South African Singer Vusi Mahlasela, born 1965 in Pretoria, is known as "t… Read Full Bio ↴South African Singer Vusi Mahlasela, born 1965 in Pretoria, is known as "the Voice" and hails from the township of Mamelodi. He has been featured in the South African music documentary "Amandla!" and has lent his vocal skills to the soundtrack of the Academy Award winning South African Film "Tsotsi".
many in the anti-apartheid movement. His themes include the struggle for freedom, and forgiveness and reconciliation with enemies. Vusi can also be heard performing on Warren Haynes' [Gov't Mule, The Allman Brothers Band] Live at Bonnaroo release during the song "Soulshine", and the Dave Matthews Band song, "Everyday", from the album of the same name as well as a live version of the song with him which appears on the album The Best of What's Around Vol. 1. Vusi was also one of the performers at the Live 8 concerts.

Vusi played a very mellow pre-lunch solo set to an appreciative audience (those capable of functioning at that hour) at the 2004 Falls Festival that was concluded with a superb performance of 'Red Song' in The Big Top, before joining Xavier Rudd on the main Valley Stage to a raptuous reception.

His album The Voice includes the popular track "Weeping", recorded with Josh Groban and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Vusi joined Mambazo for their October-November UK tour in 2004, and will join them again for their 2007 UK tour, again from October to November 2007 [1].

He and other South African musicians took part in the 2002 documentary Amandla!: A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony where they recalled the days of Apartheid.

In June 2007, Mahlasela spoke of apartheid and performed "Thula Mama" at the TED Conference.

On 7 July 2007 Mahlasela performed at the South African leg of Live Earth.

His most recent album, Guiding Star, as Naledi Ya Tsela (the name under which it is released in South Africa) won him the 2007 SAMA for Best Male Artist.

Discography
When You Come Back 1992
Wisdom of Forgiveness 1994
Silang Mabele 1997
Live at the Bassline 1999
Miyela Afrika 2000
Jungle of Questions (with the Proud Peoples Band) 2000
Soundtrack: Amandla!: A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony 2002
Compilations: The Voice (Vusi Mahlasela album) 2003
Soundtrack: Tsotsi 2005
Naledi Ya Tsela (Guiding Star) 2007

Loneliness
Vusi Mahlasela Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I am lonely
You alone understand me
You alone love me

I cannot live alone
I cannot live without your love girl
With you I am strong
Like fynbos firmly rooted to this earth

My loneliness is different now
I tremble for want of you
A pain runs through me veins X2
Me belly, my bones
The length of my body
OH! OH! OH! now I stumble
Into a restless sleep my darling

I cannot live alone
I cannot live with your love girl
With you I am strong
Like fynbos firmly rooted to this earth

Your pure presence
Makes a world of difference

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Vusi Mahlasela's song "Loneliness" express the raw emotions of a person who is yearning for someone they love. The song begins with the admission of loneliness, a feeling that can be unbearable for many. However, the singer shares that there is one person who understands him and loves him despite his shortcomings. He acknowledges that he cannot live alone, and he needs the love of this woman to make him feel complete.

The second verse intensifies the longing for the woman's love. The use of powerful imagery such as "tremble for want of you," and "a pain runs through my veins" shows the depth of the singer's desire for the woman he loves. He stumbles into a restless sleep, unable to find rest because of his intense longing for her.

The final verse brings the song full circle by reiterating the importance of the woman's love to the singer's life. With her by his side, he feels strong, like the fynbos (a type of shrub native to South Africa) firmly rooted to the earth. Her pure presence makes a world of difference in his life, and without her, he feels lost.

Overall, "Loneliness" is a poignant song that captures the raw emotion of yearning for someone you love. It's a reminder of how important it is to have someone to share our lives with and how their love can give us the strength to weather life's storms.

Line by Line Meaning

I am lonely
I feel lonely and isolated

You alone understand me
You are the only one who truly comprehends me

You alone love me
You are the only one who loves me

I cannot live alone
I cannot survive in solitude

I cannot live without your love girl
My existence is incomplete without your love

With you I am strong
I draw strength from being with you

Like fynbos firmly rooted to this earth
Like the fynbos, I am firmly connected to the earth when I am with you

My loneliness is different now
My feeling of loneliness has evolved

I tremble for want of you
I shake with desire for you

A pain runs through me veins X2
A strong sensation of pain courses through my veins

Me belly, my bones
The pain is felt in my stomach and throughout my entire body