I first heard-- an immediately came to love-- this song when posted to Angola in the mid-1990s, when the country was torn by civil war between two sets of would-be lions who wanted nothing more than to take whatever they could for themselves. The song is about the abuse of power by dictators, and the inevitable violent change of government that follows in such a system. The "lion" allusion and the reference to the "poorest land" may make this more specifically about Africa, in which case it's a nice counterpoint to "hateful hate."
I always thought this song was about Idi Amin of Uganda. As well as being known as "The Lion of Africa" he was a self-appointed King (of Scotland!) and one of his (self-anointed) titles was "... Lord of all the Beasts ..."
I always thought this song was about Idi Amin of Uganda. As well as being known as "The Lion of Africa" he was a self-appointed King (of Scotland!) and one of his (self-anointed) titles was "... Lord of all the Beasts ..."
I first heard-- an immediately came to love-- this song when posted to Angola in the mid-1990s, when the country was torn by civil war between two sets of would-be lions who wanted nothing more than to take whatever they could for themselves. The song is about the abuse of power by dictators, and the inevitable violent change of government that follows in such a system. The "lion" allusion and the reference to the "poorest land" may make this more specifically about Africa, in which case it's a nice counterpoint to "hateful hate."
I always thought this song was about Idi Amin of Uganda. As well as being known as "The Lion of Africa" he was a self-appointed King (of Scotland!) and one of his (self-anointed) titles was "... Lord of all the Beasts ..."
I always thought this song was about Idi Amin of Uganda. As well as being known as "The Lion of Africa" he was a self-appointed King (of Scotland!) and one of his (self-anointed) titles was "... Lord of all the Beasts ..."