South African Scout campfire songbook

South African songs

This page is for South African campfire songs - not just songs sung at campfires in South Africa, but songs which come from South Africa itself. Please send suggestions to the webmaster.

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika (God Bless Africa)

The words are found on a separate page: Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika. This hymn is the national anthem of South Africa.

SHOSHOLOZA

Shosholoza was originally a sad song sung by people during hard labour, sometimes far away from home. It has become one of South Africa's most popular songs, especially as an anthem at sporting events. Rough English translation: Move faster, You are meandering on those mountains, The train is from South Africa. You accelerate, on those mountains, The train is from South Africa. "Shosholoza" means "Go forward" or "Make way for the next man". The word also sounds like the noise of a steam train. ("Stimela" is the Zulu word for a steam train).

Shosholoza, shosholoza
Kulezontaba
Stimela Sphuma South Africa
Wenu Yabaleka
Wenu Yabaleka,
Kulezontaba
Stimela Sphuma South Africa

SIYAHAMBA

A song in Zulu or Xhosa meaning "We Are Walking in the Light of God"

Siyahamb' ekukhanyen' kwenkhos',
Siyahamb' ekukhanyen' kwenkhos',
Siyahamb' ekukhanyen' kwenkhos',
Siyahamb' ekukhanyen' kwen-,
Khanyen' kwenkhos',
Siyahamba, hamba,
Siyahamba, hamba,
Siyahamb' ekukhanyen' kwen-,
Khanyen' kwenkhos'.
Siyahamba, hamba,
Siyahamba, hamba,
Siyahamb' ekukhanyen' kwenkhos'.

We are marching in the light of God,
We are marching in the light of God,
We are marching in the light of God,
We are marching in the light of,
The light of God,
We are marching, marching,
We are marching, marching,
We are marching in the light of,
The light of God,
We are marching, marching,
We are marching, marching,
We are marching in the light of God.

SARIE MARAIS

A traditional Afrikaans folk song, created during the Anglo-Boer war around 1900. The tune was taken from a song called "Ellie Rhee" from the American Civil War, and the words translated into Afrikaans. The translation begins "My Sarie Marais is so far from my heart, but I hope to see her again. She lived near the Mooi River before this war began..." and the chorus goes "O take me back to the old Transvaal where my Sarie lives, Down among the maize fields near the green thorn tree, there lives my Sarie Marais". The title is pronounced "May SAH-ree muh-REH"

My Sarie Marais is so ver van my hart,
Maar'k hoop om haar weer te sien.
Sy het in die wyk van die Mooi Rivier gewoon,
Nog voor die oorlog het begin.
O bring my trug na die ou Transvaal,
Daar waar my Sarie woon.
Daar onder in die mielies
By die groen doringboom,
Daar woon my Sarie Marais.

Chorus: O bring my trug na die ou Transvaal,
Daar waar my Sarie woon.
Daar onder in die mielies
By die groen doringboom,
Daar woon my Sarie Marais.

Ek was so bang dat die Kakies my sou vang
En ver oor die see wegstuur;
Toe vlug ek na die kant van die Upington se sand
Daar onder langs die Grootrivier.
O bring my trug na die ou Transvaal,
Daar waar my Sarie woon.
Daar onder in die mielies
By die groen doringboom,
Daar woon my Sarie Marais.

Chorus

Die Kakies is mos net soos 'n krokodille pes,
Hulle sleep jou altyd water toe;
Hul gooi jou op n skip vir 'n lange, lange trip,
Die josie weet waarnatoe.
O bring my trug na die ou Transvaal,
Daar waar my Sarie woon.
Daar onder in die mielies
By die groen doringboom,
Daar woon my Sarie Marais.

Chorus

Verlossing die kom en die huis toe gaan was daar,
Terug na die ou Transvaal;
My lieflingspersoon sal seker ook daar wees
Om my met 'n kus te beloon.
O bring my trug na die ou Transvaal,
Daar waar my Sarie woon.
Daar onder in die mielies
By die groen doringboom,
Daar woon my Sarie Marais.

