Lyrics to the songs on Johnny Clegg’s “Human” CD

All songs written by Johnny Clegg and published by Rhythm Dog Music except “Magumede,” a traditional Bhaca song arranged by Johnny Clegg.

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 pretense
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 only 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!
All I got is you, babe, all I got is you, baby!

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 judgment 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

CHORUS

You know it’s so hard to fight
On your own against the fading of the light
From the school to the church to the 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 face this day
Goodbye my friend, goodbye

CHORUS

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, digs 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

HERE COMES THAT FEELING

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 (oh, 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, you 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 defense
Your smile was just pretense
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 sings 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

CHORUS

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 the 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 (The 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 …

CHORUS

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 )

CHORUS

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!)