Hugh Masekela was an old collaborator of Abdullah Ibrahim. He is reported to have been initially inspired in his musical growth by Trevor Huddleston, a British priest working in the South African townships who financed Masekela's first trumpet. Masekela played his way through the vibrant Sophiatown scene with The Jazz Epistles and to Britain with King Kong, to find himself in New York in the early 1960s. He had hits in the United States with the pop jazz tunes "Up, Up and Away" and the number one smash "Grazin' in the Grass".
A renewed interest in his African roots led him to collaborate with West and Central African musicians, and finally to reconnect with South African players when he set up a mobile studio in Botswana, just over the South African border, in the 1980s. Here he re-absorbed and re-used mbaqanga strains, a style he has continued to use since his return to South Africa in the early 1990s.
In the 1980s, he toured with Paul Simon in support of Simon's then controversial, but highly critically acclaimed, album Graceland, which featured other South African artists such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Miriam Makeba, Ray Phiri, and other elements of the band Kalahari, which Masekela recorded with in the 1980s. He also collaborated in the musical development for the Broadway play, Sarafina! He previously recorded with the band Kalahari.
In 2003, he was featured in the documentary film Amandla!, about how the music of South Africa aided in the struggle against apartheid. In 2004, he released his autobiography, Grazin' in The Grass: The Musical Journey of Hugh Masekela, which thoughtfully details his struggles against apartheid in his homeland, as well as his personal struggles against alcohol addiction from the late 1970s through to the 1990s, a period when he migrated, in his personal recording career, to mbaqanga, jazz/funk, and the blending of South African sounds to an adult contemporary sound through two albums he recorded with Herb Alpert, and notable solo recordings, Techno-Bush (recorded in his studio in Botswana), Tomorrow (featuring the anthem "Bring Him Back Home"), Uptownship (a lush-sounding ode to American R and B), Beatin' Aroun' de Bush, Sixty, Time, and most recently, "Revival".
Essential recordings include:
* "Bring Him Back Home"
* "Coal Train (Stimela)"
* "Ziph'nkomo"
* "Don't Go Lose It Baby"
* "Ha Le Se Li De Khanna (The Dowry Song)"
* "Bajabule Bonka"
* "Grazing in the Grass"
* "U-Dwi"
* "The Joke of Life"
* "The Boy's Doin' It"
His song, "Soweto Blues", sung by his former wife, Miriam Makeba, mourns the carnage of the Soweto riots in 1976.
Hugh Masekela is the father of Sal Masekela, host of American channel E!'s Daily 10 show, along with Debbie Matenopoulos.
Mace And Grenades
Hugh Masekela Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bazookas and machine guns going off all around me
I'm in jail in here
Fallout shelters cannot hide me from radiation's smile
Forty-fives in my neck, fires on my butt
Looks like it's safer to be in jail
I'm in jail out here
Walls all around me and the warden to protect me
From your mace
Mace and grenades
I'm in jail in here
I'm in jail out there
I'm in jail in here
I'm in jail out there
Mace and grenades
Bars all around me and the warden to protect me
From your mace
Mace and grenades
I'm in jail in here
I'm in jail out there
I'm in jail in here
I'm in jail out there
Mace and grenades
Bars all around me
Warden to protect me
Bazookas and machine guns
Forty-fives in my neck
Fires on my butt
I'm in jail in here
Feels so nice now
Looks like
It's safer to be in jail...
The lyrics of Hugh Masekela's song Mace and Grenades uses powerful imagery to portray the brutality of war and the trauma and terror experienced by those caught in its crosshairs. The opening lines describe the use of weapons like tear gas, napalm bombs, and machine guns, which create an environment of chaos and danger. The repeated assertion that "I'm in jail in here/I'm in jail out there" emphasizes the pervasive feeling of confinement and entrapment that accompanies warfare.
The verses highlight the physical toll of war by referencing "radiation's smile," "forty-fives in my neck," and "fires on my butt," evoking the image of a soldier beaten down and broken. However, despite the violence and destruction, the chorus suggests that prison may be a safer option than being out in the midst of the conflict. It's a stark commentary on the devastating effects of war on both the body and the mind, as well as the idea that safety and freedom are not always easily reconciled.
Overall, Masekela's song is a poignant and powerful message against war and the use of violence as a means of resolving conflict.
Line by Line Meaning
Mace and grenades, tear gas and napalm bombs
I'm surrounded by violent weapons and am at risk of being harmed by them.
Bazookas and machine guns going off all around me
I'm trapped in a dangerous situation with heavy gunfire and other explosive weapons being actively used.
I'm in jail in here
Despite being physically present in a jail cell or not, I feel trapped and unable to escape my circumstances.
Fallout shelters cannot hide me from radiation's smile
Even being in a protective shelter cannot keep me completely safe from the negative effects of radiation.
Forty-fives in my neck, fires on my butt
I'm in serious danger and could be experiencing physical harm, such as gunshots or burns.
Looks like it's safer to be in jail
The danger of the outside world is so great that being in prison or captivity may actually be a safer option.
Walls all around me and the warden to protect me
I am surrounded by barriers and a figure of authority, potentially offering some level of protection or safety.
From your mace
The warden is protecting me from your use of mace.
Mace and grenades
Similar to the first line, I am warning of the presence of violent, harmful weapons in my surroundings.
Bars all around me and the warden to protect me
The physical barriers and authority figure are again mentioned as sources of protection.
Feels so nice now
Despite the confinement and potential danger, I may feel safe or at peace due to the relatively controlled environment.
Contributed by Nathaniel A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.