The Power of One

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Helen, thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you for asking us to pick a song featured in a movie as our Song Lyric Sunday entry this week. My song is one I had been thinking about during the week, called Southland Concerto. Since it is a protest song, I had been wishing it had come to my mind last week when that was your prompt.

Southland Concerto is from one of my favorite movies, The Power of One. The movie is set in South Africa during World War II, a time when apartheid ruled. This particular song was sung in a section of the movie that was about an internment camp. If I remember right, it was performed by a large group of black prisoners who had been directed to provide a concert for dignitaries and guards.

There are no translations available, but the movie script certainly gives a good hint. The script says:

[the African inmates are singing a song in Zulu, insulting the prison guards. One of the guards caught up with Piet (a prisoner) and asks him what they are singing about]

Sgt. Bowmann: What are they singing?

Geel Piet: [translating] They run this way. They run that way. They are confused. They are afraid.

Sgt. Bowmann: We are afraid?

[shouts]

Sgt. Bowmann: We are afraid?

Geel Piet: You are cowards.

I still feel inspired whenever I see or think about this movie. It reminds me that each one of us can make a difference. If you have not watched it before, I would highly recommend that you do.

10 thoughts on “The Power of One”

  1. I kind of like this kind of thing. I guess you just have to kind of imagine what it is. You can make inferences from the script but you just never know. I guess it’s kind of like books: a lot of it is up for interpretation.

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  2. I aim to please! 🙂

    I didn’t understand a word of it, but it wasn’t necessary. You can almost feel what they’re singing about. Power and passion resonate throughout. Thank you so much for posting such a beautiful song!

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      1. I read the whole thing. It helped give a sense of what was happening, but I guess what I meant to say is that I was grateful for the explanation, but it wasn’t entirely needed. The song and the way it was sung was powerful and amazing. 🙂

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