He began performing with his schoolfriend Art Garfunkel in 1956; together the two came to prominence in the 1960s as Simon & Garfunkel. The duo's blend of folk and rock music in hits like "The Sound of Silence", "Mrs. Robinson", "America", and "The Boxer" served as a soundtrack to the counterculture movement. Their career together peaked with their last album, Bridge over Troubled Water (1970), at one point the best-selling album of all time. Throughout his subsequent solo career, Simon has continued to explore an eclectic mixture of genres, including gospel, reggae, soul, and more. His celebrated 1970s output—comprising Paul Simon (1972), There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973), and Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)—kept him in the public spotlight and saw critical and commercial acclaim, spawning the hits "Mother and Child Reunion", "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard", and "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover".
Across his life, Simon has intermittently reunited with Garfunkel for several tours, including the famed Concert in Central Park. The widely lauded Graceland (1986) became Simon's biggest album of his career, melding his rock sound with worldbeat flavors; its single "You Can Call Me Al" became one of Simon's top hits. A sequel of sorts, The Rhythm of the Saints (1990), preceded his own successful Concert in the Park, attended by a half-million fans. That decade, Simon focused his energies on a Broadway musical The Capeman (1997), which was poorly received. In the first quarter of the next century, Simon continued to record and tour; his later albums, such as You're the One (2000), So Beautiful or So What (2011), and Stranger to Stranger (2016), have introduced him to new generations. He retired from touring in 2018. His most recent work, Seven Psalms, will see release in May 2023.
Simon is among the most acclaimed musicians and songwriters in popular music, and one of the world's best-selling music artists, both for his solo work and with Garfunkel. He is a two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and has been the recipient of sixteen Grammy Awards, including three for Album of the Year. Two of his works, Sounds of Silence and Graceland, have seen induction into National Recording Registry for their cultural significance, and in 2007, the Library of Congress crowned him the inaugural winner of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. He is a co-founder of the Children's Health Fund, a nonprofit that provides medical care to children.
In an in-depth interview reprinted in American Songwriter, Simon discusses the craft of songwriting with music journalist Tom Moon. In the interview, Simon explains the basic themes in his songwriting: love, family and social commentary (as well as the overarching messages of religion, spirituality and God in his lyrics). Simon explains the process of how he goes about writing songs in the interview: "The music always precedes the words. The words often come from the sound of the music and eventually evolve into coherent thoughts. Or incoherent thoughts. Rhythm plays a crucial part in the lyric-making as well. It's like a puzzle to find the right words to express what the music is saying."
Homeless
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Homeless, homeless
Moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake
Homeless, homeless
Moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake
We are homeless, we are homeless
The moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake
And we are homeless, homeless, homeless
The moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake
Zio yami, zio yami, nhliziyo yami
Nhliziyo yami amakhaza asengi bulele
Nhliziyo yami, nhliziyo yami
Nhliziyo yami, angibulele amakhaza
Nhliziyo yami, nhliziyo yami
Nhliziyo yami somandla angibulele mama
Zio yami, nhliziyo yami
Nhliziyo yami, nhliziyo yami
Too loo loo, too loo loo
Too loo loo loo loo loo loo loo loo loo
Too loo loo, too loo loo
Too loo loo loo loo loo loo loo loo loo
Strong wind destroy our home
Many dead, tonight it could be you
Strong wind, strong wind
Many dead, tonight it could be you
And we are homeless, homeless
Moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake
Homeless, homeless
Moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake
Homeless, homeless
Moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake
Somebody say ih hih ih hih ih
Somebody sing hello, hello, hello
Somebody say ih hih ih hih ih
Somebody cry why, why, why?
Somebody say ih hih ih hih ih
Somebody sing hello, hello, hello
Somebody say ih hih ih hih ih
Somebody cry why, why, why?
