South African Scout campfire songbookSouth African songsThis 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. SHOSHOLOZAShosholoza 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 SIYAHAMBAA song in Zulu or Xhosa meaning "We Are Walking in the Light of God" Siyahamb' ekukhanyen' kwenkhos', We are marching in the light of God, SARIE MARAISA 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, Chorus: O bring my trug na die ou Transvaal, Ek was so bang dat die Kakies my sou vang Chorus Die Kakies is mos net soos 'n krokodille pes, Chorus Verlossing die kom en die huis toe gaan was daar, Chorus DIE ALIBAMAThis 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, Nooi, nooi, die rietkooi, nooi, Die Alibama, die Alibama, ZULU WARRIORSung 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 Hold him down, you Zulu warrior! Another variation of this song goes as follows: I kamma zimba zimba zi-yo See him there, the Swazi warrior! AG PLEEZ DEDDYWords 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 Chorus: Ag Pleez Deddy won't you take us to the fun-fair Chorus Ag pleez Deddy won't you take us to the wrestling Chorus Ag pleez Deddy won't you take us off to Durban Chorus Ag Pleez Deddy - VOETSEK! Ag sis Deddy if we can't kraak to bioscope Chorus JABULANI AFRICAThis 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 Bridge: Chorus Jesus, river of life to our thirsty land Bridge/Chorus IN THE JUNGLE / WIMOWEHThis 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 In the jungle Chorus Near the village Chorus Hush, my darling GIMME HOPE JOANNAAlthough 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 got a system they call apartheid Gimme hope, Joanna, hope Joanna I hear she makes all the golden money Sneaking across all the neighbours borders Gimme hope Joanna... She's got supporters in high places Gimme hope Joanna... Even the preacher who works for Jesus I wanna know if you're blind Joanna Gimme hope Joanna.. KUM BA YAHThis 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] Someone's sleeping, Lord . . . |
