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.

Prisoners of War
Coenie De Villiers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The Italians built the road
That bumped down to the sea
To the old beach house near the river mouth
It was 1943

And they cracked the rocks with fire
And they sweated and they swore
And the sun beat down like in Italy

On these prisoners of war

My father fought in Egypt
He was 25 years old
Where the days were white and hot as hell
And the nights were black and cold

With the Allies they fought for freedom
Against Rommel and the Afrika Corps
Until a bomb exploded and all his dreams became prisoners of war

Every summer we went down
To the house at the lagoon
Every summer I turned brown
And played ball games in the dunes

Every summer our regime
Passed another law
As the boat sailed for Robin Island
With more prisoners of war

I came back from Angola
It was 1975
My heart was hard and my mind was scarred
I'd forgotten how to cry

Wearing civvies for the first time
Just trying to be me
I walk the road the Italians built
That leads down to the sea

And the question I was asking was
What were we fighting for?
Cos in the end we had all become
Prisoners of war

And the question I was asking was
What were we fighting for?
Cos in the end we had all become prisoners
Of war

Yes in the end we had all become prisoners
Of war

Overall Meaning

"Prisoners of War" by Coenie De Villiers tells the story of a family and their experiences during different periods of war. The song starts in 1943 when the Italians, who were likely prisoners of war themselves, constructed a road leading to a beach house near the river mouth. The lyrics describe their hard work, cracking rocks and enduring the harsh sun, symbolizing the struggles faced by prisoners of war.

The song then shifts to the singer's father who fought in Egypt during World War II. The lyrics depict the extreme weather conditions he faced, with scorching hot days and freezing cold nights. He fought alongside the Allies against Rommel and the Afrika Corps, but his dreams were shattered when he became a prisoner of war after a bomb explosion. This highlights the tragic realities of war and how it can abruptly change the lives of those involved.

The narrative then transitions to the singer's childhood memories. Every summer, they would visit a house near a lagoon and engage in carefree activities like playing ball games in the dunes. However, even during these idyllic times, the song notes how laws were being passed, reflecting the oppressive regime under which they lived. The mention of Robin Island, known for its history of incarcerating political prisoners during apartheid, implies the struggle for freedom and the presence of more prisoners of war, albeit in a different context.

The final verse centers on the singer's return from Angola in 1975, referencing a time of conflict and turmoil in South Africa. The lyrics describe a personal transformation, wherein the singer's heart has grown hardened and they've forgotten how to cry. Walking the road that the Italians had built, the singer questions the purpose behind their fight and laments how everyone, including themselves, had become prisoners of war in their own experiences, trapped by the effects of war and conflict.

Overall, "Prisoners of War" portrays the universal themes of sacrifice, loss, and the profound impact of war on individuals and society. It explores the psychological and emotional effects that war can have on those who endure it, suggesting that the weight of war is not limited to actual prisoners, but also extends to the collective consciousness of those affected by its consequences.

Line by Line Meaning

The Italians built the road
The road leading to the beach house was constructed by Italian prisoners of war

That bumped down to the sea
The road sloped towards the sea

To the old beach house near the river mouth
The road led to a historic beach house located near the river's opening

It was 1943
This occurred in the year 1943

And they cracked the rocks with fire
The prisoners would heat rocks to crack them

And they sweated and they swore
The prisoners worked tirelessly and expressed their frustration through swearing

And the sun beat down like in Italy
The sun was intense, reminiscent of the heat in Italy

On these prisoners of war
The prisoners of war endured the scorching sun

My father fought in Egypt
My father participated in the war in Egypt

He was 25 years old
At that time, he was 25 years old

Where the days were white and hot as hell
The days in Egypt were extremely hot

And the nights were black and cold
Conversely, the nights in Egypt were cold and dark

With the Allies they fought for freedom
They joined the Allies in combat to secure freedom

Against Rommel and the Afrika Corps
Their opposition included Rommel and the Afrika Corps

Until a bomb exploded and all his dreams became prisoners of war
Unfortunately, a bomb explosion shattered my father's dreams and he became a prisoner of war

Every summer we went down
Every summer, we visited the beach house

To the house at the lagoon
The beach house was situated near a lagoon

Every summer I turned brown
During each summer, my skin would darken due to sun exposure

And played ball games in the dunes
We enjoyed playing ball games in the sandy dunes

Every summer our regime
During every summer, our routine

Passed another law
New laws and regulations were implemented

As the boat sailed for Robin Island
While the boat was heading towards Robin Island

With more prisoners of war
Additional prisoners of war were transported to Robin Island

I came back from Angola
I returned from Angola

It was 1975
This happened in the year 1975

My heart was hard and my mind was scarred
My heart had become tough and my mind had been emotionally wounded

I'd forgotten how to cry
I had lost the ability to cry