The Saafi Brothers are a downtempo music project from Germany, consisting o… Read Full Bio ↴The Saafi Brothers are a downtempo music project from Germany, consisting of Gabriel Le Mar and Michael Kohlbecker. They also produce psychedelic trance, dub and ambient music. The band has seen some success in the chill out spaces at large festivals. The name Saafi is derived from a Sanskrit word meaning "travelling musician". Alex Azary was once a member of the band. They have released five albums since 1997. Supernatural with strong world music influences was released in 2007. Their fifth album Live Live on the Roadblog as a live recorded album.

2046
Saafi Brothers Lyrics

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Now there's a man you'll hear about
Most anywhere you go,
And his holdings are in Texas
And his name is Diamond Joe.

And he carries all his money
In a diamond-studded jar.
He never took much trouble

With the process of the law.

I hired out to Diamond Joe, boys,
Did offer him my hand,
He gave a string of horses
So old they could not stand.

And I nearly starved to death, boys,
He did mistreat me so,
And I never saved a dollar
In the pay of Diamond Joe.

Now his bread it was corn dodger
And his meat you couldn't chaw,
Nearly drove me crazy
With the waggin' of his jaw.

And the tellin' of his story,
Mean to let you know
That there never was a rounder
That could lie like Diamond Joe.

Now, I tried three times to quit him,
But he did argue so
I'm still punchin' cattle
In the pay of Diamond Joe.

And when I'm called up yonder
And it's my time to go,

Give my blankets to my buddies
Give the fleas to Diamond Joe.

Overall Meaning

The Saafi Brothers song "2046" references the folk song "Diamond Joe," which tells the story of a man named Diamond Joe who is known for his wealth and disregard for the law. The singer of the song recounts his time working for Diamond Joe and the mistreatment he endured, including being given a string of horses that were so old they could not stand and being fed corn dodger and tough meat. Despite several attempts to leave, the singer remains in Diamond Joe's employ because of his persuasive arguments. The song ends with the singer jokingly asking that his fleas be given to Diamond Joe when he dies.

The lyrics of "Diamond Joe" speak to the harsh realities of the American West, where men like Diamond Joe could amass great wealth by exploiting others and bending the law to their will. The singer's experiences with Diamond Joe are a reflection of the difficulty many faced in making a living in a brutal and unforgiving landscape. The references to Diamond Joe's diamond-studded jar of money and his impressive ability to spin a tall tale also evoke a sense of the mythic and larger-than-life figures that populate the lore of the Old West.

Overall, "2046" uses the story of "Diamond Joe" to capture the mood and atmosphere of the American West, with all its harshness and its moments of mythic grandeur.

Line by Line Meaning

Now there's a man you'll hear about Most anywhere you go, And his holdings are in Texas And his name is Diamond Joe.
Diamond Joe is a wealthy man from Texas who is famous everywhere.

And he carries all his money In a diamond-studded jar. He never took much trouble With the process of the law.
Diamond Joe keeps his money in a jar with diamond studs and does not follow the law.

I hired out to Diamond Joe, boys, Did offer him my hand, He gave a string of horses So old they could not stand.
The singer got a job working for Diamond Joe and he gave him old horses that were useless.

And I nearly starved to death, boys, He did mistreat me so, And I never saved a dollar In the pay of Diamond Joe.
The artist was mistreated by Diamond Joe and almost died from starvation. He was unable to save any money while working for him.

Now his bread it was corn dodger And his meat you couldn't chaw, Nearly drove me crazy With the waggin' of his jaw.
Diamond Joe's food was awful and hard to chew. He talked incessantly and drove the artist crazy.

And the tellin' of his story, Mean to let you know That there never was a rounder That could lie like Diamond Joe.
The singer wants to emphasize that Diamond Joe is a skilled liar and a dishonest person.

Now, I tried three times to quit him, But he did argue so I'm still punchin' cattle In the pay of Diamond Joe.
The singer tried to leave Diamond Joe's employ three times but he always convinced him to stay. He is still working for him.

And when I'm called up yonder And it's my time to go, Give my blankets to my buddies Give the fleas to Diamond Joe.
The artist wants his friends to have his belongings when he dies but wants to leave the fleas to Diamond Joe as a form of revenge.

Writer(s): Dylan Arr

Contributed by Alice Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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