Born in Siparia, Tiger was originally a boxer who won the Trinidad bantamweight championship in 1929. He was active in calypso from his teens. He was a member of the Old Brigade of calypso singers, which included Lord Beginner, Attila The Hun, the Roaring Lion, and Lord Pretender. In 1935, he went to New York with Attila and Lord Beginner to record for the Decca label. In 1939, he won the first Calypso Monarch competition with "The Labour Situation in Trinidad And Tobago."
More so than his contemporaries he sang about social and political issues. His best known songs are "Money is King," about economic inequality, and "The Gold in Africa," about the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. Recording together with Atilla and Beginner as the Keskidee Trio, he recorded some lighter tunes, including "Don't Let Me Mother Know."
Folklorist Alan Lomax recorded him in 1962. In 1966, Growling Tiger performed at the Newport Folk Festival. In 1979, he recorded an album "Knockdown Calypsos" for Rounder Records.
The Gold in Africa
The Tiger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the music of the wind
And I know how she feels
Oh I know how she feels
When the daydream never ends
Gold in the ether
Like gold in the ether
Like gold in the ether
Amelia somewhere lost
In the ocean of her dreams
And I can see her soul
Oh I can see her soul
Like an iridescent gleam
Like gold in the ether
Like gold in the ether
Like gold in the ether
Like gold in the ether
Gold, gold, gold
Gold in the ether
The song "Gold in Africa" by The Tiger's talks about the idea of being lost in the world of music and dreams. The first stanza sings about a character named Amelia who is lost in the music of the wind. The lyrics suggest that the character possibly daydreams all day long and is unable to escape her imaginary world. The singer seems to relate to her struggle and says that he knows how she feels. This could mean that the singer also loves to get lost in his thoughts and probably understands Amelia's desire better than anyone else.
The second stanza talks about Amelia being lost in the ocean of her dreams. Again, the singer relates to Amelia's struggle and can see her soul like an iridescent gleam. This line suggests that the singer can understand Amelia deeply, and even though she is lost in her imaginative world, the singer can see through into her soul. The chorus, "Gold in the ether, like gold in the ether," repeats like a mantra, implying that Amelia's dreams and musical thoughts are as precious as gold and are floating in the air like ether.
Overall, the song is about the beauty of getting lost in one's thoughts and how these thoughts can be as real and valuable as gold. The imagery of gold floating in the ether implies that these daydreams are ethereal, fleeting, and precious at the same time. The singer's understanding of Amelia, and her thoughts, suggests that he is a kindred spirit, and both of them share the beauty of the world inside their minds.
Line by Line Meaning
Amelia somewhere lost
Amelia is lost and absent, perhaps mentally or physically
In the music of the wind
She is lost in something ephemeral and constantly changing, like the sound of wind
And I know how she feels
The singer understands Amelia's state of being lost and helpless
Oh I know how she feels
The artist empathizes with Amelia's situation
When the daydream never ends
Amelia is stuck in a perpetual state of reverie or imagination
Gold in the ether
There is a sense of something precious and valuable, perhaps related to hope or inspiration
Like gold in the ether
This precious thing is hard to grasp or define, like trying to capture gold that is suspended in the atmosphere
In the ocean of her dreams
Amelia is adrift in a vast sea of her own subconscious
And I can see her soul
The artist has a deeper understanding of Amelia's true self and inner being
Oh I can see her soul
The artist has a strong emotional connection to Amelia, and feels a sense of closeness to her
Like an iridescent gleam
There is something beautiful and captivating about Amelia's soul, like the glow of a shifting rainbow
Gold, gold, gold
This line emphasizes the value and worth of whatever is being referred to as 'gold' throughout the song
Gold in the ether
Reaffirming the idea that something precious and intangible is present
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Jeff Pritchett
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
SocaPhD
I believe this Growling Tiger calypso classic was recorded in 1935.
busessuck1
I wish modern news was delivered in calypso verse... ...song lyrics today are meaningless drivel