new moon
Waiting for you, new moon
We’ll be waiting till the morning light
Counting the minutes will we get it right?
Hoping for a silver spoon
Waiting for you new moon, new moon
Gister
Middernag oppad na Graaf Reinet
My wiele dreun 'n bass teen die FM
En was ek nie so ver van O R Tambo
Is ek nou al lankal terug by jou
En ek wonder of jy luister
Of jy dit ook kan hoor?
Die melodie van gister bly vir altyd mooi
Eenvoudig
Met elke woord word die beeld ‘n bietjie skoner
Ek sweer jy sit hier net langs by my
Sodra ek kan verlaat ek hierdie ou city
En slaan ‘n pad terug na jou Kontrei
En ek wonder of jy luister
is dit vir jou ook waar?
In die donker sal ek fluister wat ookal jy vra
Eenvoudig
Op ‘n dag is ons miskien verlore
Erens sonder wiele, geen FM
Luister na die melodie van gister
Toekoms en verlede is almal een
Another day (Fell into the water)
Fell into the water
Crashed into the light
A lamb unto the slaughter
On a long haul flight
I thought you had the answers
Midas’ golden touch
But you were just a chancer
Who stole his luck
But it’s all right, still feel OK
Get me through this night
Give me another day
My feet were in the freezer
Soul was in the sink
Now I know the reason
Brain was on the blink
There was poison in the poetry
Demons in the wine
Get back to sobriety
One more time
My heart is on the table
Monster’s in the bed
As soon as I am able
I’ll be getting back ahead
The moral of the story
Isn’t hard to tell
We needed fame and glory
But they’re not for sale
And it’s all right, we’re doing fine
The load is light
And we can walk the line
Pieces
And I hope they remember all the pieces
When they put you back together again
Especially that razor sense of humour
It’s all about living and not
Giving it all away
It’s when we learn to give that we live
Another day
So now you’re back in pole position
All the ladies will be waiting round the bend
Anticipating your acceleration
They’ll be all about living and not
Giving it all away
It’s when they choose to give you may live
Another day
And it’s not necessarily fair
Somehow we all get there
So I pray that you’ll never be defeated
As you make your way across the stage
May I never see that look of disappointment… again
As you go about living and not
Giving it all away
It’s since you learned to give we have lived
Another day
It’s all about living and not
Giving it all away
It’s when we learn to give that we live
Another day