Hugh Masakela "Coal Train (Stimela)"
There’s a train that comes from Namibia and Malawi,
There’s a train that comes from Zambia and Zimbabwe,
There’s a train that comes from Angola and Mozambique,
From Lesotho, from Botswana, from Swaziland,
From all the hinterlands of southern and central Africa,
This train carries young and old African men,
Who are conscripted to come and work on contract
In the gold and mineral mines of Johannesburg,
And it’s surrounding the Tripoli…
16 hours of moan a day for almost no pay
Deep, deep, deep, down in the belly of the earth
When they are digging and drilling for that shiny and mighty evasive stone…
“Life is a lot like jazz. . . It’s best when you improvise. . .”