Summaries

Synopsis

Paul Simon's Graceland was one of the big musical things of the 1980's and this is from the related tour, a 1987 stadium concert at Harare, Zimbabwe. Paragraph numbers relate to my region 2+ PAL DVD, which mostly follow the songs and appear to be the same for region 1. I found that watching with the subtitles on helped give additional insights to how I had understood the DVD. The format is 4x3 interlaced as it was made for 1980's television broadcasting. That means that the quality is way below the best of modern DVDs, but it is a lot better than nothing.

1. Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Intro and TOWNSHIP JIVE: Ladies and gentlemen, comrades and friends, countrymen: This is Graceland in concert, 1987.

TOWNSHIP JIVE Township jive Township jive Township jive Township jive Township jive Soweto Township jive Township jive Soweto ...

2. Paul Simon - BOY IN THE BUBBLE

It was a slow day And the sun was beating On the soldiers by the side of the road There was a bright light A shattering of shop windows The bomb in the baby carriage Was wired to the radio

These are the days of miracle and wonder This is the long-distance call The way the camera follows us in slo-mo The way we look to us all ...

3. Paul Simon - GUMBOOTS

I was having this discussion in a taxi heading downtown Rearranging my position On this friend of mine who had a little bit of a breakdown I said hey you know breakdowns come and breakdowns go So, what are you going to do about it that's what I would like to know ...

4. Paul Simon - WHISPERING BELLS

Whispering bells, oh, so low Whispering bells, love you so Bring my baby, bring my baby back to me ...

5. Hugh Masekela - BRING HIM BACK HOME (NELSON MANDELA)

Bring back Nelson Mandela, bring him back to Soweto We want to see him walking down the streets of South Africa, tomorrow Bring back Nelson Mandela, bring him back to Soweto We want to see him walking hand in hand with Winnie Mandela ...

6. Paul Simon - CRAZY LOVE, Vol. II

Fat Charlie the archangel sloped into the room He said, I have no opinion about this and I have no opinion about that Sad as a lonely little wrinkled balloonHe said, well, I don't claim to be happy about this, boys And I don't seem to be happy about that

I don't want no part of this crazy love, I don't want no part of your loveI don't want no part of this crazy love, I don't want no part of your love ...

7. Paul Simon - I KNOW WHAT I KNOW

She looked me over and I guess she thought I was all right All right in a sort of a limited way for an off-night She said don't I know you from the cinematographer's party I said who am I to blow against the wind

I know what I know I'll sing what I said We come and we go That's a thing that I keep in the back of my head I know what I know I'll sing what I said We come and we go That's a thing that I keep in the back of my head

Oooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ...

8. Miriam Makeba - JINKEL E MAWENI no subs for this song

9. Miriam Makeba - SOWETO BLUES

The children got a letter from the master It said no more Cosa, Sutu, no more Zulu Refusing to comply, they sent an answer That's when the policemen came to the rescue Children were flying, bullets, dying ...

10. Paul Simon and Miriam Makeba - UNDER AFRICAN SKIES

Joseph's face was black as night The pale yellow moon shone in his eyes His path was marked By the stars in the Southern Hemisphere And he walked his days Under African skies ...

11. LadySmith Black Mambazo -NOMATHEMBA (MOTHER OF HOPE)

Wuuuu, wuuuu, wuuuu, wuuuu, wuuuu Wangishiya ngingedwa uNomathemba ...

12. LadySmith Black Mambazo - HELLO MY BABY

Hey babyHey beautiful girlHey baby heySing hey baby heyCome along, come along to kiss me, before I'm going Come along, come along to kiss me, before I'm going ...

13. Paul Simon and LadySmith Black Mambazo - HOMELESS

Emaweni webaba silale maweniWebaba silale maweni Webaba silale maweniWebaba silale maweni Webaba silale maweniWebaba silale maweni Webaba silale maweniWebaba silale maweni Webaba silale maweniWebaba silale maweni ...

Homeless, homeless Moonlight sleeping on a midnight lakeHomeless, homeless Moonlight sleeping on a midnight lakeWe are homeless, we are homeless The moonlight sleeping on a midnight lakeAnd we are homeless, homeless, homelessThe moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake ...

14. Paul Simon - GRACELAND

The Mississippi Delta was shining Like a National guitar I am following the river Down the highway Through the cradle of the civil war I'm going to Graceland ...

15. Paul Simon - YOU CAN CALL ME AL

A man walks down the street he says why am I soft in the middle nowWhy am I soft in the middle the rest of my life is so hardI need a photo-opportunity I want a shot at redemptionDon't want to end up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyardBonedigger Bonedigger Dogs in the moonlight, far away my well-lit doorMr. Beerbelly Beerbelly Get these mutts away from meYou know I don't find this stuff amusing anymore ...

16. Hugh Masekela - STIMELA

There's a train that comes from Zimbabwe to Zambia. There's a train that comes from Angola and Mozambique. There's a train that comes from Botswana, from Swaziland and Lesotho. There's a train that comes from Malawi and from Namibia And this train brings with it young and old African men Who come and work on conscription in the gold and mineral mines Of Johannerburg and the surrounding metropoli 16 hours a day for almost no pay ...

17. Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo -DIAMONDS ON THE SOLES OF HER SHOES

Oooh-ooh, oooh-oohA-wa a-wa O kodwa u zo-nge li-sa namhlange A-wa a-wa Si-bona kwenze ka kanjani ...

She's a rich girl, she don't try to hide it Diamonds on the soles of her shoes He's a poor boy, empty as a pocket, empty as a pocket with nothing to losesSing Ta na na Ta na na, she's got diamonds on the soles of her shoes ...

18. Miriam Makeba, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Hugh Masekela and Paul Simon - also an audience sing along. For a while an African national anthem, which started as a hymn composed by a Johannesburg Methodist clergyman. N'KOSI SIKELELI

Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika - Lord, bless Africa Maluphakanyis' uphondo lwayo - May her horn rise high upYiva imithandazo yethu - Hear Thou our prayersNkosi sikelela, Thina lusapho lwayo - And bless us.

ChorusYehla Moya, Yehla Moya, - Descend, O SpiritYehla Moya Oyingcwele - Descend, O Holy Spirit ...

End credits are accompanied by KING OF KINGS In your fields, we kneel, before you, Father Appealing, asking for peace in the rest of our country ...