[Verse 1: Zulu maskandi male lead, fast praise-poet delivery over galloping drums] Saturday in the valley hall, the benches pushed to the side Two guitars and one prize and a goat tied up outside Sipho played first, the bull from over the hill, they say Fingers like a sewing machine, he picked the roof away Then he sang his own praises, sang 'em long and sang 'em loud Called himself the lion, called himself the thundercloud Called himself the river that the cattle cannot cross And the whole hall stamped for him, yebo, he's the boss [Pre-Hook: Zulu maskandi male lead, guitar and kick, tight] Then they handed me the mic and the old men leaned in close I could brag about myself, but that's the thing he does the most [Hook: Zulu maskandi male lead, full band, concertina riding] So I'm gonna sing his praises, every name his people gave Every run he ever played and every bar he tried to save I'm gonna sing his praises louder than he ever could 'Cause you can only praise a man like that when you're that good [Verse 2: Zulu maskandi male lead, harder, concertina stabs] So I started with his fingers, how the thumb walks on the bass How he hammers on the third fret like he's runnin' late for a race How he learned it off a cousin with a tin can and a wire How he plays a little sharp when the room gets hot as fire Named the song he wrote at fifteen, named the girl it was about Named the one wrong note he hits each time and covers with a shout Every praise I gave was true, and every word of it was mine Mfowethu, I have studied you, I've got you down to every line [Breakdown: Zulu maskandi male lead, praise run, the guitar steps up a fret on every praise name] Bull of the hill, I salute you Thumb of the valley, I praise you Sewing machine at the roof beam, I crown you Little bit sharp when it's hot in here, I thank you [Verse 3: Zulu maskandi male lead, full band, halala] Then the hall went quiet 'cause they heard it in the praise You don't know a man that close unless you've watched him all your days And you don't name his one wrong note unless you never hit it once Sipho set his guitar down and he nodded, halala, done They gave me the goat, they gave me the prize, I gave him back the goat 'Cause a praise singer pays his debts and I'd been livin' off his notes Yebo, he's the lion and the river and the cloud But I'm the one who sang it, and I sang it twice as loud [Hook: Zulu maskandi male lead, full band, concertina riding] So I'm gonna sing his praises, every name his people gave Every run he ever played and every bar he tried to save I'm gonna sing his praises louder than he ever could 'Cause you can only praise a man like that when you're that good [End]
0/500