Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. in Harlem, NYC, on 1 Ma… Read Full Bio ↴Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. in Harlem, NYC, on 1 March 1927; died 25 April 2023) was an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Caribbean-American pop star, he popularized Jamaican mento folk songs which was marketed as Trinbagonian Calypso musical style with an international audience in the 1950s. His breakthrough album Calypso, released in 1956, was the first million-selling LP by a single artist.

Belafonte is perhaps best known for singing the "Banana Boat Song", with its signature lyric "Day-O". Throughout his career, he was an advocate for civil rights and humanitarian causes.

Belafonte won three Grammy Awards (including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award), an Emmy Award, and a Tony Award. In 1989, he received the Kennedy Center Honors. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994. In 2014, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Academy's 6th Annual Governors Awards and in 2022 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Early Influence category and was the oldest living person to have received the honor.

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Ezekiel
Harry Belafonte Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ezekiel saw the wheel, way up in the middle of the air,
Ezekiel saw the wheel, way in the middle of the air,
The big wheel run by faith, little wheel run by the grace of God
Wheel within a wheel, 'way in the middle of the air,
Wheel, wheel, wheel, wheel in the middle of the air.
Wheel, wheel, wheel, wheel in the middle of the air.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Harry Belafonte's song "Ezekiel" are filled with biblical references that are meant to invoke spiritual imagery. Ezekiel, a prophet in the Old Testament, had a vision of a "wheel within a wheel" that was intended to represent the chariot of God. In the song, Ezekiel sees this wheel "way up in the middle of the air", which suggests that it is a vision that he is having. The repetition of the words "wheel in the middle of the air" emphasizes the other-worldliness of the vision.

The line "The big wheel run by faith, little wheel run by the grace of God" suggests that the vision of the wheel has religious significance. The "big wheel" represents the power of faith in God, while the "little wheel" represents the mercy and compassion that comes from God's grace. The idea of a "wheel within a wheel" could also be interpreted as representing the interconnectedness of all things - a small part within a larger whole.

Overall, the lyrics of "Ezekiel" are meant to be interpreted metaphorically and symbolically rather than literally. They evoke the power and mystery of religious experience, and encourage the listener to contemplate the divine.

Line by Line Meaning

Ezekiel saw the wheel, way up in the middle of the air,
Ezekiel had a vision of a giant wheel located high above in the sky,

Ezekiel saw the wheel, way in the middle of the air,
Ezekiel witnessed a wheel that was situated in the center of the sky,

The big wheel run by faith, little wheel run by the grace of God
A larger wheel that symbolizes faith is responsible for turning, while a smaller wheel that symbolizes God's grace is responsible for its motion,

Wheel within a wheel, 'way in the middle of the air,
The image of a smaller wheel nestled inside a larger wheel is being shown, both located high above in the center of the sky,

Wheel, wheel, wheel, wheel in the middle of the air.
The recurring repetition of the phrase emphasizes the mysterious presence of the wheels that are located in the center of the sky,

Wheel, wheel, wheel, wheel in the middle of the air.
The repetition continues to highlight the significance of the wheels that are present in the center of the sky,

Contributed by Josiah S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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