Freedom day

Voting in South African elections

Today is a public holiday in South Africa, it has been since 1995 and commemorates the first democratic elections to be held here.

Unlike other countries our public holidays are on the actual date i.e 27th April, 16th June irrespective of which day of the week upon which it falls.

With this weeks holiday falling on a Tuesday a lot of South Africans took Monday off as well and enjoyed a long weekend.

But I digress, I want to introduce you to Dan Heymann, he wrote the words and music of “Weeping” during the mid-1980’s when he ‘was an unwilling soldier, drafted into the army of South Africa’s white-supremacist regime.’ He now lives in New York City.

Dan Heymann writer of 'Weeping'

‘Weeping’ performed by Bright Blue (1987) was played on my local radio station yesterday the DJ announced it as the ‘greatest song to ever be produced in South Africa’

I’ve subsequently established that (our) Radio 5 voted ‘Weeping’ its song of the century.

It includes a refrain from Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika which is now part of South Africa’s National Anthem, but at the time, it was under a “ban” by the Apartheid government.

It’s a great tune (although I wouldn’t personally advocate it as the greatest South African song ever) and one that I wanted to share with you as we celebrate Freedom Day today.

(Heymann tells us that the ‘man who lived in fear‘ was P.W.Botha, S.A.President at the time!)

Lyrics

I knew a man who lived in fear
It was huge, it was angry, it was drawing near
Behind his house, a secret place
Was the shadow of the demon he could never face
He built a wall of steel and flame
And men with guns, to keep it tame
Then standing back, he made it plain
That the nightmare would never ever rise again
But the fear and the fire and the guns remain

It doesn’t matter now
It’s over anyhow
He tells the world that it’s sleeping
But as the night came round
I heard its lonely sound
It wasn’t roaring, it was weeping

And then one day the neighbors came
They were curious to know about the smoke and flame
They stood around outside the wall
But of course there was nothing to be heard at all
“My friends,” he said, “We’ve reached our goal
The threat is under firm control
As long as peace and order reign
I’ll be damned if I can see a reason to explain
Why the fear and the fire and the guns remain”

42 thoughts on “Freedom day”

  1. You can’t call an election democratic when the vast majority of voters cast their vote blindly on tribal lines for corrupt politicians whose only interest is in getting into power and staying their to reap the benefits by pandering to their client electorate.

    Mind, it might be different in your country than it is here 🙂

  2. Hi Soutie, thanks for this, most interesting.
    Commenting on the tune – although well arranged, performed and produced in this recording, it strikes me as a rather simple melody, redolent of something by Phil Collins perhaps, with more than a trace of “King of Wishful Thinking” (Go West) in the hook. Pleasant – yes; singable – yes, but one of the greatest – no way, IMHO. But then what do I know? If I could do better I wouldn’t be poor! 😦

  5. Soutie, Happy Freedom day! It is interesting how certain songs (lyrics and tune) catch the mood of a nation or community and become adopted as anthems e.g. Flower of Scotland, and the Irish tune the Fields of Athenry. Even “You’ll never walk alone” (Liverpool Football Club) sometimes sung both in both exaltation and defiance! I listened to Weeping. I think that the distant backdrop of choral singing gives it that anthemic quality which the song might otherwise have lacked. But I like the climax with more trad S African township stuff and keyboard punctuating the rhythym. There is a quality and sensitivity in the words that leads one to listen again – there is a calling here!

  6. Hope you have a good day, Soutie. I enjoyed the clip, though the tune and vocals are a little on the bland side, as others have implied … I thought of Peter Gabriel and Chris de Burgh.

  8. “Unlike other countries our public holidays are on the actual date i.e 27th April”
    Hi soutie I think you will find that most countries celebrate on the actual day. The bank holiday system in the UK is an exception not the rule. On 8th of may we celebrate our freedom after the the defeat of the English come hell or high water.

  9. Most of our public holidays here are on the closest Monday … the exception being the St Patrick’s Day holiday, which is always on 17 March.

  10. The bank holiday system in the UK and Ireland and no doubt other ex members of the Empire is an exception not the rule

  11. Morning Bravo, by your definition there are probably no truly democratic elections anywhere! My mate Sipu has often mentioned a ‘qualified vote’ is that what you’re insinuating?

    Anyway I don’t care, we’ve managed to provide a better future for our children, I’m happy with that https://i0.wp.com/planetsmilies.net/happy-smiley-541.gif

  13. Hello MoO

    Business leaders here have been moaning about lost productivity and quoted systems elsewhere, Uk I knew, USA (thanksgiving), Brendano has now confirmed Ireland, by “other countries” I was referring to our membership here.

    I can live with our existing format, there is absolutely no chance of the ANC ever changing it, the dates selected mostly commemorate tragedies under the Nationalist Government, it’s the date that’s sacrosanct not the event!

  15. Howzit Bearsy, pleased that you enjoyed this, enjoyed your comments, of course it’s the symbolism of the song which has ensured (and maintained) its popularity.

    I don’t actually recall it being a hit in the 80’s, over time it has grown on me.

  16. Thank you Boa, as you know we work for ourselves, not quite a day off but a quieter day with a later start and earlier finish 😉

  17. PapaG, thank you, nice to see you here, I had a feeling that most here would never have heard this before, as you say it has an ‘anthemic quality’

    The songwriter Dan Heymann plays the keyboards.

  18. Morning Brendano, it is sort of mournful isn’t it, perhaps it was meant to be, they were tough and dark times here during the ’80’s, it’s almost like a poetry recital.

  19. Good morning Pseu

    Well done with the clip, I was going to add it myself but the post was already getting too long and cluttered.

    Thanks for the avatar change 😉 Bet you were unaware that today is our National day, very appropriate I think.
    https://i0.wp.com/planetsmilies.net/happy-smiley-541.gif

  20. Morning, Soutie. Extremely tough times, which is why the voice could perhaps do with a bit more soul, not that I mean to be overly critical. There are plenty of soulful singers in SA, I am sure.

    The music I associate with SA from my European perspective would be Paul Simon’s Graceland album (which brought some SA musicians to prominence in the West), Peter Gabriel’s ‘Biko’ and the Special AKA’s ‘Free Nelson Mandela’.

    I was involved in anti-apartheid campaigns in Ireland in the 1980s. I used to take part in the picketing of this shop.

    http://www.metroeireann.com/article/the-dunnes-stores-staff-who-stood,2019

  21. Interesting link Brendano, thanks. I first visited Ireland (only the North) in ’87. I deliberately left my SAA tags on my bags, I was inviting comment, not one person was critical (not to my face anyway.)

    I hear what you say about your perspective, I of course try and post only local stuff (well, south of the equator anyway) I enjoy giving members a view of life down here, past and present 😉

  22. Yes, it’s good that you do that, Soutie.

    A college friend of mine went to work in SA in 1984 or so. I disapproved strongly, and we had fairly heated arguments by letter!

    When he returned to Ireland we became friends again. I remember he complained that as far as some Irish people were concerned, a stigma was attached to having gone to work in apartheid SA. I said that that was how it should be. 🙂

  23. Kader Asmal led the Irish anti-apartheid movement – I believe he’s a politician in SA now.

    I picketed with his wife a few times.

  24. He’s retired now (2004),he was minister of Education.

    He wrecked our education system (Outcome Based Education was his mantra), bringing education down to the ability of the least performing student, because of him my children now attend a private school.

    I suppose that I should thank him 🙂

  25. Sorry to hear that of KA. As it happens, I’m working on a book on educational strategies at the moment … that is undoubtedly a very poor one.

    My brother-in-law blames Sinn Fein for attempting something similar in NI.

  27. Bravo The Uk has about the worst productivity in the develeoped world; their model may not be the best on offer. France always holds holidays on the date wherever it falls. And what do you know, we have the best productivity. Your business leaders sound like british bankers, not terribly concerned about the troops.

  29. For an intelligent inquisitive person it is difficult to comprehend this baracking from the terrasses. “His at it again”. Surely a sensible response would be to benefit from my experience to understand this long standing productivity problem. But no there is just ignorant scorn.

  31. MoO,

    Are you trying to tell me you consider yourself intelligent?

    Now I know you have completely lost it. Oh and it’s terraces by the way. 🙂

  32. Pseu #7 – The bass lines of African choral singing always make the hairs on my neck prickle. One of my favourite groups:

  36. And me – (wonderful rendition at Cornbury Music fest a couple of years ago of Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes.)

    Great clip Bravo. now here’s mine.

  39. Good post, Soutie and stirring music. Thanks. Enjoyed the Ladysmith Black Mambazo tracks too.Saw them a couple of times – once with Paul Simon at the NEC. Magic.

  40. Tail end Charlie today, Soutie, but Happy Freedom day and I enjoyed your post and the comments.

    In my view, “Weeping” was simple and hence the attraction; the words and the sentiments are the thing, and the emotions it evokes. I can see why you like it.

  42. Soutie; I thought I’d commented earlier on, but I must have just thought I did! Anyway, I enjoyed this. Lovely music and so poignant as well.
    Janh; I love the Ladysmith Black Mazambo too. It reminds me of being at uni and baked beans, for some bizarre reason! 🙂

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