Weeping Song Information
Click here to visit my "Weeping" Homepage
Click here to view the lyrics of "Weeping"
Click here to see the story of Bright Blue
Click here to view some details about Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Click here to read something about Josh Groban's career
Click here to read a little about Vusi Mahlasela's story
Click here to view a very compressed history of the anti Apartheid movement in South Africa
Click here to read my story
Click here for Muffled Music
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"Weeping" is a well-known protest song from South Africa, written by an unwilling soldier, Dan Heymann, drafted into the army during the years of white domination.
This Weeping song reached number one on the government-run radio station, when the official censors failed to notice the anti-government sentiments expressed in the Weeping song.
That first recording of the Weeping song contained an instrumental line from the anthem of the African National Congress, and that anthem later became the National Anthem of the liberated South Africa.
The lyrics of the Weeping song depict one of the last white leaders of South Africa, P. W. Botha.
The Weeping song has been recorded by several artists:
The first recording of the Weeping song to appear was by the South African band, Bright Blue, in which the writer of the Weeping song, Dan Heymann, played keyboards.
Six years later, the Weeping song was recorded for the soundtrack of the South African movie, "Ipi Tombi",
after which a "techno" version of the Weeping song was released by South African band, Qkumba Zoo, who also added a "middle section" to their version of the Weeping song.
During the same year, the Soweto String Quartet, plus guest vocalist Vusi Mahlasela, did a version of the Weeping song with their own distinctive string-based accompaniment.
Later, the lyrics of the Weeping song were translated in Afrikaans (a song about poverty) and recorded by Coenie de Villiers.
James Stewart also recorded a verion of the Weeping song, this one being more rock-flavored.
The Weeping song has even survived into the new millennium.
A choral treatment was given to the Weeping song by the Kearsney College Choir in South Africa,
followed by Jinny Sagorin in Boston, who did the first American rendition of the Weeping song, this one for a cabaret setting.
Later, a gospel slant was given to the Weeping song by the Soweto Gospel Choir.
In 2006, Josh Groban recorded the Weeping song in New York City, for release in November, 2006, on his CD, "Awake".
Of course, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have also done a Weeping song, so Dan Heymann's Weeping song isn't the only Weeping song out there!
Here's the cover-artwork for existing releases of "Weeping", as far as I know:
1987: Bright Blue (on the flip-side of our "forty-five" Yesterday Night)
1993: Various personnel (recorded for Ipi Tombi movie soundtrack)
1996: Qkumba Zoo (on their CD Wake Up & Dream)
1996: Soweto String Quartet (on their CD Renaissance, with guest vocalist Vusi Mahlasela)
Around 1997: Coenie de Villiers (with lyrics in Afrikaans, on his CD Solo)
Year unknown: James Stewart (on his CD Eklektik)
2000: Kearsney College Choir (on their CD Road to the Olympics)
2004: Jinny Sagorin (on her CD It's For You)
2004: Soweto Gospel Choir (on their CD Blessed)
Click here for "Weeping" Homepage
Weeping
, written by
Dan Heymann
(sometimes mis-spelled as
Dan Heyman
), is a
famous protest song
that emerged from the
South African anti Apartheid movement
during the mid-1980's, and this
song of freedom
has been recorded by many artists, including noted South African band
Bright Blue
and, more recently,
Josh Groban
, in a collaboration with
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
and
Vusi Mahlasela
, who has previously released a solo recording of this
song of protest
. The
anti Apartheid
lyrics Weeping
contains are among the most-recorded
freedom song lyrics
of any
protest song
to have come out of South Africa.
The Weeping song
(rights to which are partially controlled by
Muffled Music
) led to a February, 2006, encounter between singer Josh
Groban
and songwriter Dan
Heymann
(occasionally mis-spelled as
Heyman
) at New York City's Sony Studios, a legendary institution which has given many a
song freedom
to soar. It was a thrill for Dan to hear his anti
Apartheid song
being recorded by such a high-caliber team. Having been a musician in contact with various
anti-Apartheid movements
during the Freedom-Struggle in South Africa, when examining the
Weeping lyrics
, Dan was thrilled to feel the connection of his
lyric to protest song
tradition. When the time came to add backing vocals, nobody needed to teach
Vusi Mahlasela lyrics
to the
Weeping song
, having already performed it live so many times, and this new rendition of Dan's familiar rhyming-
lyric protest song
should give
the song freedom
to reach many new listeners. Many
protest songs
were inspired by the
anti Apartheid movement
and Dan is proud that his
freedom song
has been so well-received, particularly when there are already so many wonderful
anti-Apartheid
protest song lyrics
in existence.