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FolK tOLd Me EP

by Folk Told Me

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1.
the Bird and the Rabbit (free) 03:55
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Tshipu orile ke lebelo Tshipu orile ke lebelo 2x Mohlaba wa re ke nabile Mohlaba wa re ke nabile Dancing in oblivion the rabbit chitter chattered Running through the matter That the earth had gathered Boasting he was faster Spinning blind disaster Only for his ignorance to shatter When the earth said, “you can’t outrun me” I’m old and wide and fast And vast, I’ll outlast you Matter of fact I hold more than you’ll ever know In a tiny pebble, spec of dust, drip of water, gust of water, single stone So grasp your humility and go Go go go… Little bird little bird won’t you sing Little bird won’t you sing, heya 2x Sing…sing… Perched on thickness of silence She never uttered a song stayed quiet Despite a heart contusion erupting a riot Internally un-rested development Threaded melodies she desired to unravel To unweave but there appeared to be No speaking left in her Chest wept sorry through her veins Took flight without saying Little bird speak your piece Your voice is power in c minor arpeggio Release your deep bellow Just let it go let it go let it go Sing… Wile anamela thaba Abagwetja babina malopo 4x Babina malopo 16x Translation notes: NONYANE LE MMUTLE (BIRD AND THE RABBIT) LYRICS DURING VERSE…THIS IS A sePEDI PROVERB (both lines joined together!)! LINE1 “TSHIPU ORILE KE LEBELO…” – (Hare/rabbit said: ‘I’m fast!”) LINE2 “ MOHLABA WA RE KE NABILE” – ( and the earth replied: ‘I’m wide!”) VOCAL CHORUS IN THE CARNIVAL PART LINE3 “WILE ANAMELA THABA…ABAGWETJA BABINA MALOPO” – (she/he ascended a mountain…and found them singing Malopo) *(she overcame her struggles by reaching the mountain top where a spiritual music (Malopo) was being sung- she attained humility. CHANT LINE 4 “BABINA MALOPO… - (SINGING MALOPO…)
2.
tRain sOng 01:39
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Plantain chips on the tip of my tongue, bodega store Same lady begging for a quarter never asking for more Walk inside what do I buy, a coconut water Running a Q train’s a coming Brooklyn trails behind And I’m on the Manhattan line Chinatown just passed me by Overpopulated train of confusion The next stop is Not where I live But I’m gonna get off here Gibela nasi istimela ntombi Wasala kuchitheki’gazi lemvana Uthunyiwe ngegama elabantu abakini Hamba ntombi uyoslwela empini 2x Prettiest train that I ever seen Prettiest train that I ever seen Prettiest train that I ever seen Headed in the direction of my destiny 2x Translation notes: 1. GET ON, HERE’S A TRAIN GIRL (here is a life situation or an injustice that you must tackle girl) 2. IF YOU GET LEFT BEHIND THE BLOOD OF A LAMB(think innocence!) WILL SPILL - (if you miss the opportunity, if you abandon, cower or shy away from your responsibility then a few ‘weak, vulnerable and innocent’ people will suffer) 3. YOU HAVE BEEN SENT IN THE NAME OF YOUR PEOPLE – (you have been entrusted with carrying out your people’s historical mission) 4. GO GIRL AND FIGHT FOR US AT WAR – (you are our servant and hero so go and do good for us…)
3.
Another Man 03:20
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Iraq, Sudan, Palestine, Afghanistan, Congo, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Guatemala, Mexico, Columbia, Libya, Somalia, Tunisia, Egypt, Iran, Yemen Girila Gijima! Girila Gijima! Girila Gijima! Girila Gijima! Utholi’ Nkululeko Girila Gijima! Girila Gijima! Girila Gijima! Another man gone (Girila Gijima!) Another man gone (Girila Gijima!) Another man gone (Girila Gijima! Girila Gijima!) Another man gone (Utholi’ Nkululeko) Another man gone (Girila Gijima!) Another man done gone (Girila Gijima!), another man done gone (Girila Gijima!), Another man done gone I didn’t know his name (Girila Gijima!) I didn’t know his name (Girila Gijima!) I didn’t know his name (Girila Gijima! Girila Gijima!) Another man gone (Utholi’ Nkululeko) Another man gone (Girila Gijima!) Another man done gone (Girila Gijima!), another man done gone (Girila Gijima!), Another man done gone Niyabasaba na?! Hai! 4x Using violence as a means to