Chorus

DIE ALIBAMA

This is a traditional Afrikaans song, especially popular among the Cape Malays in Cape Town. It is translated into English as "There comes the Alabama, the Alabama comes over the sea. Girl, girl, the reed bed is made, the reed bed is made for me to sleep on." There are two stories about its origin: one is that the song was composed about the US Confederate raiding ship Alabama which called in Cape Town during the American Civil War in 1863 after capturing the Federal ship Sea Bride in Table Bay, leading to a huge party on the beach where the captain, Admiral Semmes, handed out provisions seized during raids. Another theory is that there was a local boat called Alabama that brought thatching reads to Cape Town from St Helena Bay on the West Coast of South Africa.

Daar kom die Alibama,
Die Alibama die kom oor die see
Daar kom die Alibama,
Die Alibama die kom oor die see.

Nooi, nooi, die rietkooi, nooi,
Die rietkooi is gemaak,
Die rietkooi is vir my gemaak
Om daarop te slaap.
Nooi, nooi, die rietkooi, nooi,
Die rietkooi is gemaak,
Die rietkooi is vir my gemaak
Om daarop te slaap.

Die Alibama, die Alibama,
Die Alibama kom oor die see.
Die Alibama, die Alibama,
Die Alibama kom oor die see.

ZULU WARRIOR

Sung as a round. Recorded in the 1950s by Josef Marais and Miranda, although it may date back to the Cape Frontier Wars of the 19th century.

I zicka zimba, zimba, zimba
I zicka zimba, zimba, hey
I zicka zimba, zimba, zimba
I zicka zimba, zimba, hey

Hold him down, you Zulu warrior!
Hold him down, you Zulu chief,
Chief chief chief...

Another variation of this song goes as follows:

I kamma zimba zimba zi-yo
I kamma zimba zimba zee
I kamma zimba zimba zi-yo
I kamma zimba zimba zee

See him there, the Swazi warrior!
See him there, the Swazi chief,
Chief, chief, chief...

AG PLEEZ DEDDY

Words and Music by Jeremy Taylor. This is a South African comedy classic from the 1960s, sung with a strong accent. The single sold more copies in South Africa than any of Elvis Presley's. The words have been updated slightly for this website, with apologies...

Ag pleez Deddy won't you take us to the drive-in
All six, seven of us, eight, nine, ten
We wanna see a flick about
Tarzan an' the Ape-men
An' when the show is over you can bring us back again

Chorus:
Popcorn, chewing gum, peanuts an' bubble gum
Ice cream, candy floss an' Eskimo Pie
Ag Deddy how we miss
Lekker balls an' licorice
Pepsi Cola, ginger beer
and Canada Dry

Ag Pleez Deddy won't you take us to the fun-fair
We wanna have a ride on the bumper-cars
We'll buy a stick of candy floss
And eat it on the Octopus
Then we'll take the rocket ship that goes to Mars

Chorus

Ag pleez Deddy won't you take us to the wrestling
We wanna see an ou called Sky High Lee
When he fights Willie Liebenberg
There's gonna be a murder
He's gonna catch a klap from Willie's knobkierrie

Chorus

Ag pleez Deddy won't you take us off to Durban
It's only eight hours in the Chevro-lay
There's spans of sea an' sand an' sun
And fish in the aquari-yum
That's a lekker place for a holi-day

Chorus

Ag Pleez Deddy - VOETSEK!

Ag sis Deddy if we can't kraak to bioscope
Or go off to Durban, life's a heng of a bore
If you won't take us to the zoo
Then what the heck else can we do
But go on out and moere all the oukies next door

Chorus

JABULANI AFRICA

This is a South African gospel song, written in 1985 by Fini de Gersigny. Jabulani is a Zulu word meaning "Rejoice" or "Celebrate".

