In 1962 during a tour of Europe, Duke Ellington heard “The Dollar Brand Trio” playing in Zürich's “Africana Club”. As a result, a recording was set up with Reprise Records; “Duke Ellington presents The Dollar Brand Trio”. The Dollar Brand Trio (with Johnny Gertze on bass and Makaya Ntshoko on drums) subsequently played at many European festivals, as well as on radio and television.
He briefly returned to South Africa in the mid-1970s after his conversion to Islam (and the resultant change of name from Dollar Brand to Abdullah Ibrahim); however, he soon returned to New York in 1976, as he found the political conditions too oppressive. While in South Africa, however, he made a series of recordings with noted Cape Town jazz players (including Basil Coetzee and Robbie Jansen). This included Coetzee's masterpiece, "Mannenberg", acknowledged by most as one of South Africa's greatest musical compositions; the recording soon became an unofficial soundtrack to the anti-apartheid resistance.
Abdullah Ibrahim has written the soundtracks for a number of films, including the award winning Chocolat and, more recently, No Fear, No Die. Since the end of apartheid, he now lives in South Africa and divides his time between his global concert circuit, New York, and South Africa.
Abdullah Ibrahim is a towering figure in South African music, an artist who brings together all its traditions with a deeply felt understanding of American jazz, from the orchestral richness of Duke Ellington's compositions for big band to the groundbreaking innovations of Ornette Coleman and the 1960s avant-garde.
Ibrahim has worked as a solo performer, typically in mesmerising unbroken concerts that echo the unstoppable impetus of the old marabi performers. He also performs regularly with trios and quartets and larger orchestral units. Since his triumphant return to South Africa in the early 1990s, he has been feted with symphony orchestra performances, one of which was in honour of Nelson Mandela's installation as President. He has also founded a school for South African musicians in Cape Town.
With his wife, the jazz singer Sathima Bea Benjamin, he is father to the New York underground rapper Jean Grae, as well as to a son, Tsakwe.
Guilty
Abdullah Ibrahim Lyrics
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And think that we should part
It seems as though I have loved you so long
You'll always be in my heart
Is it a sin
Is it a crime
Loving you dear like I do
Guilty of loving you
Maybe I'm wrong dreaming of you
Dreaming the lonely night through
If it's a crime then I'm guilty
Guilty of dreaming of you
What can I do
What can I say
After I've taken the blame?
You say we're through
You'll go your way
But I'll always feel just the same
Maybe I'm right
Maybe I'm wrong
Loving you dear like I do
If it's a crime then I'm guilty
Guilty of loving you
In Abdullah Ibrahim's "Guilty", the singer is expressing a love so deep that it feels like a crime. Despite their decision to part ways, he cannot help but love this person and have them constantly on his mind. He questions whether it is actually wrong to love someone so passionately and declares himself guilty if it is.
The lyrics touch on the pain and confusion that come with loving someone who may not feel the same way. The singer is torn between wanting to hold onto his love for this person and knowing that it may not be accepted or reciprocated. The line "What can I do, what can I say, after I've taken the blame?" suggests that he has already been judged for his feelings and does not know how to move forward.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of longing and a plea for understanding. The repeated line "Guilty of loving you" reinforces the notion of a love that is perceived as wrong or taboo. Yet, the singer cannot help his feelings and is willing to accept the consequences of his love, even if it means being cast aside.
Overall, "Guilty" is a poignant love song that speaks to the universal experience of loving someone who may not love us back or may not be accepted by society. It highlights the pain and confusion that come with forbidden love and the struggle to reconcile those feelings with societal norms.
Line by Line Meaning
Though you've decided that our love is wrong
Even though you have decided that our love is wrong
And think that we should part
And you believe that we should separate
It seems as though I have loved you so long
It appears that I have loved you for a very long time
You'll always be in my heart
And you will always be close to my heart
Is it a sin
Is it morally wrong
Is it a crime
Is it a punishable offense
Loving you dear like I do
To love you deeply like I do
If it's a crime then I'm guilty
If loving you is a crime, then I am guilty
Guilty of loving you
Guilty for being deeply in love with you
Maybe I'm wrong dreaming of you
It is possible that I am mistaken for dreaming about you
Dreaming the lonely night through
Dreaming through the sad and solitary night
If it's a crime then I'm guilty
If this is an offense, then I plead guilty
Guilty of dreaming of you
Guilty of dreaming of you and longing for you
What can I do
What actions can I take
What can I say
What can I express
After I've taken the blame?
After I have admitted my fault?
You say we're through
You declare that we are over
You'll go your way
You will follow your path
But I'll always feel just the same
But my feelings for you will remain unchanged
Maybe I'm right
Perhaps I am correct in my thinking
Maybe I'm wrong
Or maybe I am mistaken
Loving you dear like I do
Loving you so deeply the way I do
If it's a crime then I'm guilty
If this love for you is a crime, then I plead guilty
Guilty of loving you
Guilty of loving you deeply
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Harry Akst, Gus Kahn, Richard A. Whiting
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind