This is the original uncensored music video for Bright Blue’s seminal South African song ‘Weeping’. It was filmed by Nic Hofmeyr on the Cape Flats in the late nineteen eighties, during the State of Emergency. Catch the ‘Nkosi Sikelela’ bridge, snuck onto SABC airwaves despite the anthem’s banning, and look out for the late Basil ‘Manenberg’ Coetzee on sax, filmed in Manenberg township! The song has been covered by Josh Grobin, Vusi Mahlasela and others.
Nic Hofmeyr
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
it slowly sound
it wasn’t roaring it was weeping
it wasn’t roaring it was weeping.
SAX SOLO – Basil Coetzee
And then one day the neighbours 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”.
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
it slowly sound
it wasn’t roaring it was weeping
it wasn’t roaring it was weeping.
SAX
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
it slowly sound
it wasn’t roaring it was weeping
it wasn’t roaring it was weeping.
Composed by: Heymann/ Fox/ Cohen/ Cohen
Recorded and released by Bright Blue in 1987. One of South Africa’s greatest songs… includes instrumental references to ‘Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrica’.