aKING is an audio diary of life and survival in the suburbs. Expect uncompromising, focused energy. Sing-along alternative country-inspired songs and Classic Rock anthems are at the order of the day. The tongue-in-cheek and cynical, yet sometimes sentimental lyrics are mixed with an infectious, positive energy to accurately describe the strange contrast of their unique socio-political situation. aKING is a band with unlimited aspirations, but totally aware and in-tune with where they come from.
Being members of Fokofpolisiekar, Hunter Kennedy and Jaco Venter need no introduction to the South African Music scene. Fokofpolisiekar has revolutionized Afrikaans rock music by challenging and shifting rigid Afrikaans mindsets. Controversial as they are perceived to be, Fokofpolisiekar has written themselves into the history books of Afrikaans Music with their fiery reign of excellent musicianship, relevant intelligent lyrics and larger than life live performances. FPK has won numerous awards including a SAMA for Best Afrikaans Rock album for “Swanesang” and they have opened commercial doors for Afrikaans rock music by being the first Afrikaans band to have tracks play-listed on national commercial radio station 5fm.
Hunter, who wrote most of the lyrics for Fokofpolisiekar, co wrote 8 of the tracks on the aKING album with vocalist Laudo Liebenberg Bassist Hennie van Halen has known the rest of the band since high-school. He studied for two years after school and worked in the sound industry for a while before leaving to spend some time overseas as an English teacher in China. On his return from abroad he lived in the Fokofpolisiekar house while the band was away on tour – and it was in this time that he started jamming and writing songs with Laudo. Laudo Liebenberg studied Drama at the University of Stellenbosch and is best known for playing the lead role in Marthinus Basson's acclaimed productions of Romeo and Juliet and Broers.
Decomposing Lullaby
Aking Lyrics
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A gunshot rhythm to a decomposing lullaby
I rest my head on the bosom of restless nights
Death is dining at our table
We feast on our nails
There's a bullet with my name on
Waiting to exhale inside of me
There's not alot of sympathy
If only I could begin again
But I'm not surprised it's the end
I feel helpless
I can't help it if I don't need a lullaby
We need a miracle
If this is where our hearts lie
Where is our home?
I rest my head on the bosom of little faith
Still we keep hanging on for a saint
Barking serenade of panic
The moon is wailing
Quench your thirst my son
Make sure you lick the knife clean
Inside of me my life will be an offering
To those that I have failed
There's a bottle with my name on
And I'm waiting to inhale
I rest my head on the bosom of restless highs
I rest my head on broken promises
The lyrics to Aking's song "Decomposing Lullaby" paint a bleak and anguished picture of life in difficult circumstances. The song opens with a vivid image of the world outside, with "bad wind breathing in the streets tonight" and a gunshot rhythm adding to the ominous atmosphere. The singer describes feeling helpless and unable to escape the cycle of violence and struggle that surrounds them, with death constantly present at their table. The bullet "waiting to exhale inside of me" is a powerful metaphor for the sense of impending danger and the feeling that one's fate is out of their hands.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of desperation and a longing for something better. The singer asks "Where is our home?" and expresses a sense of disillusionment with "broken promises" and "little faith." They see themselves as having failed others, and describe their life as an offering to those they have let down. In the final lines, the sense of hopelessness is palpable as the singer imagines a future that is already foretold: "But I'm not surprised it's the end."
Line by Line Meaning
Bad wind breathing in the streets tonight
The atmosphere is tense and ominous tonight
A gunshot rhythm to a decomposing lullaby
The sound of gunshots is the backdrop to the destruction of something once beautiful
I rest my head on the bosom of restless nights
I seek comfort in times of chaos and uncertainty
Death is dining at our table
Death is constantly present and threatening our existence
We feast on our nails
We are anxious and nervous, constantly biting our nails as a result
There's a bullet with my name on
Waiting to exhale inside of me
I am carrying a burden that is likely to kill me
There's not alot of sympathy
With the life I'm leading
The choices I've made have led to a lack of compassion from others
If only I could begin again
But I'm not surprised it's the end
I wish I could start over, but I know it's too late and the end is near
I feel helpless
I can't help it if I don't need a lullaby
I am beyond the point of soothing and reassurances
We need a miracle
If this is where our hearts lie
Where is our home?
We are desperately seeking a place of belonging and meaning in a world that seems lost and broken
I rest my head on the bosom of little faith
I look for hope and positivity in a place of limited potential
Still we keep hanging on for a saint
Barking serenade of panic
We hold onto hope for a savior and frantically cry out for help
The moon is wailing
Quench your thirst my son
Make sure you lick the knife clean
The world is in a state of mourning and destruction, yet I am still urged to do whatever it takes to survive
Inside of me my life will be an offering
To those that I have failed
I feel like I owe something to those I have let down in life, even if it means sacrificing myself
There's a bottle with my name on
And I'm waiting to inhale
I have a self-destructive tendency, and I am waiting for that opportunity to present itself
I rest my head on the bosom of restless highs
I rest my head on broken promises
I seek comfort in temporary joys and in promises that have ultimately been betrayed
Contributed by Addison L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.