Miriam Makeba used her voice to entertain, but also to give a voice to millions of oppressed fellow South Africans who suffered as a result of apartheid. The price she had to pay for her actions was high, namely her South African citizenship. After she appeared, in 1960, in the an anti-apartheid documentary Come Back, Africa, the South African regime banned her from returning to her home country and took away her citizenship.
This event didn't stop her from continuing to raise her voice against the apartheid regime. Between 1964 and 1975, as a United Nations delegate of Guinea where she was granted asylum, Miriam Makeba addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations regularly on the tragic developments in South Africa.
Meanwhile she carried on singing, a process in which she put South African music on the map. Over the years Makeba worked with artists as Joe Sample, Stix Hooper, Arthur Adams, and David T. Walker of The Crusaders. In the late 1980's she joined Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo during their world-wide Graceland tour and in 1990 she worked with Odetta and Nina Simone for the One Nation tour.
Following Nelson Mandela's release from prison, the citizen of the world Makeba returned to South Africa in December 1990; more than thirty years after she went in exile. In April 1991 she performed her first concert in her homeland in three decades.
The years after were busy ones for Makeba. She starred in the South African award-winning musical Sarafina! , about the 1976 Soweto youth uprisings, playing the role of the title character's mother. She then reunited with her first husband, trumpeter Hugh Masekela, for the Tour Of Hope. She also performed at the Vatican's Nevi Hall during the world-wide broadcasted show, Christmas In The Vatican. In 2000 Makeba released the grammy-nominated Homeland, her first studio album in a decade. In 2002 she shared the Polar Music Prize with Sofia Gubaidulina, in recognition of her exceptional achievements in the creation and advancement of music.
After her return to South Africa Miriam Makeba recorded over ten albums. In 2004, at the age of 72, she relased Reflections honoring the tenth anniversary of the end of apartheid in South Africa. In that same year Makeba was voted 38th in the Top 100 Great South Africans. She also started a 14 month worldwide farwell tour in 2005, holding concerts in all countries she had visited during her life.
With an impressive career spanning more than four decades Miriam Makeba is, indeed, one of the most respected, loved and cherished treasures in (South) Africa.
On the early morning of 10th of November 2008 she died at the age of 76 after being taken ill near the southern Italian town of Caserta, after performing at a concert against organized crime.
Source: Miriam Makeba, A true South African musical Legend
Discography on last.fm
External links:
Official website
Unofficial website
Movie database
The Naughty Little Flea
Miriam Makeba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nobody know, nobody know
Where did the naughty little flea go
Nobody know, nobody know
A naughty flea he came to town
Started searching up and down
Looking for a place to nest
He saw a lady round and fat
He smiled a smile and tipped his hat
He said oh yes I'm goin' have a ball
Man look at all that cholesterol
The naughty flea went to the beach
He saw such tasties in his reach
He said hurrah and thank you Lord
That's what I call a small guest bug
The naughty flea went to the zoo
Saw a skunk and bit him too
He bit him in the usual place
And said Holy Macro what a taste
Sum up friends well can you see
The big advantage of being a flea
Just remember what ever you do
That what you bite is what you chew
Miriam Makeba's "The Naughty Little Flea" is a comically lighthearted song that explores the adventures of an unconventional protagonist, a flea. Throughout the song, the flea travels through different locations, including a town, beach, and a zoo, all while looking for a place to nest and a source of food.
The first two lines of the song set the tone for the rest of the lyrics, where it is clear that the flea is up to no good and is unpredictable. As the verse progresses, the flea is described as cunning and sly, searching for any opportunity to satisfy his appetite. The flea’s encounter with the lady in the town is particularly humorous, as he is drawn to her because of the excess amount of cholesterol she carries. This line cleverly highlights the flea’s insatiable hunger while also poking fun at our obsession with health concerns like cholesterol.
The song's chorus, "where did the naughty little flea go, nobody knows," emphasizes the mischief and unpredictability of this small creature. In the following verses, the flea is portrayed as unstoppable and persistent in getting what he wants regardless of the obstacles he faces. The song ends with the reminder that whatever the flea bites is what he chews, underscoring the comeuppance of the little critter.
Overall, Makeba's song celebrates the mischievous side of human nature, which can be seen in how we often cheer for the underdog or the little guy who is clever enough to get what they want. This song may not have a deeper meaning or message, but it does offer a playful escape into a world where even the smallest creatures can make a big impact.
Line by Line Meaning
Where did the naughty little flea go
The location of the flea is unknown
Nobody know, nobody know
The flea's whereabouts is a mystery
A naughty flea he came to town
A mischievous flea arrived in the city
Started searching up and down
The flea began scouring for a suitable dwelling
Looking for a place to nest
Searching for an area to make base
Where he can get some food and rest
A location he can obtain sustenance and reside
He saw a lady round and fat
The flea observed an ample lady
He smiled a smile and tipped his hat
The flea greeted her with a smile and a nod
He said oh yes I'm goin' have a ball
He thought it would be fun to infest her
Man look at all that cholesterol
The flea noticed the abundance of fatty tissue
The naughty flea went to the beach
The mischievous flea traveled to the seashore
He saw such tasties in his reach
The flea noticed delectable creatures within reach
He said hurrah and thank you Lord
The flea praised the Lord for the opportunity
That's what I call a small guest bug
The flea reveled in the act of parasitism
The naughty flea went to the zoo
The mischievous flea ventured to the menagerie
Saw a skunk and bit him too
The flea chanced upon a skunk and bit it
He bit him in the usual place
The flea attacked the customary area
And said Holy Macro what a taste
The flea savored the flavor of the skunk
Sum up friends well can you see
To summarize, can you comprehend
The big advantage of being a flea
The advantages of being a flea are great
Just remember what ever you do
Recall whatsoever you might do
That what you bite is what you chew
You will consume whatever you bite
Contributed by Max R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Misslotusification
[Chorus]
Where did the naughty little flea go?
Won't somebody tell me
Where did the naughty little flea go?
Won't somebody tell me
Tell me now
Where did the naughty little flea go (Nobody know, nobody know)
Tell me now
Where did the naughty little flea go (Nobody know, nobody know)
[Verse 1]
There was a naughty little flea
He climbed up on the doggie's knee
He climbed some here, he climbed some there
He was climbing everywhere
[Chorus]
Tell me, where did the naughty little flea go
(Can somebody tell me)
Nobody knows
[Verse 2]
Well, he climbed some here, he climbed some there
He was climbing everywhere
And now at last he found a nest
Where he could get some food and rest
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Well, he bit him here, he bit him there
He bit him almost everywhere
And when he done, he wanted more
He never tasted such a dog before
[Chorus]
Well, where did the naughty little flea go
(Nobody know, nobody know)
Tell me now, where did the naughty little flea go
(Nobody know, nobody know)
Ndixelele ngabi
Ishonephi lo intakumba (Somebody tell me)
Ndixelele, ndixelele
Ishonephi lo intakumba (Won't somebody tell me)
Ndixelele, ndixelele
[Verse 3]
Well, he bit him here, he bit him there
He chewed him almost everywhere
Well, he bit him on the toe, and the knee and the nose
He bit him everywhere he didn't have clothes
Well the doggie went to see a show
And there he saw Brigitte Badell
The naughty flea said, "What a feast!"
She really is a delicious beast
[Chorus]
Tell me, where did the naughty little flea go
(Nobody know, nobody know)
Tell me now, where did the naughty little flea go
(Nobody know, nobody know)
Tell me now, where did the naughty little flea go
(Nobody know, nobody know)
Tell me now, where did the naughty little flea go
(Nobody know, nobody know)
[Verse 4]
Well, scratch, scratch me back
Scratch, scratch me back
It really is a fact
The less I itch, the more I scratch
Everybody know, scratch, scratch me back (A lil' higher)
Scratch, scratch me back (A lil' higher)
It really is a fact
The less I itch, the more I scratch
[Chorus]
Everybody know, where did the naughty little flea go
(Nobody know, nobody know)
Ndixelela, where did the naughty little flea go
(Nobody know, nobody know)
@1001AlbumsJourney
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@norabelton8002
I just sang this for the first time in 50 years, for my granddaughter!! What a treasure!!
@zinhlebuthelezi6471
Thanks to Naledi ENews TV presenter I never knew this song it is LOVELY Ngiyabonga Naledi
@carolinelucasdebraganza1055
Adding my thanks to Naledi for helping me discover this little gem!
@ba8501
Beautiful! reminds me a bit of Lena Horn.
@babatundeogunshote475
Magnificent Makeba!👍👏👏
@dennisakhigbe2822
This track is an evergreen hit.
@1dede
The voices on this were so therapeutic
@christinaz8688
Απίστευτη!!!!
@bellejones8565
Thanks for posting this.