Old Eyes
JulukaVersion1
90
Chords in this song
Strum
D-DU-UDU
I was the only one who witnessed my homecoming
So I asked myself: Brother Joseph, how've you been?
Then I met an old man who knew me as a boy
(I) said, Father, where've the people, where've the homesteads gone?
And he said, Son, I'll be old until I die now
And then I will join our people in the sky
I am not the one to ask the reasons why
Your brothers and your sisters have been scattered in the wind
And he said old eyes (mehlomadala)
You've got old eyes, boy (mehlomadala)
You've seen much too much for one so young
He said old eyes (mehlomadala)
You've got old eyes, boy (mehlomadala)
Child, from whence have you come?
When I left that mountain land so gold and green
I was a sturdy sixteen years
Work was hard and the wage was low
And the seasons passed me by one by one
And I dreamed, Maria, you would wait for my return
We'd build a home upon the rock, beneath the smiling sun
But as the old man used to say when I was young
People come and people go, but the mountain still remains
Zulu chorus:
And he said mehlomadala, mehlomadala
Ang(i)sakwaz(i) wemganam(i)
He said mehlomadala, mehlomadala
(U)qhamkaphi wena wemganam(i)
(instrumental break...)
Repeat English chorus...
Repeat Zulu chorus...
Meaning of Zulu words:
mehlomadala : old eyes (mehlo = eyes, madala = old)
ang(i)sakwaz(i) : I don't know you anymore (i.e. it's been a long time since I saw you)
wemganam(i) : my friend (wemngani = friend, wami = my)
uqhamkaphi wena : where are you coming from i.e. where have you been (uqhamuka =
you coming, kuphi = where, wena = you)
(thanks to Cameron for his musical ear and Thembinkosi for the Zulu words!)
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Readable chord sheet for Old Eyes by Juluka
[C]I was the on[G]ly one who wi[Am]tnessed my homecoming [G]So[F] I asked my[G]self: Brother Jo[F]seph, how[G]'ve you be[C]en? [C]Then I met an o[G]ld man who [Am]knew me as a boy (I) sai[G]d,[F] Father, where've the [G]people, where've the h[F]omest[G]eads g[C]one? And he said, S[F]on, I'll be o[G]ld until I d[Am]ie now And th[F]en I will jo[G]in our pe[F]ople i[G]n the s[C]ky [F]I am not the o[G]ne to [Am]ask the reasons why You[G]r [F]brothers and your [G]sisters have been s[F]cattered [G]in the w[C]ind And he said o[C]ld eyes (mehlomadala) You've got o[Am]ld eyes, boy (mehlomadala) [F]You've seen much too m[G]uch for one so y[C]oung He sa[G]id[C] old eyes (mehlomadala) You've got o[Am]ld eyes, boy (mehlomadala) [Dm]Child, from w[F]hence have you co[Am]me?[G] [C]When I left that m[G]ountain land so g[F]old and g[C]reen [Am]I was a st[G]urdy si[F]xteen y[G]ear[C]s [C]Work was h[G]ard and the w[F]age was l[C]ow And the se[Am]asons passed me b[G]y o[F]ne by o[C]ne And I dre[F]amed, Ma[G]ria, you would w[Am]ait for my return We'd bu[F]ild a home u[G]pon the rock, ben[F]eath the [G]smiling [C]sun But [F]as the o[G]ld man used to [Am]say when I was young P[F]eople come and pe[G]ople go, but the mo[F]untain st[G]ill rem[C]ains Zulu chorus: And he said me[C]hlomadala, [Am]mehlomadala [F]Ang(i)sakw[G]az(i) wemgana[C]m(i) He sai[G]d [C]mehlomadala, [Am]mehlomadala (U)[Dm]qhamkaphi w[F]ena wemgan[Am]am([G]i) (instrumental break...) Repeat English chorus... Repeat Zulu chorus... [End] Meaning of Zulu words: mehlomadala : old eyes (mehlo = eyes, madala = old) ang(i)sakwaz(i) : I don't know you anymore (i.e. it's been a long time since I saw you) wemganam(i) : my friend (wemngani = friend, wami = my) uqhamkaphi wena : where are you coming from i.e. where have you been (uqhamuka = you coming, kuphi = where, wena = you) (thanks to Cameron for his musical ear and Thembinkosi for the Zulu words!)