In Dutch speaking countries he is best known for his 1991 hit record ‘Papa’ - about a father/son relation. Since then he has made several albums and has also become quite popular amongst the Afrikaner population of South-Africa where he recorded several songs with crossovers between his European style and the tribal sounds of Southern Africa.
In 2004 he published as a poet. He is still performing and developing new material.
Hillbrow
Stef Bos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
En kyk al die mense loop heen-en-weer
Boemelaars raas by die Wimpy Bar,
En Fontana is oop tot laat in die aand
Kaalvoet kinders in die straat, wys parkeerplek aan
En hou dan die hand, en hou dan die hand,
En hou oop die hand…ja
Jou sente, jou drome, jou klere vol gate,
Gee jou hart vir Hillbrow
Ja, gee jou hart vir Hillbrow
In Quartz Straat hoor ek 'n meisie my roep,
Daar's 'n Hare Krishna wat vra wat ek soek
En ken ek vir Jesus? Vra 'n man op die stoep,
Tussen Hillbrow records en Estoril Books
En dis lank na twaalfuur,
En die Hillbrow toring stuur
Sy seine in die nag, sy sein in die nag,
Sy sein vir die junkies wat wag, o
En gee, gee, gee. Gee, gee, gee
Jou sente, jou drome, jou toekoms vol gate,
Gee jou hart vir Hillbrow,
Ja, gee jou hart vir Hillbrow
En die ligte gaan aan in die Chelsea Hotel,
En stemme en musiek klink in elke woonstel.
Ons sit in die son, drink wyn,
Ons survive met 'n helse lot pyn in hierdie land, ja
Kom ons drink op die een wat sy drome oorleef,
Op die een wat kry wat hy vra, ja
En gee, gee, gee. Gee, gee, gee
Jou sente jou drome, jou toekoms vol gate,
Gee jou hart vir Hillbrow
Ja, gee jou hart vir Hillbrow
The song "Hillbrow" by Stef Bos transports us to the bustling streets of one of Johannesburg's most infamous neighborhoods. The lyrics are a commentary on the poverty, diversity, and resilience of the people who live there. The singer describes the scene he observes, sitting at a street cafe watching people of different walks of life pass by. He sees the homeless, the street kids, the drug addicts, the Krishnas, and the Christians, and all their struggles become intertwined in the nighttime melody of Hillbrow.
The chorus of the song echoes the sentiment of the singer's observations: "Give, give, give. Give your cents, your dreams, your clothes full of holes, give your heart for Hillbrow." The singer is urging us to give our best and to care about the people of Hillbrow who are struggling to survive in the midst of adversity. The verses also allude to a sense of community among the people of Hillbrow, as they share common experiences and challenges. The Hillbrow tower, a landmark in the neighborhood, becomes a beacon of hope for the drug addicts waiting for their turn to get high.
In essence, "Hillbrow" is a song about the power of humanity's resilience in the midst of adversity. The singer is asking us to join him in recognizing that even the most impoverished and marginalized neighborhoods in the world have a spirit and a beauty worth acknowledging.
Line by Line Meaning
Ou man sit by die straatkafees,
An old man sits at the street cafes, observing the people passing by
En kyk al die mense loop heen-en-weer
And he watches all the people walking back and forth
Boemelaars raas by die Wimpy Bar,
Loud vagrants make noise at the Wimpy bar
En Fontana is oop tot laat in die aand
And Fontana is open until late at night
Kaalvoet kinders in die straat, wys parkeerplek aan
Barefoot children in the street show where to park
En hou dan die hand, en hou dan die hand,
And then they hold their hand, and they keep holding on,
En hou oop die hand…ja
And keep their hand open... Yes
En gee, gee, gee. Gee, gee, gee
And give, give, give. Give, give, give
Jou sente, jou drome, jou klere vol gate,
Your feelings, your dreams, your clothes full of holes,
Gee jou hart vir Hillbrow
Give your heart to Hillbrow
Ja, gee jou hart vir Hillbrow
Yes, give your heart to Hillbrow
In Quartz Straat hoor ek 'n meisie my roep,
In Quartz street I hear a girl calling me,
Daar's 'n Hare Krishna wat vra wat ek soek
There's a Hare Krishna asking what I'm looking for
En ken ek vir Jesus? Vra 'n man op die stoep,
And do I know Jesus? Asks a man on the stoop,
Tussen Hillbrow records en Estoril Books
Between Hillbrow records and Estoril Books
En dis lank na twaalfuur,
And it's long after midnight,
En die Hillbrow toring stuur
And the Hillbrow tower sends
Sy seine in die nag, sy sein in die nag,
Its signals in the night, its signal in the night,
Sy sein vir die junkies wat wag, o
Its signal to the junkies waiting, oh
En die ligte gaan aan in die Chelsea Hotel,
And the lights come on in the Chelsea Hotel,
En stemme en musiek klink in elke woonstel.