Somebody say ih hih ih hih ih
Yitho omanqoba (ih hih ih hih ih) yitho omanqoba
Esanqoba lonke ilizwe
(ih hih ih hih ih) Yitho omanqoba (ih hih ih hih ih)
Esanqoba phakathi e England
Yitho omanqoba
Esanqoba phakathi e London
Yitho omanqoba
Esanqoba phakathi e England - ih hih ih hih ih
Somebody say ih hih ih hih ih
Somebody sing hello, hello, hello
Somebody say ih hih ih hih ih
Somebody cry why, why, why?
Somebody say ih hih ih hih ih
Somebody sing hello, hello, hello
Somebody say ih hih ih hih ih
Somebody cry why, why, why?
Kuluman
Kulumani, Kulumani sizwe
Singenze njani
Baya jabula abasi thanda yo
Ho
The first verse of "Homeless" is sung in Zulu and translates to "We are sitting on the rocks, our father / We are sitting on the rocks, our father / We are sitting on the rocks, our father." This repetition of the lines emphasizes the idea of sitting idly with no home or purpose. The subsequent verses in English expand upon this theme of homelessness and vulnerability. The line "moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake" creates an eerie and melancholic imagery of a homeless person sleeping in the open, exposed to the elements.
The next verse in Zulu translates to "My eye, my eye, my heart / My heart is in pain, it doesn't stop hurting / My heart, my heart / My heart has no rest from the pain." This verse adds to the sense of hopelessness and emotional strain that the homeless experience. The repeated line of "strong wind, strong wind" suggests a sense of chaos and destruction, and the lines "Many dead, tonight it could be you" remind the listener that homelessness can be a matter of life and death.
The final repetitive lines of "Somebody say ih hih ih hih ih / Somebody sing hello, hello, hello / Somebody cry why, why, why?" suggests that there are people who do not understand the plight of the homeless and their struggles. The song ends with a call for unity and lifting each other up, with the Zulu line "Kuluman / Kulumani, Kulumani sizwe / Singenzenjani / Bayojabula abasi thanda yo" translating to "Hold together / Hold together, all nations / Regardless of race / They will be joyful who love one another".
Line by Line Meaning
Emaweni webaba
We find refuge under the trees, father
Silale maweni
We lie down under the trees
Webaba silale maweni
Father, we lie down under the trees
Homeless, homeless
We don't have a place to call home
Moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake
The peaceful tranquility of the moonlight reflects on the lake amidst our homeless state
We are homeless, we are homeless
We reiterate that we don't have a place to call home
And we are homeless, homeless, homeless
Our homelessness is a harsh reality
Zio yami, zio yami, nhliziyo yami
My anger, my heart is troubled
Nhliziyo yami amakhaza asengi bulele
My heart is burdened with worries that give me no peace
Nhliziyo yami, nhliziyo yami, nhliziyo yami, angibulele amakhaza
My heart, my heart, my heart, cannot bear these worries anymore
Nhliziyo yami, nhliziyo yami, nhliziyo yami somandla angibulele mama
My heart, my heart, my heart, Lord, give me peace
Too loo loo, too loo loo
We hum a tune that soothes us
Strong wind destroy our home
The strong winds have ravaged our dwelling
Many dead, tonight it could be you
The disaster has claimed many lives and we could have been part of the fatalities
And we are homeless, homeless
We are truly without a home
Somebody say ih hih ih hih ih
Someone is laughing hysterically
Somebody sing hello, hello, hello
Someone sings a song to greet another
Somebody cry why, why, why?
Someone is grieving and asking questions
Yitho omanqoba (ih hih ih hih ih) yitho omanqoba
The victory cry resounds
Esanqoba lonke ilizwe
The whole world celebrates the victory
Esanqoba phakathi e England
The victory is claimed in the midst of England
Esanqoba phakathi e London
The victory is claimed in the midst of London
Esanqoba phakathi e England - ih hih ih hih ih
The victory is claimed in the midst of England amidst laughter
Kuluman
The call to unity
Kulumani, Kulumani sizwe
Unite, unite the nation
Singenze njani
What shall we do?
