Born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, Coenie was educated at University of the Free State in Bloemfontein majoring in media studies where he later on lectured in the Communications faculty. He has always viewed his musical career as his second vocation. He is also a classically trained pianist. Coenie is the anchor presenter in popular South African kykNET journal program "Kwela".
During the late 1980s, Coenie spent a few years in self-imposed exile in Cyprus. Coenie has also performed in New Zealand, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the United Kingdom.
Coenie signed with Mountain Records in 1983, and recorded his debut album, Skoppensboer, working with producer, Patrick Lee-Thorp and engineer, Kevin Shirley, in the same year. He subsequently recorded 4 albums for the label many of which won industry awards. In addition he contributed to label compilations of his work. Since leaving Mountain Records he has recorded a number of one off projects for different labels.
Coenie lived on the island of Cyprus during the eighties and nineties. He wrote, recorded and produced the album Amper Alleen in Cyprus and in Athens, Greece. Amper Alleen was the second SA album to be released on CD. Coenie and his family returned to South Africa after the release of Nelson Mandela and the unbanning of the ANC. He released Hartland, an album which included a vocal performance by Lesley Rae Dowling.
Bliksoldaat
Coenie De Villiers Lyrics
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In die mik van ‘n wulpse vrou
Ek het dit verloor in ‘n kasper
En destyds nog sommer berou
My beste vriend het postmortem
Die Honoris Crux gewen
En sy vrou en kind is daarna
En nou leef ek ironies
Te oud om onskuldig te wees
Maar herlaas die jong kom ten volle
Aan alles aandadig te wees
‘n Pil in die oggend en aand
Terapie so twee keer ‘n maand
Verlig, verkramp en verknog
Verwoerd, verward, verwaard
Julle veg vir vrede en voorspoed
Het die Koporaal gesê
Jou geweer is nou jou minnaares
Net by haar sal jy voortaan mag lê
En toe word die vyand ontmasker
En ons gee aan hom wat hy wil hê
En weer staan ek kaal in die spervuur
Met boggerol om te sê
En nou leef ek ironies
Te oud om onskuldig te wees
Maar herlaas die jong kom ten volle
Aan alles aandadig te wees
‘n Pil in die oggend en aand
Terapie so twee keer ‘n maand
Verlig, verkramp en verknog
Verwoerd, verward, verwaard
Ek was destyds net ‘n bliksoldaat
‘n Kind in ‘n vreemde visier
Maar vandag bly ek steeds ‘n skaak pion
Wat die skuiwe geduldig verduur
Dit gaan goed want jy sien ek het werk
Ek doen dit nou geset bedags
Maar die veldslag woed voort in my drome
En laat my natgesweet wakker skrik snags
En nou leef ek ironies
Te oud om onskuldig te wees
Maar herlaas die jong kom ten volle
Aan alles aandadig te wees
‘n Pil in die oggend en aand
Terapie so twee keer ‘n maand
Verlig, verkramp en verknog
Verwoerd, verward, verwaard
The song "Bliksoldaat" by Coenie De Villiers explores themes of lost innocence, regret, and the weight of past experiences. The lyrics depict the singer reflecting on moments in his life where he lost his innocence, whether it be in the presence of a seductive woman or during a regrettable incident. The song also touches on the consequences of war, as the singer's friend receives a military honor but ultimately loses his wife and child. The chorus emphasizes the irony of the singer's current state; too old to be innocent but still haunted by the choices and actions of his youth.
The verses highlight the singer's coping mechanisms, such as taking pills in the morning and evening and attending therapy twice a month. These actions provide some relief but also create a sense of dependency and confusion. The singer ponders the sacrifices made in the name of peace and prosperity, as the Corporal remarks that a soldier's gun becomes their lover, the only one they can lay with from then on. The song takes a dark turn when the enemy is unmasked, and the singer finds himself defenseless, with nothing to say.
The final verse reveals that the singer was once just a "bliksoldaat" - a tin soldier - a child caught in the crosshairs of war. Despite now having a job and trying to move forward in life, the battles continue to rage in his dreams, leaving him waking up drenched in sweat. The song's closing lines reiterate the irony of his existence, highlighting the ongoing struggle between innocence and culpability.
Line by Line Meaning
Sommiges verloor hul onskuld
Some lost their innocence
In die mik van 'n wulpse vrou
In the aim of a seductive woman
Ek het dit verloor in 'n kasper
I lost it in a casino
En destyds nog sommer berou
And at that time, I already regretted
My beste vriend het postmortem
My best friend was awarded posthumously
Die Honoris Crux gewen
He won the Honoris Crux medal
En sy vrou en kind is daarna
And then his wife and child
Met 'n gevoude vlag verwen
Were honored with a folded flag
En nou leef ek ironies
And now I live ironically
Te oud om onskuldig te wees
Too old to be innocent
Maar herlaas die jong kom ten volle
But alas, the youth come fully
Aan alles aandadig te wees
To be responsible for everything
'n Pil in die oggend en aand
A pill in the morning and evening
Terapie so twee keer 'n maand
Therapy twice a month
Verlig, verkramp en verknog
Relieved, cramped, and devoted
Verwoerd, verward, verwaard
Impoverished, confused, marginalized
Julle veg vir vrede en voorspoed
You fight for peace and prosperity
Het die Koporaal gesê
As the Corporal said
Jou geweer is nou jou minnares
Your rifle is now your lover
Net by haar sal jy voortaan mag lê
Only with her will you be allowed to lie
En toe word die vyand ontmasker
And then the enemy is unmasked
En ons gee aan hom wat hy wil hê
And we give him what he wants
En weer staan ek kaal in die spervuur
And again I stand naked in the crossfire
Met boggerol om te sê
With nothing to say
Ek was destyds net 'n bliksoldaat
I was just a tin soldier back then
'n Kind in 'n vreemde visier
A child in a foreign crosshairs
Maar vandag bly ek steeds 'n skaak pion
But today, I remain a chess pawn
Wat die skuiwe geduldig verduur
Patiently enduring the moves
Dit gaan goed want jy sien ek het werk
It's going well because you see, I have a job
Ek doen dit nou geset bedags
I do it now diligently during the day
Maar die veldslag woed voort in my drome
But the battle rages on in my dreams
En laat my natgesweet wakker skrik snags
And wakes me up sweating at night
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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