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Homeless Lyrics

Emaweni webaba
Silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni

Homeless, homeless
Moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake
Homeless, homeless
Moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake
We are homeless, we are homeless
The moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake
And we are homeless, homeless, homeless
The moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake

Zio yami, zio yami, nhliziyo yami
Nhliziyo yami amakhaza asengi bulele
Nhliziyo yami, nhliziyo yami
Nhliziyo yami, angibulele amakhaza
Nhliziyo yami, nhliziyo yami
Nhliziyo yami somandla angibulele mama
Zio yami, nhliziyo yami
Nhliziyo yami, nhliziyo yami

Too loo loo, too loo loo
Too loo loo loo loo loo loo loo loo loo
Too loo loo, too loo loo
Too loo loo loo loo loo loo loo loo loo

Strong wind destroy our home
Many dead, tonight it could be you
Strong wind, strong wind
Many dead, tonight it could be you

And we are homeless, homeless
Moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake
Homeless, homeless
Moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake
Homeless, homeless
Moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake

Somebody say ih hih ih hih ih
Somebody sing hello, hello, hello
Somebody say ih hih ih hih ih
Somebody cry why, why, why?
Somebody say ih hih ih hih ih
Somebody sing hello, hello, hello
Somebody say ih hih ih hih ih
Somebody cry why, why, why?
Somebody say ih hih ih hih ih

Yitho omanqoba (ih hih ih hih ih) yitho omanqoba
Esanqoba lonke ilizwe
(ih hih ih hih ih) Yitho omanqoba (ih hih ih hih ih)
Esanqoba phakathi e England
Yitho omanqoba
Esanqoba phakathi e London
Yitho omanqoba
Esanqoba phakathi e England

Somebody say ih hih ih hih ih
Somebody sing hello, hello, hello
Somebody say ih hih ih hih ih
Somebody cry why, why, why?
Somebody say ih hih ih hih ih
Somebody sing hello, hello, hello
Somebody say ih hih ih hih ih
Somebody cry why, why, why?

Kuluman
Kulumani, Kulumani sizwe
Singenze njani
Baya jabula abasi thanda yo
Ho
10 Meanings

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Cover art for Homeless lyrics by Paul Simon

simply B E A utiful =)

Cover art for Homeless lyrics by Paul Simon

Does anyone know the translation for the Zulu? I had a friend explain it to me when I was in Swaziland, but I have managed to forget everything precisely. I think there was something about "We sleep in the caves," but I just can't remember.

@tlacomborro: (According to Google Translate)\r\nFirst Zulu verse:\r\nMy zoo, my zoo, my heart\r\nMy heart is cold\r\nMy heart, my heart\r\nMy heart, you have killed me from the cold\r\nMy heart, my heart\r\nMy mighty heart thanked my mother\r\nMy zoo, my heart\r\nMy heart, my heart \r\nSecond Zulu verse:\r\nIt\'s a victory (ih hih ih hih ih) it\'s a victory\r\nStill conquering the whole country\r\n(ih hih ih hih ih) It is a victory (ih hih ih hih ih)\r\nStill winning in the middle of England\r\nIt is a victory\r\nStill winning in central London\r\nIt is a victory\r\nWinning in England - ih hih ih hih ih...

Cover art for Homeless lyrics by Paul Simon

this song is really amazing. thank you to paul simon for bringing this kind of music to america

Cover art for Homeless lyrics by Paul Simon

Second to Bobby Farrins Dont Worry Be Happy - probably the most blissful accapella ever recorded

Cover art for Homeless lyrics by Paul Simon

could be about spiritually being lost. we're homeless in our world, just moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake (mere reflections of our true selves). People dying all the time, could be us next time. Saying hello, crying goodbye (birth and death).

Hard to say since I don't know what the Zulu parts say. Maybe it was just about an actual event Paul knew of, winds in africa making the villagers homeless. Maybe it's the political turmoil and wars and poverty africa suffers that is the wind killing and making people homeless.

Cover art for Homeless lyrics by Paul Simon

I absolutely LOVE Ladysmith Black Mambazo (if you don't know; they are the South African Group singing Zulu)

I am so grateful to Paul Simon for bringing their amazing sound to the World, I love this whole album, especially the part with LSMB

Cover art for Homeless lyrics by Paul Simon

unbelievable, the amount of thought Paul must have had to think through in arranging this is unbelievable ... so good

Cover art for Homeless lyrics by Paul Simon

I'm looking for the Zulu version not the English version. Does anyone know where I could find it

wendyp

My Interpretation

Ladysmith Black Mambazo recorded this song on the album Shaka Zulu (this is also the choir singing on Simon's Graceland album)

Cover art for Homeless lyrics by Paul Simon

Here's what I found for translation:

Webaba silale maweni

  • Hey, Mister, we sleep on the cliffs

Nhliziyo yami amakhaza asengi bulele

  • My heart/ The cold has already killed me -- My heart could be my physical heart or my love, my wife.

Yitho omanqoba ( ih hih ih hih ih) yitho omanqoba Esanqoba lonke ilizwe

  • We are the victors, we defeated the whole country

I found this at http://wordsinthebucket.com/homeless-paul-simon, but in case it disappears, I thought I'd add it here, too.

I really don't know what the victory part is referring to, though. It seems kind of out of place, so I know I'm missing something.

Cover art for Homeless lyrics by Paul Simon

This song is about Lake Nyos in Cameroon. it's a lake in a volcanic crater. In 1986 the lake overturned, sending carbon dioxide gas spilling down the mountains into villages at the foot of the mountain. A lot of people and cattle suffocated and no one could run away because it was in the middle of the night.

I'm sure this song is about more, but this is the story behind it.

Lake Nyos disaster occurred on August 21, 1986. Graceland was released on August 25, 1986 (recorded from October 1985 to June 1986). The timeline is not correct.

 
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