Weeping Song Information




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Click here to view a very compressed history of the anti Apartheid movement in South Africa
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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)
Weeping: Cover-art from 1st version
1993: Various personnel (recorded for Ipi Tombi movie soundtrack)
Weeping: Cover-art from 2nd version
1996: Qkumba Zoo (on their CD Wake Up & Dream)
Weeping: Cover-art from 3rd version
1996: Soweto String Quartet (on their CD Renaissance, with guest vocalist Vusi Mahlasela)
Weeping: Cover-art from 4th version
Around 1997: Coenie de Villiers (with lyrics in Afrikaans, on his CD Solo)
Weeping: Cover-art from 5th version
Year unknown: James Stewart (on his CD Eklektik)
Weeping: Cover-art from 6th version
2000: Kearsney College Choir (on their CD Road to the Olympics)
Weeping: Cover-art from 7th version
2004: Jinny Sagorin (on her CD It's For You)
Weeping: Cover-art from 8th version
2004: Soweto Gospel Choir (on their CD Blessed)
Weeping: Cover-art from 9th version

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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.