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.
http://singyoursongthemovie.com
We Are The Wave
Harry Belafonte Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The rock stands strong, the rock is strong
The sea will wash against the rock
But before too long the rock is gone
The wind will blow against the stone
The stone stands strong, the stone is strong
The wind will blow against the stone
Patience gentlemen, we move closer every day
Patience gentlemen, the stone will soon give way
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
And soon the rock must go
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
And soon the rock must go
You cannot hold back the tide
The tide must rise the tide must rise
Its the law of earth and skies
The tide will rise, the tide will rise
Its as natural as day to night
As day to night, day to night
As natural as black and white
Black and white, black and white
Patience gentlemen, the flower can grow up through the stone
Patience gentlemen, its a truth that we have always known
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
And soon the rock must go
We are the force
We are the fire
We are the move
Moving higher and higher,
We are the force
We are the fire
We are the move
Moving higher and higher
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
And soon the rock must go
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
We are the flow
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
And soon the rock must go
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
We are the flow
The lyrics to Harry Belafonte's "We Are The Wave" speak to the power and inevitability of change. The first two verses use the imagery of the rock and the stone, which may seem immovable and unchanging, but are eventually worn down by the forces of nature. The repetition of the lines "the rock stands strong, the stone is strong" emphasizes their current stability, but the final line of each verse, "but before too long the rock/stone is gone," shows that even the most solid-seeming objects are not permanent. The chorus ("We are the wave, we are the flow, we are the wind, and soon the rock must go") ties this idea of change to a collective human effort - "we" are the ones bringing about this change.
The third verse introduces the idea of patience, urging the listener to wait for the inevitable change to come. The emphasis on the word "gentlemen" suggests that there may be resistance or impatience among those trying to bring about this change, but they are reminded to have patience because it will happen eventually. The fourth verse expands on this idea, using the metaphor of a flower growing through a stone to show that even something small and delicate can eventually overcome something hard and unyielding.
Line by Line Meaning
The sea will wash against the rock
The natural forces of the ocean will erode the rock over time
The rock stands strong, the rock is strong
The rock is resilient but will eventually succumb to natural erosion
But before too long the rock is gone
Persistence of natural forces will eventually wear away even the strongest rock
The wind will blow against the stone
The natural forces of the wind will erode the stone over time
The stone stands strong, the stone is strong
The stone is resilient but will eventually succumb to natural erosion
But before too long the stone is gone
Persistence of natural forces will eventually wear away even the strongest stone
Patience gentlemen, we move closer every day
It takes time, but progress towards overcoming obstacles is being made
The tide must rise the tide must rise
The natural forces of the ocean cannot be stopped from rising
Its the law of earth and skies
It is a fundamental principle of nature that the ocean will rise
Its as natural as day to night
The rising of the tide is as natural and inevitable as the cycle of day and night
Patience gentlemen, the flower can grow up through the stone
With persistence, even the smallest and most delicate life can overcome obstacles and flourish
We are the wave
We represent the natural forces of the ocean, wind, and tide
We are the flow
We represent the persistent and unrelenting flow of time and progress
We are the wind
We represent the natural forces of the wind as it erodes and shapes the landscape
And soon the rock must go
Eventually, even the strongest obstacles will succumb to the persistence of natural forces and progress
We are the force
We represent the collective power of humanity to overcome obstacles and achieve progress
We are the fire
We represent the passion and drive that fuels progress and ignites change
We are the move
We represent the forward momentum of progress and change
Moving higher and higher
Progress and change will continue to rise and grow
Lyrics © NEXT DECADE ENTERTAINMENT,INC.
Written by: JAKE HOLMES, RICHARD CUMMINGS, SOUL BROTHERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@trucklou
We Are the Wave / Harry Belafonte
The sea will wash against the rock
The rock stands strong, the rock is strong
The sea will wash against the rock
But before too long the rock is gone
The wind will blow against the stone
The stone stands strong, the stone is strong
The wind will blow against the stone
But before too long the stone is gone
Patience gentlemen, we move closer every day
Patience gentlemen, the stone will soon give way
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
And soon the rock must go
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
And soon the rock must go
You cannot hold back the tide
The tide must rise the tide must rise
Its the law of earth and skies
The tide will rise, the tide will rise
Its as natural as day to night
As day to night, day to night
As natural as black and white
Black and white, black and white
Patience gentlemen, the flower can grow up through the stone
Patience gentlemen, it's a truth that we have always known
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
And soon the rock must go
We are the force
We are the fire
We are the move
Moving higher and higher,
We are the force
We are the fire
We are the move
Moving higher and higher
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
And soon the rock must go
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
We are the flow
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
And soon the rock must go
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
We are the flow
@jcc6358
Admirable cómo Harry Belafonte transmite la música y ritmo, la cultura, de Jamaica.
Amazing how Harry Belafonte conveys the jamaican culture through music and rhythm. Juan Carlos desde Argentina
@paulgleitman7096
Last recorded video concert.
A living legend .
Now 92 years old .
G- d bless him .
@trucklou
We Are the Wave / Harry Belafonte
The sea will wash against the rock
The rock stands strong, the rock is strong
The sea will wash against the rock
But before too long the rock is gone
The wind will blow against the stone
The stone stands strong, the stone is strong
The wind will blow against the stone
But before too long the stone is gone
Patience gentlemen, we move closer every day
Patience gentlemen, the stone will soon give way
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
And soon the rock must go
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
And soon the rock must go
You cannot hold back the tide
The tide must rise the tide must rise
Its the law of earth and skies
The tide will rise, the tide will rise
Its as natural as day to night
As day to night, day to night
As natural as black and white
Black and white, black and white
Patience gentlemen, the flower can grow up through the stone
Patience gentlemen, it's a truth that we have always known
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
And soon the rock must go
We are the force
We are the fire
We are the move
Moving higher and higher,
We are the force
We are the fire
We are the move
Moving higher and higher
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
And soon the rock must go
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
We are the flow
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
And soon the rock must go
We are the wave,
We are the flow
We are the wind
We are the flow
@claytonchristian4863
SERIOUS PROPHETIC LYRICS..
@ton4347
This great man deserves at least a million views!
@fawntolson9060
One of my favorites. It was live! Mr. B lives on. ❤💜 👑
@rosavito1
Beautiful man with a beautiful spirit. RIP Harry Belafonte.
@trucklou
Great, great performance!
@TheKindredSouls
This music is life!!
@DipakranjanRay
Incomparable. we will miss you Harry