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Living In The Heart Of The Beast

by Kalahari Surfers

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1.
Grensvegter 06:24
i) Grensvegter: some reluctant womb spat you out amongst the weeds along the Vaal where your forefathers cheated natives out of every inch of land there you plough insane ideologies into the infant soil hopeful of strong vines that will contribute in beating back the bush how long can we keep them away so many hungry mouths in the bush we fill them all with lead and their bloated stomachs burst they are buried in mass graves nobody counts nobody talks govern mental views are always on the air self censorship reigns who wants to end up in an unmarked grave ii) The Branch : "Now we get down to the nitty-gritty you can see how important it is that all instructions are absolutely clear - we've just got to be exactly on target, every time. Don't forget to cover where necessary. Here's the target area where we begin. Don't forget to refer to the manuals in need we've just got to be exactly on target, every time. Don't forget to cover where necessary." iii)Hoerskool Grenswag: I'm singing in the Rain
2.
Europeans 04:35
found voices from South african movies: "My God what‘s that - I‘ve never heard anything like it it comes on so bloody fast" 'They won't get away from " "I ’ only me boy" "Quiet please" They won't get away from us Lekker, lekker man kyk al die tierlantyntgies, dit lyk vir my na 'n Krismus boom" (Lovely, lovely man look at all the decorations, it looks like a Christmas tree) Alive you did say alive d1dn't you" there s a phone call for Jeff "And because he's alive and beautiful you want to kill him there‘s a phone call for Jeff you want to kill him "Dit gaan 'n ongeluk wees" (There s golng to be an accident) Aksie' (Action) "Because I don't get my kicks out of the destruction of beautiful things Like two beautiful world wars" Have a nice lunch (mmm very) hey, lovely evening nice sunset' Take your pills and wash your bloody little hands before bedtime" " look at the colours in he sky there over the guns" Ah, beautiful mmm" Take your pills" ’Moenie so bekomerd lyk nie, dokter" (Don’t look so worried doctor) 'Moenie my skiet nie ek vra jou, moenie asseblief kan nie my skiet" (Don't shoot me, I am asking,you please, don't shoot) 'Hoekem sny jy Asseblief Jy gaan nie my skiet, gaan Jy" (Why did you cut - Please, you’re not going to shoot me are you?) ----------- lyrics: Europeans (w.sony_ performed by Roger Lucy) We come from across the sea in wooden ships our scurvy eyes scour this new land a flat topped mountain rises through mist we are europeans and claim this land searching for treasure prepared for war we march beneath a sacred cross setting up frontiers against barbarity with new weapons we beat them back their villages we burn their Gods lost their powers their women we rape the victory is ours we are Europeans our hearts are on fire but we can't stand the pulse of the drums at night can't sleep with this creeping fear what sorcery is this how can they march to such a weird beat --------- movie voices: " I'd hate to see any of them escape" "I mean why not do it properly;finish the job off Let's use gas ,let's bomb them What makes you want to do it"
3.
Safety Seat 04:08
Safety Seat (words and voice :Christo Doherty) Hey lady don't take your baby when you go driving Down the Golden Highway Sure lady you're doing your maid a Christian good turn, driving her home to her township Down the Golden Highway Please lady just leave your baby safe in the suburbs far from the townships where the kids are massing And the only white face they've ever seen is behind a bullet proof screen in the belly of a hippo Weren't the police at the roadblocks where they turned back the journalists with their cameras while the shooting was on ? but you drove right through, baby in the safety chair on the seat safe, beside you, and the brick that broke that baby's pink skull, Was it thrown by a child? whose brother died from a bullet, chopping wood for his mummy, beside a cramped township box, Down the Golden Highway, too many stray bullets and stones breaking through the windscreens of our segregated lives But lady, you're not alone in trying, Trying to make your world a bit better by doing some personal good turn, driving your maid and your baby down the Golden Highway And we're all getting stoned driving to that township, Down the Golden Highway. -------------- Drums Programmed by Brian Rath
4.
1999 03:59
1999 (W. Sony) Mutilate that poster face if voting could change anything it would be banned We spray paint slogans on the walls of railway buildings in Joubert Park Is it raining? These walls have eyes and ears Gentlemen in gun black suits move in on us from the quiet corners of the city in 1999 will we still be around A cold wind blows through barbed wire surrounding the old showgrounds in Baragwanath road – no funfair this – the army guards all entrances we work on minedump slimes building them up high to form a great divide between the city of gold and the city of sweat. in 1999 will we still be around?
5.
Township Beat (w.sony) Some of us work and some of us play Somewhere in the city we make money every day We play the games of the wealthy patrons of the state And do the clubs at night We need to fornicate We need to suffocate In the lap of luxury It is a fashionable street We like the township beat It's the only thing that moves our feet This is the life of whitey in Johannesburg Removed from reality, haven't you heard The rolling stones are here They're throwing stones out there Some of us work and some of us play But some of us have to live with police every day They do the township beat They keep them running in the street Even the little ones have got no shoes upon their feet And the police beat This is no fashionable street They like the township beat It's the only thing that moves the feet Rise up people and seize the day And the news crews are there For the violent fair They take their chances with the teargas Advances of police they run for shelter It's a helter skelter The SABC transmit it through their satellite No one spots the irony It must have quite a bite for the government man Who does not understand that the people overseas They watch all this with ease on their television They see the teargas falling from the heavens above The people run for cover from a mighty armoured glove They use their clubs at night On the poor man, the children, the beggar man, thief, the liar, and the cheater and the African chief Rise up people and seize the day. Drums: Ian Herman
6.
7.
8.
Reasonable Men Again...it may be necessary in certain prevailing conditions to declare that a particular curfew will prevail in a particular time to a particular time movement will be restricted. "I call on all well meaning and reasonable South Africans to take hands in these times and to stand together to restore order and peace; I wish to give assurance that law-abiding people have nothing to fear as from midnight today movement will be restricted / nothing to fear in a particular area The government has shown utmost patience especially in black townships again... It is the duty of the Government to ensure that a normal community life can no longer be tolerated however, I cannot ignore the insistence of all responsible South Africans who ask that those persons and institutions that cause or propagate disruption be terminated as soon as this is justified by local conditions - movement will be restricted in closing - again in closing - obviously I just want to say that South Africa has the ability to rise above pettiness (government people) and violence (development board officials) I call upon all well meaning and reasonable South Africans to take hands in these times (just by way of hypothesis) and to stand together to restore order and peace (in other words) in order that we can work in the interests of peace and prosperity (after it has been properly promulgated and built into this law) in the interests of peace and prosperity (just by way of hypothesis) for all in the country (the law, this particular law, makes provision for certain offences and it does not make provision that a person can shot on sight at all, nowhere is that provision built into this law so that if offences are committed a duty again prevails where the forces must arrest that person and bring them before a properly consituted court).
9.
Play It Backwards (Play it backwards) We are exposed to this music - we can‘t get away from it (Play it backwards) and it is having an effect on those who are listening to it which actually is the hidden message revealed when a record is played backwards How is it possible for lyrics to have an impact on the individual (Play it backwards) now, you hear these lyrics, they are then programmed into the subconscious mind, and if you accept these values or principles that are brought forth in the lyrics, this is going to then determine how you are going to evaluate the world. Ok I'm coping quite well, try this as an escape-route immediately then this information is offered up to my mind I still like music but I dedicated my life to Christ I stopped everything after that (the hidden message ) I'm having the same problem.
10.

