The Promise
Johnny Clegg / Savuka Lyrics
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and the newspaperman asked why
and while the warden explain in great detail
the newsman looked in the sky
"I'm sure!", he said, "if you look a little deeper
for something in his life
we could understand the reason why
he reached out for a knife."
Oooh! What happened to the promise?
Oooh! what happened to the one we knew?
So, onto a a train the newspaperman rode
down to the southern lands
to find out about a child long gone
turned into a lightning man.
Chorus:
Oooh! what happened to the promise?
Oooh! what happened to the one we knew?
Oooh! what happened to the promise?
Oooh! what happened to the heart so true.
"Some of them make it through", she said
"some of them never do, and one of them
got lost in time -- that child of mine
Oh, I loved that child of mine!"
Arriving in a country town
with a notepad in his hand
he spoke to the mother and the father
and a friend and a teacher and a preacher man
They all recalled a regular boy chewing gim
and playing in the sand
nothing could explain how he became
a lonely lightning man
And when the coffin came
on the southbound train
and the old folks shuffled by
the one they came to bury
was not very heavy, just a child lost in time
Chorus
What happens to the clear blue eye
when it enters the forest?
does anybody know where the little one goes?
what happens to the child in time?
-- some of them make it through
-- some of them never do
-- some of them are lost and saved
-- some of them find their way
oooh -- hold on to the promise
we're going to make it through my baby
we're going to make it through my little darling
The song “The Promise” by Johnny Clegg/Savuka is a reflection of the effects of violence and crime on society. The opening lines describe a scenario where a man survives an electrocution in the electric chair, but nobody can explain why he committed the crime that led him to such a fate. The song then shifts to the story of a child who was loved by his mother, but who became lost in time and was turned into a “lonely lightning man.” The lyrics seem to suggest that this child could have become a victim of violence or crime, which has left him lost and alone.
The song is a lamentation for the loss of a promising future that was cut short by the effects of social disruption. The chorus asks what happened to the promise and the one they knew, which refers to the hopes and dreams of a better life that have been dashed by the harsh realities of a violent world. The verses describe the efforts of a journalist to understand what led to the downfall of the man who survived the electric chair, and to find out what happened to the child who became lost in time. Ultimately, the song suggests that there is hope for overcoming the effects of violence, and that people can hold on to the promise of a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Electric chair didn't burn a hair
The electric chair failed to execute; the person sitting in it did not die.
and the newspaperman asked why
The journalist covering the execution was curious as to how it could fail.
and while the warden explain in great detail
The prison warden described the situation in much depth, but the journalist still had doubts.
the newsman looked in the sky
The journalist looked upward, wondering about the purpose of his life.
"I'm sure!", he said, "if you look a little deeper
The journalist believed there was a deeper meaning to the story.
for something in his life
He searched for an explanation in the life of the person who was executed.
we could understand the reason why
He hoped that a more profound understanding of the executed person's life would reveal why he committed his crime.
he reached out for a knife."
He wanted to know why the person resorted to violence and murder.
Oooh! What happened to the promise?
The journalist questions what happened to a promise that was once made.
Oooh! what happened to the one we knew?
The journalist is sad and misses the person who made the promise.
So, onto a a train the newspaperman rode
The journalist travels by train to investigate the life of the person who was executed.
down to the southern lands
He travels to the southern part of the country.
to find out about a child long gone
The journalist wants to learn more about the person who was executed.
turned into a lightning man.
The executed person was called a lightning man, a person who strikes quickly and suddenly like lightning.
Some of them make it through", she said
A mother of one of the children said some children succeed in life.
"some of them never do, and one of them
Others never make it, and one of them in particular.
got lost in time -- that child of mine
She mourns the loss of her child who did not succeed in life.
Oh, I loved that child of mine!"
She loved her child deeply.
Arriving in a country town
The journalist arrives in a town in the countryside.
with a notepad in his hand
He carries a notepad to take notes and record information.
he spoke to the mother and the father
He interviews the parents of the executed child.
and a friend and a teacher and a preacher man
He also speaks to a friend, a teacher, and a preacher about the child.
They all recalled a regular boy chewing gim
All of them remember a normal child who loved chewing gum.
and playing in the sand
The child enjoyed playing in the sand.
nothing could explain how he became
None of them could explain how the child changed and developed into a troubled youth.
a lonely lightning man
He became a person who acted suddenly and alone, causing harm to others.
And when the coffin came
The journalist witnessed the arrival of the executed child's coffin.
on the southbound train
The coffin arrived on a train heading south.
and the old folks shuffled by
Older people mourned the child's death and walked by the coffin.
the one they came to bury
The person that everyone came to mourn and say goodbye to.
was not very heavy, just a child lost in time
The coffin was not heavy because it held the body of a young child who had run out of time.
What happens to the clear blue eye
The journalist ponders what happens to a person with a clear and pure heart.
when it enters the forest?
What happens when a person goes into a dark and unknown place?
does anybody know where the little one goes?
No one knows where people go once they enter the darkness of the unknown.
what happens to the child in time?
The journalist questions how people change and what leads to those changes over time.
-- some of them make it through
Some people succeed in life despite adversity.
-- some of them never do
Others do not succeed in life.
-- some of them are lost and saved
Some people are lost but ultimately find a way to succeed.
-- some of them find their way
Some people always know the right path to follow.
oooh -- hold on to the promise
The journalist wants people to remember that there is always hope.
we're going to make it through my baby
People can overcome difficult circumstances and succeed in life.
we're going to make it through my little darling
Despite the challenges we face, we can still succeed and come out stronger on the other side.
Lyrics © RHYTHM SAFARI PTY LTD
Written by: JONATHAN PAUL CLEGG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@astragalthormades7176
merci ! une des meilleures de Johnny Clegg, que j'ai mis du temps à retrouver... What happened ? lost in time...
@grollalong
Ending always bring me to tears.