peace I see as totally ass backwards Torrential bloodletting release soul of a man until all life is captured What’s a world of inorganic matter What’s a world of lifeless matter Scattered amongst your guns and knives and bombs conflict and lies and anger Pitter-patter of hearts has ceased to beat I’m asking you put down your weapons Tell me what’s a world without weapons Tell me why we need those weapons The event of demise will arise if we are not guided by acts of love Don’t speak with clenched fist cocked guns and ticking bombs Coward government send them out to fight In a bloody war that they know ain’t right Recruit them boys soon as they turn 18 Give em' a gun a buzz cut to pairs of fatigues It don’t stop there they get the women too Leave your lives behind for mushroom clouds and boom boom Rebel boy bandana round his lips With eyes of fire and on machete tight grip Translation notes: IsiZULU CHANT IN THE VERSES LINE1 “GIRILA GIJIMA…X3…UTHOLI’NKULULEKO – (“Guerilla run/ look out”) Call and response before rap section LINE2 “NIYABASABA NA?” – ( “are y’all scared of ‘em?) Chant during rap verse at the end of each bar LINE3 “HAI!” – (No!)
4.
Handwriting 03:31
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Handwriting on the wall (Siyabhala la, uzogcwala la) Handwriting on the wall (Siyabhala la, uzogcwala la) I want somebody read and tell me what it says It’s the handwriting on the wall 4x Shackles of urban legends wedged in Ephemeral rhythms Slaving in fields of broken records Looking in the land of lost tapes Picking rhymes from many reigns ago Tagging my escape Scribbling in subliminal graffiti On mental landscapes (Xhosa RAP VERSE) Get out your headphones cassettes boombox stereos Phonographs and radios Oral history no more mc now me modern griot Get a pen and take this message yo Make note make note make note Handwriting on the wall (Siyabhala la, uzogcwala la) Handwriting on the wall (Siyabhala la, uzogcwala la) I want somebody read and tell me what it says It’s the handwriting on the wall 4x Translation Note: VOCAL CHORUS/BACKING LINE1 “SIYABHALA LA” (WE ARE WRITINH HERE (we’re saying something worth hearing or we’re writing something worth reading) LINE2 “UZOGCWALA LA” (YOU GONNA DIG IT! (you gonna feel or understand our tip, you gonna relate our “shiot”
5.
sTaTe of EMERGEnce 04:27
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Oh what a crazy world we live in Look at all it seems to bear I can no longer endure it Tired of singing tired of praying Apathy has clutched my motivation And for others it’s done the same Only be cause we do not carry The burdens of earth no on wants to claim Unomkhubulwane uyakhala, unomkhubulwane uyakhala, Unomkhubulwane uyakhala, unomkhubulwane uyakhala… Uyakhala, uyakhala, uyakhala, uyakhala… Wakhala unomkhubulwane, wakhala unomkhubulwane… The world so unstable it’s a wonder we keep our balance As we dance in an illusion we are blind To the decline of the universe 2x Sekumoshekile manje Sekumoshekile manje 8x Don’t let it all fall let it all fall down Don’t let it all fall let it all fall down Don’t let it all fall let it all fall down Don’t let if all fall let it This is a state of emergency We in a state of EMERGENCE!! 4x Translation notes: LINE1 “UNOMKHUBULWANE UYAKHALA…X4” – (Nomkhubulwane is weeping) Nomkhubulwane is strictly speaking the Goddess of fertility but in this context we are using her particular name and figure as a general metaphor or a symbol that represents the ‘universal mother/Goddess; mother nature; mother afrika etc) LINE2 “UYAKHALA, UYAKHALA, UYAKHALA” – (She’s weeping, she’s weeping, she’s weeping) LINE3 “WAKHALA UNOMKHUBULWANE…WAKHALA UNOMKHUBULWANE” – (She is weeping is Nomkhubulwane, She is weeping is Nomkhubulwane) LINE 4 SEKUMOSHEKILE MANJE, (Everything is in total chaos and utter disarray)

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released December 15, 2011

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Folk Told Me South Africa

Folk Told Me is a band of melodic sankofa martians, spinning stories like hip hop griots doomed to this place called earth, traveling in sound sparring with myopic modes of being…freeing. . .

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