In the United States, songs performed by Johnny Clegg have appeared in three well-known feature films: Scatterlings of Africa in Rain Man, Dela in George of the Jungle, and Life Is a Magic Thing in the animated film Ferngully.
Bombs Away
Johnny Clegg & Savuka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I saw him run into the night
And on his face, more than a trace
Of wild fear in the eye
He was haunted by a tragic dream
Of people in death machines
And he did not know which side he was on
Bombs away, bombs away
Sign of the times
Watch where you're going
What will you do
See you if I free you
Into the night
Feel the fear
Do you know your left from your right?
He's tired of the lies
He's tired of the truth
They never give him what they say
He's tired of the fight
He's tired of the truce
The blackmail of judgement day
He believes in a magic wave
That rolls on the sea of time
That can touch every single human soul
If they could recognize it when it came Too late
Bombs away, bombs away
Sign of the times
Watch where you're going
What will you do
See you if I free you
Into the night
Feel the fear
Do you know your left from your right?
Ye hum oh ye hum we mame, bathini? Ngingenzani?
Into the night
Feel the fear
It's so near
Look over your shoulder
Turn to the left
Turn to the right
At any time it can appear
In "Bombs Away," Johnny Clegg & Savuka tell the story of a man running into the night, terrified by a tragic dream of people in death machines. He's caught in between, uncertain which side he's on, and a feeling of dread follows him wherever he goes. He's tired of the lies and the truth, of the fight and the truce. He believes in a magic wave that rolls on the sea of time and can touch every single human soul, but fears it's too late for everyone now. The song is a commentary on the state of the world, where war, violence, and destruction are all around us, and it's hard to know which way to turn. The lyrics send a message that we must be vigilant and aware of our surroundings, as bombs can fall at any time.
Line by Line Meaning
It was a day or so ago
Recently, the singer saw someone running into the night
And on his face, more than a trace
The person had a strong expression on their face
Of wild fear in the eye
The expression was one of intense fear
He was haunted by a tragic dream
The person was troubled by a nightmare
Of people in death machines
The nightmare involved people being killed in machines of war
And he did not know which side he was on
The person was unsure of their allegiance in the conflict
And he hated being in between oh
The person disliked being caught in the middle of opposing forces
Bombs away, bombs away
Bombs are being dropped from planes
Sign of the times
This is a symbol of the current era
Watch where you're going
Be careful and aware of your surroundings
What will you do
What action will you take?
See you if I free you
The artist may try to help the listener escape
Into the night
Going into darkness
Feel the fear
Sensation of being afraid
Do you know your left from your right?
Are you able to differentiate between the two?
He's tired of the lies
The artist is fed up with falsehoods
He's tired of the truth
The artist is disillusioned with what is true
They never give him what they say
The singer is consistently disappointed by false promises
He's tired of the fight
The singer is exhausted from conflict
He's tired of the truce
The artist is sick of temporary peace
The blackmail of judgement day
People are threatened with punishment on the day of reckoning
He believes in a magic wave
The artist has faith in a mystical force
That rolls on the sea of time
This force moves through the ages
That can touch every single human soul
It has the ability to connect with everyone
If they could recognize it when it came
People must realize it to be affected by it
Too late
It might be too late for some to recognize it
Ye hum oh ye hum we mame, bathini? Ngingenzani?
This line seems to be a question in Zulu or another similar language
Into the night
Entering darkness
Feel the fear
Sensation of being scared
It's so near
The danger is close
Look over your shoulder
Be aware of what's behind you
Turn to the left
Rotate your body towards the left
Turn to the right
Rotate your body towards the right
At any time it can appear
The threat could manifest at any moment
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS, RHYTHM SAFARI PTY LTD
Written by: JONATHAN PAUL CLEGG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@paullarue2010
High school flashback!
@b.bailey8244
so happy to have found this song again on youtube - thank you - this is timeless and universal.
@jean04100
j'adorais et j'adore tjrs jhonny cleg and savuka, je l'ai vu une fois en concert à gap dans les htes alpes y a longtemps
@paullarue2010
I remember Johnny Clegg, was on Capitol Records, in the late 1980s and the 1990.
@Fro-fq9jk
Quand Clegg faisait du rock !
@jato1956
Dig this tune! Is Peter Gabriel on backup vocal?
@2d42day
+Steven Whaley Could be! theyve done collaboration before!
@paullarue2010
Steven Whaley I suppose. Johnny Clegg's vocal style, & his band background vocals.