Baya jabula abasi thanda yo
Those who love one another are happy
Ho
An expression of joy and enthusiasm
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Simon, Joseph Shabalala
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
M. Cloak
Can Someone Who Speaks Fluent Zulu Translate The Zulu Parts Of This Song Into English Please? Thanks!! :-)
Emaweni Webaba
Silale Maweni
Webaba Silale Maweni
Webaba Silale Maweni
Webaba Silale Maweni
Webaba Silale Maweni
Webaba Silale Maweni
Webaba Silale Maweni
Webaba Silale Maweni
Webaba Silale Maweni
Webaba Silale Maweni
Zio Yami Zio Yami Nhliziyo Yami
Nhliziyo Yami Amakhaza Asengi Bulele
Nhliziyo Yami Nhliziyo Yami
Nhliziyo Yami Angibulele Amakhaza
Nhliziyo Yami Nhliziyo Yami
Nhliziyo Yami Somandla Angibulele Mama
Zio Yami Nhliziyo Yami
Nhliziyo Yami Nhliziyo Yami
Yitho Omanqoba Yitho Omanqoba
Esanqoba Lonke Ilizwe
Yitho Omanqoba
Esanqoba Phakathi E England
Yitho Omanqoba
Esanqoba Phakathi E London
Yitho Omanqoba
Esanqoba Phakathi E England
Kuluman
Kulumani Kulumani Sizwe
Singenze Njani
Baya Jabula Abasi Thanda Yo
Ho
Thandanani Umlaw
Emaweni = bluff, ridge, cliff
Silala = we are sleeping or We sleep at...
WeBaba = Zulu exclamation but means father (like 1000 other languages)
Yithi omanqoba = we are the victors/conquers
Esanqoba lonke ilizwe = who have conquered entire nation (but in this context, world)
Nqoba = win/conquer Esanqoba = past participle of Nqoba
Phakathi = inside/within
Khulumani = Speak up
Sizwe = We listen or we are listening (Sizwe also means nation too)
Bayajabula = Happy are those
Abasithandayo = who love us!
Ratidzai Ndlovu
just heard the sad news of the passing of Joseph Shabalala may his soul rest in peace,legend he was,did a tribute on radio in zimbabwe when i just got the news
Manfred Mash
RIP JOSEPH SHABALALA - “We celebrate and honour your kind heart and your extraordinary life. Through your music and the millions who you came in contact with, you shall live forever.”
Marcos Eduardo Carvalho
Nossa, levei 30 anos para descobrir o nome dessa música sensaciona!!!!
André Marcos
Pra quem assistiu a série Raíze Kunta Kintê no SBT, é muito emocionante. Eu tenho a coleção a série completa. Tenho que assistir uma vez por ano. Muito legal, vou lá na minha infância. Não perdia um capítulo.
Estevam Silva
E hoje Joseph Shamalala , compositor e voz solo dessa gravação está sendo enterrado na África do Sul. Essa peça de Joseph marcou nossa geração ao ser utilizada como a chamada da série Raízes na reprise que o SBT apresentou nos anos 80. Ficam aqui minhas condelências para a banda e para a família e para seu amigo Peter Gabriel.
Taty
A primeira vez que ouvi essa música foi na novela Roda de Fogo... tema de Renato e Lúcia. Nunca esqueci e queria muito saber quem cantava. Agora descobri... Muito linda essa canção...
Zikode
Rest Easy Mshengu. You contributed immensely to the music industry
Asena
i cant help crying during this song. this song brings memorys of joy with my african steph family <3 i miss u guy's u cant emagine how much
ermãos craft
Me sinto em casa. ..coração pulsando.
The Undisputed
Rest In Peace legend, sleep well . Love from Ghana 🇬🇭🇬🇭🇬🇭🇬🇭🇬🇭