about

"...it works because it is a formal success: cut up Botha speeches and Afrikaans-speak are set against hi-life and reggae rhythms, while viciously critical (and historically intelligent) lyrics are sung over ..settings that often recall early Zappa....it's possible to underestimate the powerful symbolism of a record that mixes the rhetoric of white supremacy with black rhythms and thereby undercuts it." Jon Savage -
New Statesman

credits

released December 12, 1985

Reasonable Men video by Robyn Aronstam and Neria Cohen
www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9eWu9rgkSU&t=2s

from the original vinyl release
by Recommended Records
P&C Free State Music Publishing
Cape Town
South Africa

Thanks to Ivan Kadey and Lloyd Ross at Shlfty
www.shifty.co.za
recorded throughout 1985 onto Fostex Bl6.
thanks Chris Cutler and Recommended Records
www.rermegacorp.com
Cover: Martine Delaharp
Back Cover Photograph: Henion Hahn
Labels : Chris Cutler
Booklet Paintings : Gary V Wyk
Album notes: Ian Kerkhof
kaganof.com/kagablog/
Booklet Layout & Deslgn: Chris Gibbons except
Front Booklet Cover Collage :Warrick Sony
Vinyl Record Cut by Tim Young,

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Kalahari Surfers South Africa

Warrick Sony is a South African composer, producer, musician and sound designer.
He is the founder and sole permanent member of the Kalahari Surfers. They made politically radical satirical music in 1980s South Africa.

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