Coenie de Villiers (Coenraad Grabe de Villiers), born 11 October 1956, is a… Read Full Bio ↴Coenie de Villiers (Coenraad Grabe de Villiers), born 11 October 1956, is a South African singer/songwriter, pianist, pop artist who sings in his mother tongue, Afrikaans. If any comparison was required, Coenie's music is best compared to the pop/rock of Herbert Groenemeyer (German language) or Billy Joel (USA English language).

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.

Pa
Coenie De Villiers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Die spore op sy hande vertel die verhaal
En die eelte op sy vingers was my pa se taal
So hard soos die aarde wat hy breek
Maar waar het my pa sy pyn versteek

Is 'n man
Dan tog 'n klip alleen wat nooit die lewe vier
En die dood, die dood beween

Is 'n man
Dan tog 'n klip alleen wat nooit die lewe vier
En die dood, die dood beween, die dood beween

Of was my pa 'n skaakpion
Op 'n groter bord in 'n groter spel
Wat was die geheim, wat was sy verweer
Teen die lewe se slenter, teen die wêreld se seer

Is 'n man
Dan tog 'n klip alleen wat nooit die lewe vier
En die dood, die dood beween
Is 'n man

Dan tog 'n klip alleen wat nooit die lewe vier
En die dood, die dood beween, die dood beween

Overall Meaning

In Coenie De Villiers's song "Pa," the singer reflects on his father's life and the hardships he faced. The song opens with the lines, "Die spore op sy hande vertel die verhaal / En die eelte op sy vingers was my pa se taal," which translates to "The traces on his hands tell the story / And the calluses on his fingers were my father's language." These lines highlight the physical toll that his father's work had on his body and how his father communicated through his actions rather than words.

The singer then questions whether his father was just another "klip" (stone) in life, someone who never fully lived and "beween" (mourned) death. He wonders whether his father was just a pawn in a bigger game, fighting against life's struggles and the world's pain. The song ends with the repeated line, "Is 'n man / Dan tog 'n klip alleen wat nooit die lewe vier / En die dood, die dood beween," which means "If a man / Then still just a stone who never celebrates life / And mourns death, mourns death."

Overall, "Pa" is a poignant reflection on a hardworking father who may have been overlooked in life but still left his mark on the singer's heart.

Line by Line Meaning

Die spore op sy hande vertel die verhaal
The scars on his hands tell the story of my father's hard work.

En die eelte op sy vingers was my pa se taal
And the calluses on his fingers were my father's way of communicating.

So hard soos die aarde wat hy breek
As tough as the earth he worked on.

Maar waar het my pa sy pyn versteek
But where did my father hide his pain?

Is 'n man
Being a man means

Dan tog 'n klip alleen wat nooit die lewe vier
To be a rock that never celebrates life.

En die dood, die dood beween
And mourns death, mourns death

Of was my pa 'n skaakpion
Or was my father a chess pawn

Op 'n groter bord in 'n groter spel
On a bigger board, in a bigger game

Wat was die geheim, wat was sy verweer
What was his secret, what was his defense