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Ballade Van 'n Boepens

from The Third World Circus by Fred Nagel

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Written in Afrikaans, Ballade Van ‘n Boepens (Ballad Of A Pot-Belly) is told from the perspective of a 'Boer’ man who mourns the passing of Apartheid.

Entitlement among whites is a common occurrence in South Africa. The roots hereof lie in the strong Afrikaner nationalism instilled during the Great Trek, the Anglo-Boer wars, and independence from the UK in the 20th century. This feeling of ownership of the country is being targeted very directly on a social and political level. However, any movement towards integration and transformation is viewed as an attack on this white entitlement, Afrikaner cultural heritage, and the general future of the country. The result is a white distrust and disapproval of black leadership and development.

This song explores this sense of threat and dismay experienced by many Afrikaners. It also colours the matter in the irony that many of the privileges of being white under apartheid South Africa is still in place, as well as the drawbacks that is still experienced by the majority of black people.

lyrics

Broeders van die nasie
vriende van die land
Boer met my spinasie
Met my voete in die sand
Vryheid van die pommies
ons het van hul ontsnap
Tog sien ek vir Isiah
soos hy in die warm son stap

Ons is hulpeloos
Ons Z.A.R is uit ons greep gesteel
Ek dink nog terug toe dit veilig was
om op die straat te speel
Daai dae is nou verby
en dit lyk dan nou vir my
Dat ons saam moet staan
soos 'n span op die lewe se doellyn

Die slagoffers van die volk
My woede sal geen ander mens vertolk
My siel is gekwes, maar ek loer steeds wes
Na die sonsondergang oor Beauford Wes.

Maar dit help nie
Die swartes het die langer lont getrek
Ja, dit help nie
Die swart man wat nogsteeds my grond bewerk

Onthou nog in die ou dae
Het niemand teruggepraat
Isiah het gewerk soos gewoonlik
en ekt gevreet soos 'n vraat
Die lewe was so maklik
sonder twyfel oor die staat
En saans op my king-size
op my boepens le ek plat
Die swartes wat net voortplant
verwoes nou my vaderland
Die skerwe van die Broederbond
is nou net deel van die sand

Jou lied is sterk maar jou werkers is sterker
Daarom noem ek jou 'n rassistiese tiet
Wees eerlik met jouself, jy is vraatsig en bederf
Spreek uit op hul, geen liefde, net verdriet

Want ons is hulpeloos en verraai
Ons land word soos 'n 308 ontlaai
Dit is natuurlik vir my innig tragies
Want ek besit die nasie
en ek soek maar net my spasie
Want vir die wit man was Europa net te klein

credits

from The Third World Circus, released September 21, 2014

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Fred Nagel Pretoria, South Africa

Frederik Johannes Nagel, born in the decade of the Spice Girls, KTV and dial-up Internet.

Fred started playing classical music at age 7. Studied sound engineering and worked as a sound engineer in the Atterbury Theatre.

Performed as vocalist/keyboardist for Sentyre, drummer for Balyios, and keyboard/violinist for Monkeys In Boots.

Currently studying Architecture at the University of Pretoria. ... more

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