Headley began playing the music of her native country at a young age, including calypso, reggae and soca. She moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana in the United States at the age of fifteen when her father was offered a job as pastor of McKee Street Church of God (in Anderson, Indiana).
After graduating from Northrop High School, Headley attended Northwestern University to study communications and musical theatre. In 1997, she played Nala in The Lion King, the Broadway musical. Headley's performance was well-received and she then originated the title role in the Broadway adaptation of Aida, earning the Tony Award for Best Actress in 1999.
Headley released her debut album, This Is Who I Am, in October 2002 on RCA Records. Although its first single, "He Is", was not very successful, the second single, "I Wish I Wasn't", achieved moderate success and earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Headley was also nominated for Best New Artist.
On September 6, 2003, Headley married Brian Musso, formerly of the New York Jets. Her second album, In My Mind, was delayed due to the various executive shake-ups associated with RCA parent BMG's merger with Sony, and Headley joked that it should have been called Caught Up instead. Under BMG North America chairman/CEO Clive Davis for the first time, Headley released the album in January 2006. The title track was released as the first single; it was produced by India.Arie collaborator Shannon Sanders, and its music video was directed by Diane Martel. The song reached number-one on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
Shadowland
Heather Headley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fatshe leso lea halalela,
Fatshe leso lea halalela,
NALA
Shadowland,
The leaves have fallen ,
This shadowed land,
The river's dry,
The ground has broken,
So I must go,
Now I must go,
And where the journey may lead me,
Let your prayers be my guide,
I cannot stay here, my family,
But I'll remember my pride,*
(CHORUS) NALA
(Pridelands) I have no choice,
(My lands) I will find my way,
(Tear-stained) Lea halalela,
(Dry lands)
(Take this) Take this prayer,
(With you) What lies out there?
(Fatshe leso) Lea halalela,
CHORUS
And where the journey may lead you,
Let this prayer be your guide,
Though it may take you so far away,
Always remember your pride,
Fatshe leso lea halalela,
Fatshe leso lea halalela,
RAFIKI (Chant)
NALA
Fatshe leso lea halalela,
NALA/CHORUS
And where the journey may lead you (me),
Let your prayer be your (my) guide,
Though it may take you (me) so far away,
Always (I'll) remember your (me) pride,
(CHORUS) NALA
(And where the journey may lead you) Giza buyabo, giza buyabo,
(Let this prayer be your guide) I will return, I will return, Beso bo,
(Though it may take you so far away) Giza buyabo, I will return,
(Always remember your pride) Giza buyabo, oh giza buyabo,
NALA
Beso bo, me people, beso bo.
The song "Shadowland" by Heather Headley, is a beautiful and emotional piece about leaving one's home, family, and land. The song is featured in the musical "The Lion King," and specifically focuses on the character of Nala, who is forced to leave her home, the Pridelands, due to the terrible conditions that have taken over. The first verse describes the state of the land, with leaves fallen and the river dry, indicating a lack of life and hope. The chorus is sung in the African language of Xhosa, which is often used throughout the musical to add to the storytelling and provide a sense of cultural authenticity.
The second verse describes Nala's need to leave, even though it's difficult and heartbreaking. She prays for guidance as she embarks on her journey, and asks that her family's prayers are with her. The chorus repeats, reinforcing the importance of prayer and pride. The final section of the song features a chant by Rafiki, a wise baboon character in the musical, before Nala sings her final lines in Xhosa, promising to return and telling her people "beso bo," which translates to "goodbye" or "farewell."
Overall, "Shadowland" showcases the pain and struggle of leaving one's home and embarking on a difficult journey. It speaks to the importance of faith, prayer, and remembering one's roots and pride, even in the face of hardship.
Line by Line Meaning
Fatshe leso lea halalela,
This land is peaceful and free, without any trouble or disturbance.
Fatshe leso lea halalela,
This land is peaceful and free, without any trouble or disturbance.
Shadowland,
The place where I am now is dark and gloomy.
The leaves have fallen ,
The trees have lost all their leaves, symbolizing the end of life.
This shadowed land,
The land is hidden in darkness and despair.
This was our home,
This was the place where I grew up and have many memories.
The river's dry,
The water source is gone and everything is barren.
The ground has broken,
The earth is cracked and dry due to the lack of water.
So I must go,
I have to leave this place in search of something better.
Now I must go,
I have to leave this place in search of something better.
And where the journey may lead me,
I don't know where my journey will take me, but I am willing to take a risk.
Let your prayers be my guide,
I hope that your prayers will guide me and protect me on my journey.
I cannot stay here, my family,
I have to leave behind my loved ones because staying here is not an option.
But I'll remember my pride,
I will always remember who I am and where I came from.
(Pridelands) I have no choice,
I don't have a choice but to leave my homeland.
(My lands) I will find my way,
I will find my own path and make my own destiny.
(Tear-stained) Lea halalela,
I am leaving with tears in my eyes and a heavy heart.
(Dry lands)
The land is barren and dry, a place of despair.
(Take this) Take this prayer,
Please take my prayer with you and remember it always.
(With you) What lies out there?
I am curious and anxious about what lies ahead on my journey.
(Fatshe leso) Lea halalela,
This land is peaceful and free, without any trouble or disturbance.
And where the journey may lead you,
I hope your journey takes you to a better place.
Let this prayer be your guide,
May my prayer guide and protect you on your journey.
Though it may take you so far away,
Your journey may take you far from home, but it will be worth it in the end.
Always remember your pride,
Never forget who you are and where you came from.
Giza buyabo, giza buyabo,
I will return, I will return.
(Let this prayer be your guide) I will return, Beso bo,
May my prayer guide and bring me back home safely.
(Though it may take you so far away) Giza buyabo, I will return,
Even if I am far away, I will find my way back home.
(Always remember your pride) Giza buyabo, oh giza buyabo,
I will always remember who I am and where I came from.
Beso bo, me people, beso bo.
Goodbye, my people, goodbye.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@carina5633
TRULY THE BEST MOST UNDERRATED SONG IN THE LION KING
@jake619
my fave song. i was so captivated by it
@philippaul2270
I would say that it is tied with Endless Night, I cannot decide which one I like better
@thechristianteen9167
All songs in Lion King are underrated
@xx-dg1xi
carina e init
@artemis_mave3512
I don’t think so
@ssell2292
Nala is really the hero of the story, and this song should be the most well-known one from the whole show.
@ealing456
I've always loved Hans Zimmer's song THIS LAND in the original film. I've listened to that over and over since seeing it in cinemas back in1994. But I had NO IDEA that that song was given lyrics in the musical production. Saw it last night in Cardiff and it Nala's performance is just phenomenal.
@k4dow
The story is about simba stop being a bum getting high in the forest with his friends and embracing his royal responsabilities
@soradanam8160
@@k4dowOkay, trigger much