van Zandt was born as Steven Lento in Winthrop, Massachusetts. His mother, Mary Lento, remarried when he was young and Steven took the last name of his stepfather, William Van Zandt. The family moved from Massachusetts to Middletown Township, New Jersey when he was seven.
Van Zandt subsequently became a songwriter and producer for fellow Jersey shore act Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes in the mid- to late-1970s, penning their signature song "I Don't Wanna Go Home", co-writing other songs for them with Springsteen, and producing their most-acclaimed record, Hearts of Stone. As such, Van Zandt became a key contributor to the Jersey Shore sound. Van Zandt then went on to share production credits on the classic Springsteen albums Darkness on the Edge of Town, The River, and Born in the U.S.A..
Van Zandt has produced a number of other records, including an uncredited effort on the Iron City Houserockers' Have A Good Time (But Get Out Alive). Less successful was his work on Lone Justice's second album Shelter, which was a career-ending flop for the Los Angeles cowpunk band.
In 2004, he contributed the song "Baby Please Don't Go" to Nancy Sinatra's self-titled album
Van Zandt officially left the E Street Band in 1984 (Springsteen's song "Bobby Jean" is said to be inspired by the split) and has been involved in numerous solo musical projects and collaborations since then, ranging from soul music to hard rock to world music. In particular, he released four albums in the 1980s and one in 1999, sometimes fronting an on-and-off group known as Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. Van Zandt has written that these albums are each elements in a five-part concept cycle. The first of them, 1982's white soul Men Without Women, earned the most critical praise (Jay Cocks of TIME magazine dubbed it one of the ten best albums of the year), while its follow-up, 1984's Voice of America, did the best on the U.S. albums chart, although none of them were much of a commercial success. With Voice of America, his music became explicitly political, with the central theme being opposition to Ronald Reagan-era American foreign policy.
Continuing his involvement in issues of the day, in 1985 he created the music-industry activist group Artists United Against Apartheid as an action against the Sun City resort in South Africa. Forty-nine top recording artists, including Springsteen, U2, Bob Dylan and Run DMC, collaborated on a song called "Sun City" in which they pledged they would never perform at the resort. The effort was modestly successful. In 1987 he released the album Freedom - No Compromise, which continued the political messaging in an even more strident fashion. Some U.S. appearances in that year as opening act for U2's arena-and-stadium Joshua Tree Tour continued in the same vein – Oliver North was labelled a "criminal motherfucker" – but were not well-received by audiences, who found the sound overbearing and the performances lacking musicality. Both the record and his concerts were more popular in Europe, however. Little Steven's fourth album, 1989's Revolution, attracted little attention.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Van_Zandt
Pretoria
Little Steven Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting for the sky to fall
Impilo Geyethu [life is for living - life is ours]
Thina Sigidela Phambili [we will not wait - we dance forward]
I am like any other man - I don't complain
But my family's so far away
Men outside my window dressed in mask - they live a lie
But there's one truth that they cannot deny
Their blood's the same color as mine
I am not the prisoner today
You've been too long your soul locked away
Look around there is so much
What are you so afraid of?
Pretoria
Gather strength children say goodbye to the past
Dry your eyes and prepare to dance
The dance of freedom at last
Put your hand here touch me now
What you feel is what's lost when we're kept apart
It's the beating of your own heart
I'm no soldier - no politician
I'm just a working man whose time has come
Look around there is so much
What are you so afraid of?
Impilo Geyethu
Thina Sigidela Phambili
Pretoria
Come dance with us
I was standing in Pretoria
Waiting for the sky to fall
And the eyes of the war crimes icons
Stared down with false immortality
The fallen flowers of the purple jacaranda
Covered the blood on the streets
The faces of the statues are tainted
With an unclean righteousness
But inside they're crumbling
They know they ain't got much time left
In Pretoria
The song "Pretoria" by Little Steven is a deeply philosophical and political take on the reality of being alive and fighting for what we believe in. The singer is in Pretoria, a city in the Gauteng province of South Africa that was known for its controversial apartheid history. As he waits for the sky to fall, he contemplates the meaning of life and the struggles of being away from his family. Despite all this, he stands tall and declares that "life is for living - life is ours" and that "we will not wait - we dance forward".
