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.
Man Op Die Brug
Coenie De Villiers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Man op die brug
Hoor hoe die water
Verleidelik sug
Soos 'n liggaam gereed
Vir ontvangenis
Van 'n stad se vergooides
'n Oomblik net hang hy
'n meeu aan 'n tak
en dan klief sy skedel
die modderbruin vlak
Die water klots hewig
Teen versinkte beton
En 'n lewe beur terug
Na sy eertydse bron
Altyd weer spronge
na vergetelheid
van misdeeldes, berooides
verstoot deur die tyd
'n Baggerboot vind hom
geswolle, beslyk
in 'n stad se annale
die soveelste lyk
Die water stroom voort
Van die grysbruin rivier
Wat vorentoe see word
en wegduin op wier
Maar ag, op 'n nag
Staan 'n man op die brug
En hoor hoe die water
Verleidelik sug...
The lyrics of Man Op Die Brug are rich in metaphor, and, as with many songs, can be open to interpretation. At its core, the song seems to be about the destructive power that urban life can have on individuals who are discarded by society. The refrain describes a man on a bridge, listening to the seductive sound of the water below, which feels like a potential escape from the city and its many troubles. The bridge represents a boundary between two worlds, with the water below being home to a very different kind of life. The metaphor of a body, ready to receive 'a city's rejects,' further illustrates this feeling of being discarded, with no place to go.
Throughout the song, there are images of the water's power to renew and restore life, and of the man's desire for that kind of rebirth. However, ultimately it seems that the city is too powerful, consuming and destroying those who are unlucky enough to be its outcasts. The image of the man on the bridge listening to the water is haunting, evoking a feeling of despair and longing that is difficult to shake. The song seems to be a lament for those who are forgotten by society, and a warning about the price of urbanization.
Line by Line Meaning
Man teen die luglyn
A man standing against the skyline
Man op die brug
A man standing on the bridge
Hoor hoe die water
Hears how the water
Verleidelik sug
Seductively sighs
Soos 'n liggaam gereed
Like a body ready
Vir ontvangenis
For conception
Van 'n stad se vergooides
From a city's castaways
Wat hunker en rus
Who yearn and rest
'n Oomblik net hang hy
Just for a moment he hangs
'n meeu aan 'n tak
A seagull on a branch
en dan klief sy skedel
And then her skull cleaves
die modderbruin vlak
The mud-brown plane
Die water klots hewig
The water splashes wildly
Teen versinkte beton
Against sunken concrete
En 'n lewe beur terug
And a life is revived
Na sy eertydse bron
To its former source
Altyd weer spronge
Always jumping again
na vergetelheid
To oblivion
van misdeeldes, berooides
Of the misfortuned, destitute
verstoot deur die tyd
Shunned by time
'n Baggerboot vind hom
A dredger finds him
geswolle, beslyk
Swollen, muddy
in 'n stad se annale
In a city's annals
die soveelste lyk
The umpteenth corpse
Die water stroom voort
The water flows on
Van die grysbruin rivier
From the gray-brown river
Wat vorentoe see word
Which becomes the sea ahead
en wegduin op wier
And fades away on the weir
Maar ag, op 'n nag
But oh, one night
Staan 'n man op die brug
A man stands on the bridge
En hoor hoe die water
And hears how the water
Verleidelik sug...
Seductively sighs...
Contributed by Liliana F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.