Jesus, life and hope to heal our land
Saviour, reaching out with your mighty hand

Bridge:
Sing for joy O Africa
The Lord your God is risen upon you
Sing for joy O Africa
The Lord your God is risen upon you now

Chorus
Jabulani, Jabulani Africa
Jabulani, Jabulani Africa
(Repeat)

Jesus, river of life to our thirsty land
Saviour, meeting our needs with your mighty hand

Bridge/Chorus

IN THE JUNGLE / WIMOWEH

This well-known song is based on a Zulu song, Mbube, recorded in 1939 by Solomon Linda:

Mbube, uyimbube, uyimbube, uyimbube

The meaning is roughly "Lion, you are a lion...". Later the tune was copied, English verses were added, and the word "u-yi-mbu-be" was mistranslated as "a-wim-o-weh". This version became a worldwide hit, and even appeared in Disney's The Lion King. Solomon Linda died a poor man, but many years later, in 2004, the Disney corporation aged to pay his family the royalties they owed him.

A-wimoweh, a-wimoweh
A-wimoweh, a-wimoweh...

In the jungle
The mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle
The quiet jungle
The lion sleeps tonight

Chorus

Near the village
The peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight
Near the village
The quiet village
The lion sleeps tonight

Chorus

Hush, my darling
Don't fear my darling
The lion sleeps tonight
Hush, my darling
Don't fear my darling
The lion sleeps tonight

GIMME HOPE JOANNA

Although this is not actually a South African song, it's a well-known anti-apartheid reggae song by Eddy Grant from the 1980s, before the end of apartheid, and it was also recorded by the South African Band, Dr Victor and the Rasta Rebels. Joanna is probably the city Johannesburg. Soweto is a black township near Johannesburg. The apartheid army was well-known for "sneaking across the neighbours borders" to fight in other countries. The archbishop is Desmond Tutu, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his opposition to apartheid.

Well Joanna she runs a country
She runs in Durban and Transvaal
She makes a few of her people happy
She don't care about the rest at all.

She got a system they call apartheid
It keeps a brother in subjection
But maybe pressure will make Joanna see
How everybody can live as one

Gimme hope, Joanna, hope Joanna
Gimme hope, Joanna, for the morning comes
Gimme hope, Joanna, hope Joanna
Hope before the mourning comes

I hear she makes all the golden money
To buy new weapons in the shape of guns
While every mother in black Soweto
Fears the killing of another son

Sneaking across all the neighbours borders
Now and then having a little fun
She doesn't care if the fun games she play
Is dangerous for everyone

Gimme hope Joanna...

She's got supporters in high places
Who turn their heads to the city sun
Joanna give them the fancy money
To tempt anyone who'd come
She even knows how to swing opinion
In every magazine and the journals
For every bad move that this Joanna makes
They got a good explanation

Gimme hope Joanna...

Even the preacher who works for Jesus
The archbishop who's a peaceful man
Together say that the freedom fighters
Will overcome the very strong.

I wanna know if you're blind Joanna
If you want to hear the sound of drums
Can't you see that the tide is turning
Don't make we wait till the mourning comes

Gimme hope Joanna..

KUM BA YAH

This well known song isn't actually South African, but there's an African collection so it is included on this page. Kum Ba Yah probably means "Come by here" in an African-American creole dialect called Gullah from South Carolina in the USA. Missionaries probably took the song to Africa in the 1930's, where it was later "rediscovered" in Angola in the 1950's, leading some to believe that the song had its origins in Angola. It became a popular peace song in the 1960s.

Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah! [Repeat 3x]
Oh Lord, kum ba yah!

Someone's sleeping, Lord . . .
Someone's crying, Lord . . .
Someone's singing, Lord . . .
Someone's laughing, Lord . . .
Someone's praying, Lord . . .
Someone's Scouting, Lord . . .
Someone's camping, Lord . . .
Kum ba yah, my Lord, . . .