The singer's thoughts then shift to the men he sees outside his window, who wear masks and "live a lie". These could be interpreted as symbols of authority and power, who are afraid to show their true selves. But the singer knows that "their blood's the same color as mine", and realizes that despite their differences, they are still human beings with the same struggles and desires.
The song then becomes a call to arms, urging the listener to "gather strength" and say goodbye to the past. The "dance of freedom" has finally arrived, and it's time to embrace it. The singer implores the listener to touch him because "what you feel is what's lost when we're kept apart", emphasizing the importance of unity and connection in overcoming oppression. Finally, the singer declares that he is not a soldier or a politician, but a working man whose time has come. He invites everyone to dance with him, and to be a part of the revolution that's taking place in Pretoria.
Line by Line Meaning
I was standing in Pretoria
Little Steven finds himself in Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa.
Waiting for the sky to fall
He is tense and apprehensive, perhaps expecting violence or a major event.
Impilo Geyethu [life is for living - life is ours]
A Zulu phrase that reminds us to cherish life and its opportunities.
Thina Sigidela Phambili [we will not wait - we dance forward]
An affirmation of resilience in the face of adversity, pressing forward with determination.
I am like any other man - I don't complain
Little Steven is just an ordinary person without much complaint.
But my family's so far away
Although he doesn't complain, the distance from his family is still a source of personal pain and longing.
I want to be with them someday
He hopes to be reunited with his family in the future.
Men outside my window dressed in mask - they live a lie
Possible reference to politicians wearing masks and hiding their true intentions from the people.
But there's one truth that they cannot deny
Despite the deception, the politicians' blood is still the same color as everyone else's.
Their blood's the same color as mine
Reaffirming the commonalities between all people, regardless of skin color or position of power.
I am not the prisoner today
A declaration of freedom and empowerment.
You've been too long your soul locked away
Encouraging others to break free from their inner prisons and seize life's opportunities.
Look around there is so much
There is much to see and do in the world, so don't let fear hold us back.
What are you so afraid of?
A call to courage and action.
Gather strength children say goodbye to the past
The next generation must let go of the past and build a better future for themselves.
Dry your eyes and prepare to dance
Encouraging joy and celebration of freedom.
The dance of freedom at last
The new dawn of freedom and equality is finally here.
Put your hand here touch me now
A plea for a connection and empathy, understanding that we all share the same human experience.
What you feel is what's lost when we're kept apart
Emphasizes that our shared humanity and emotions make us who we are, and the barriers that divide us cause us to lose our sense of self.
It's the beating of your own heart
The basic, fundamental thing that makes us all unique and connected, and the source of all life.
I'm no soldier - no politician
Reinforcing the idea that he's just an ordinary person and not motivated by politics or war.
I'm just a working man whose time has come
Little Steven is an everyman, and his time to shine and speak up has arrived.
Come dance with us
Inviting everyone to join in and celebrate the new era of freedom and equality.
And the eyes of the war crimes icons
Possible reference to leaders who committed atrocities in apartheid-era South Africa.
Stared down with false immortality
Despite their crimes, these icons are still held up as heroes, but their immortality is an illusion.
The fallen flowers of the purple jacaranda
A symbolic image of the people who were hurt or killed during apartheid, with purple representing the royalty and power of the oppressed.
Covered the blood on the streets
The violence and bloodshed of the past has been buried and forgotten, but the memory still lingers.
The faces of the statues are tainted
The statues that celebrate the atrocities of the past are no longer seen with reverence, but have become symbols of shame and disgrace.
With an unclean righteousness
Even though they intended to do what they thought was right, the atrocities they committed were morally wrong and unforgivable.
But inside they're crumbling
The people who once held power and authority know that their time is up, and they are losing their grip on control.
They know they ain't got much time left
Time is running out for those who once held power and oppressed others.
In Pretoria
The rallying cry for the people of Pretoria to continue their struggle for freedom and equality.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: STEVEN VAN ZANDT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind