While growing up in a tough Johannesburg township, Miriam Makeba first sang in Protestant school choirs. After achieving initial fame with the Manhattan Brothers, Makeba recorded a few singles under her own name before Gallo Records asked her to front a South African girl group loosely patterned after the Andrews Sisters and the McGuire Sisters.
Makeba’s lead vocals have a pure and innocent quality that belies her savvy as a bandleader.
Enhancing the gorgeous vocal harmonies wer some excellent South African jazzmen, most notably the band’s white musical director and talented clarinetist-saxman-pianist Dan Hill, as well as the great South African pennywhistler Spokes Mashiyane, who coaxed as much soul out of his simple instrument as any human could. Like the finest mainstream jazz, this music has a relaxed, spontaneous feel that is a complete joy to hear. It’s easy to understand why these lilting melodies gave hope to blacks living the nightmare of apartheid.
After Makeba left South African in 1959 to attend the Venice film festival, the South African authorities would not allow her to return. Her records were banned from South African radio, and the Skylarks broke up a short while later.
Uthando Luyaphela
Miriam Makeba & The Skylarks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dal'uzobuya
Dal'uzohamba ud'ubuye
Dal'uzohamba
Dal'uzobuya
Dal'uzohamba ud'ubuye
Luyafana neCigarrette (Fana neCigarette)
Mama loluthando luyaphela (Thando luyaphela)
Luyafana neCigarrette (Fana neCigarette)
Tyhini ndihlutshwa (Nguwe, nguwe)
Tyhini ndihlutshwa (Nguwe sithandwa sam)
Tyhini ndihlutshwa (Nguwe, nguwe)
Tyhini ndihlutshwa (Nguwe sithandwa sam)
Ndizokhala (Zome iinyembezi)
Ndizokhala (Zome sithandwa sam)
Ndizokhala (Zome iinyembezi)
Ndizokhala (Zome sithandwa sam)
Hayi yaya ho ayi (Ntab'ezikude)
Hayi yaya ho ayi (Khumbuz'uLovey wam)
Hayi yaya ho ayi (Ntab'ezikude)
Hayi yaya ho ayi (Khumbuz'uLovey wam)
Mama loluthando luyaphela (Thando luyaphela)
Mama luyafana neCigarette (Fana neCigarette)
Mama loluthando luyaphela (Thando luyaphela)
Luyafana neCigarette (Fana neCigarette)
Tyhini ndihlutshwa (Nguwe, nguwe)
Tyhini ndihlutshwa (Nguwe sithandwa sam)
Tyhini ndihlutshwa (Nguwe, nguwe)
Tyhini ndihlutshwa (Nguwe sithandwa sam)
Ndizokhala (Zome iinyembezi)
Ndizokhala (Zome sithandwa sam)
Ndizokhala (Zome iinyembezi)
Ndizokhala (Zome sithandwa sam)
Hayi yaya ho ayi (Ntab'ezikude)
Hayi yaya ho ayi (Khumbuz'uLovey wam)
Hayi yaya ho ayi (Ntab'ezikude)
Hayi yaya ho ayi (Khumbuz'uLovey wam)
Mama loluthando luyaphela (Thando luyaphela)
Tyhini luyafana neCigarette (Fana neCigarette)
Mama loluthando luyaphela (Thando luyaphela)
Tyhini luyafana neCigarette (Fana neCigarette)
The song "Uthando Luyaphela" by Miriam Makeba is a beautiful and melancholic love song about the pain of longing for someone who is always leaving and never truly returning. The title translates to "Love is Dying" in English, and the repeated phrases "dal'uzohamba" and "dal'uzobuya" mean "they will go" and "they will come back" respectively. The singer's lover is like a cigarette that she cannot resist, even though it is slowly killing her. She sings that her love is consumed like a cigarette, and it is fading away. The repeated line "Tyhini ndihlutshwa" means "I am hurt" and conveys the singer's deep emotional pain.
The chorus repeats multiple times throughout the song, with the singer lamenting her lover's leaving and returning. She knows that her love is dying, but she cannot help herself from crying and feeling the pain. The last verse changes slightly, with the singer realizing that her love is like a cigarette as she repeats the chorus. Makeba's voice is haunting and emotive, perfectly capturing the sadness and sorrow of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Dal'uzohamba
He will leave
Dal'uzobuya
He will return
Dal'uzohamba ud'ubuye
He will leave and come back
Mama loluthando luyaphela (Thando luyaphela)
Mother, love is finishing (Love is finishing)
Luyafana neCigarrette (Fana neCigarette)
It's like a cigarette
Tyhini ndihlutshwa (Nguwe, nguwe)
My heart is broken (It's you, it's you)
Tyhini ndihlutshwa (Nguwe sithandwa sam)
My heart is broken (You are my love)
Ndizokhala (Zome iinyembezi)
I will cry (Tears flowing)
Ndizokhala (Zome sithandwa sam)
I will cry (You are my love)
Hayi yaya ho ayi (Ntab'ezikude)
No, let's go back (To the olden days)
Hayi yaya ho ayi (Khumbuz'uLovey wam)
No, let's go back (Remember my love)
Mama loluthando luyaphela (Thando luyaphela)
Mother, love is finishing (Love is finishing)
Tyhini luyafana neCigarette (Fana neCigarette)
My heart is like a cigarette
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind