Shosholoza
Roger Kellaway Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴Shosholoza (Shosholoza)
Ku Lezontaba
Stimela Sipum'e South Africa

Shosholoza (Shosholoza)
Ku Lezontaba
Stimela Sipum'e South Africa

Wen' Uyabaleka (Wen' Uyabaleka)
Ku Lezontaba
Stimela Sipum'e South Africa

Wen' Uyabaleka (Wen' Uyabaleka)
Ku Lezontaba
Stimela Sipum'e South Africa

Shosholoza (Shosholoza)
Ku Lezontaba
Stimela Sipum'e South Africa

Shosholoza (Shosholoza)
Ku Lezontaba
Stimela Sipum'e South Africa

Shosholoza Mama

Dig Dig Digging In The Sun
hia hia ho
Men Must Work For Me

Dig Dig Digging In The Sun
hia hia ho
Men Must Work For Me

Dig Dig Digging In The Sun
hia hia ho
Men Must Work For Me

Dig Dig Digging In The Sun
hia hia ho
Men Must Work For Me

Dum, dum ha dum dum ha dum dum ha dum (Shosholoza)
Dum, dum ha dum dum ha dum dum ha dum (Shosholoza)

Shosholoza (Shosholoza)
Ku Lezontaba
Stimela Sipum'e South Africa

Shosholoza (Shosholoza)
Ku Lezontaba
Stimela Sipum'e South Africa

Wen' Uyabaleka (Wen' Uyabaleka)
Ku Lezontaba
Stimela Sipum'e South Africa

Wen' Uyabaleka (Wen' Uyabaleka)
Ku Lezontaba

Overall Meaning

The song "Shosholoza" is a traditional South African work song that was originally sung by miners who labored in difficult and dangerous conditions. The repetitive, rhythmic melody reflects the monotony of the work, while the call-and-response structure of the lyrics creates a sense of community and cooperation among the workers. The word "shosholoza" means "go forward" or "move fast" in Ndebele, and this theme of perseverance and determination in the face of adversity pervades the song.

The lyrics describe the workers' journey toward a brighter future, as they dig and toil in the sun with the goal of building a better life for themselves and their families. The phrase "Stimela Sipum'e South Africa" translates to "the train is pushing forward to South Africa," which represents the workers' metaphorical journey toward progress and prosperity. The repetition of the words "wen' uyabaleka" adds an urgent sense of motion and momentum, urging the workers to keep pushing forward and not give up.

Line by Line Meaning

Shosholoza (Shosholoza)
Let's go, let's go

Ku Lezontaba
On those mountains

Stimela Sipum'e South Africa
Train is pushing off, South Africa

Wen' Uyabaleka (Wen' Uyabaleka)
Run away, you are running away

Shosholoza Mama
Let's go, mother

Dig Dig Digging In The Sun hia hia ho Men Must Work For Me
Working hard in the sun, men must work for me

Dum, dum ha dum dum ha dum dum ha dum (Shosholoza)
Drumming and singing, 'Let's go, let's go'

Contributed by Ethan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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