And voices and music sound in every apartment.
Ons sit in die son, drink wyn,
We sit in the sun, drinking wine,
Ons survive met 'n helse lot pyn in hierdie land, ja
We survive with hell lot of pain in this land, yes
Kom ons drink op die een wat sy drome oorleef,
Let's drink to the one who survived his dreams,
Op die een wat kry wat hy vra, ja
To the one who gets what he asks for, yes
Jou sente jou drome, jou toekoms vol gate,
Your feelings, your dreams, your future full of holes,
Gee jou hart vir Hillbrow
Give your heart to Hillbrow
Ja, gee jou hart vir Hillbrow
Yes, give your heart to Hillbrow
Contributed by Layla C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@rztrzt
What don't you understand?
Ou man sit by die straatkafees
En kyk al die mense
Loop heen-en-weer
Die boemelaars raas by die Wimpy Bar
En Fontana is oop tot laat in die aand
Kaalvoet kinders in die straat
Wys parkeerplek aan
En hou dan die hand
En hou dan die hand
En hou oop die hand
Oh, en gee, gee, gee
Gee, gee, gee
Jou sente, jou drome, jou klere vol gate
Gee jou hart vir Hillbrow
Gee jou hart vir Hillbrow
Uit Quartz Straat hoor ek 'n meisie my roep
Daar's 'n Hare Krishna wat vra wat ek soek
En ken ek vir Jesus, vra 'n man op die stoep
Tussen Hillbrow Records en Estoril Books
En dis lank na twaalf-uur
En die Hillbrow toring stuur
Sy seine in die nag, sy sein in die nag
Sy sein vir die junkies wat wag
Whoa, en gee, gee, gee
Gee, gee, gee
Jou sente, jou drome, jou toekoms vol gate
Gee jou hart vir Hillbrow
Ja, gee jou hart vir Hillbrow
En die ligte gaan aan
In die Chelsea Hotel
En stemme en musiek
Klink in elke woonstel
Ons sit in die son en drink wyn
Ons survive met 'n helse lot pyn in hierdie land, ja
Kom ons drink op die een wat sy drome oorleef
Op die een wat kry wat hy vra, ja
Ja, en gee, gee, gee
Gee, gee, gee
Jou sente, jou drome, jou toekoms vol gate
Gee jou hart vir Hillbrow
Ja, gee jou hart vir Hillbrow
Kom aan, gee jou hart vir Hillbrow
@debvis1410
Kouer rillings! Herinneringe aan die jare 80 & Johannes Kerkorrel. Dankie Stef Bos!!
@WildWarriorQueen
My Dada het daar gebly in die 60´s, my Mama ontmoet en vir hom was dit een van die mooiste plekke in Johannesburg gewees ... Treurig maar waar, sodra dwelms instap, loodit in ´n tonnel van amper geen omkeer nie ... Godspeed and may Bright Blessings follow those that are trapped, and perhaps so desperate to escape, may God gow with them ... Groete vanuit Ierland ...
@NoddyKot
Pragtig Stef- dankie dat jy ons Afrikaanse musiek deel.
@marcoevers5705
Heb Johannes Kerkorrel in 1992 gezien bij de Tukkies in Pretoria. Later hoorde ik Stef Bos dit nummer zingen in Breda. Ik was stomverbaasd
@etd5791
ek voel so skuldig. hierdie is die eerste keer ek vir Stef Bos luister. en dis diep. diep se ek julle. die man kan
@MrGeoffreybarwise
Amazing. Stef Bos jy is 'n legend. Ek love JK, Koos Kombuis, jou, Valiant Swart, Amanda Strydom, jul is die beste! Wens net ek was biq ouer om julle voluit te wardeer. Dankie vir jou bydrae aan Afrikaanse musiek Stef, k is nu 'n ingeneursstudent op Tukkies, en al die Maroela Manne wardeer jou musiek - ons is die Rugby en Jool (liefdadigheid) koshuis en love jou! Kan nie wag tot jy 'n nuwe toer doen in SA, gan jou defenitief voluit ondersteun jou yster!
@stoltmain123
en syn song Pappa
@pietvb60
Prachtig mens die Stef Bos. Geen woorden voor. :-)
@mrsdoubtfire534
Afrikaans die mooiste.
@victorvandyke9898
Went to the clubs in Hillbrow in the late 1960's. All the way from Pretoria, that was back then.