When You Come Back
Remembering Nelson Mandela
Welcome to new subscribers and regular readers! Thank you for joining me for today’s song, “When You Come Back” by Vusi Mahlasela. If you’d like to hear the song before you read about it, I’ve included a YouTube video below the article. Below, you’ll find my interpretation of the lyrics which are written in italics.
✳️ Note: The level of this article is for students with a TOEIC of 550+, Eiken Pre-1, CEFR B2. For Japanese students, vocabulary words in bold are provided in Japanese below.
(499 words)
Starting in 2003, there was a series of concerts that were held in various countries around the world to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Today’s song is from those concerts. It was written in 1992 by one of South Africa’s greatest singer-songwriters, Vusi Mahlasela.
The name of the concert was 46664. That was the number that prison authorities gave to Nelson Mandela. Mandela was held in prison for 27 years for his work in bringing down the system of apartheid which gave whites privilege in South Africa. Mandela was released in 1990. The president of South Africa at the time, F.W de Klerk, worked with Mandela to end the discriminatory system, and general elections were held in 1994. Nelson Mandela’s party, the African National Congress, won the election, and Mandela became president. In that role, he continued to work for a democratic South Africa.
The song opens by remembering people who died fighting against the old system and those who were forced to leave their country or be imprisoned.
This is the unknown grave
The one who died maintaining his might
His will being so strong and musically inclined
His sad melodies coming out like smoke from the wood fire
And he sang
Mayibuye iAfrica, sing now Africa
Sing loud, sing to the people
Let them give something to the world and not just take from it
He sings of a celebration when those who have been exiled return.
And we'll ring the bells when you come back
We'll beat the drums when you come back home
Vusi, a musician who wrote African folk music, focuses on that music here. He sings about reclaiming it for the people, music that sings about their lives, their challenges, and their triumphs over the difficult times.
Our lost African music will turn into the music of the people
Yes, the people's music, for the people's culture
A dais can refer to the standing desk that is at the front of a lecture hall, but it also means a seat of honor or a throne. The lyrics refer to the lazy lord, or the people who used their position of power to act in a superior way toward others.
And I'll be the one who'll climb up the mountain
Reaching for the top of our Africa dais
While the poor women working for the lazy lord sing
Africa sing, Africa sing
Sing, sing Africa, sing, sing Africa
Let these illusions and memories become the people's minds and souls
Vusi sang this song at the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as president in 1994. Mandela served as president from 1994 to 1999. After stepping down, he continued his work trying to end poverty and HIV/AIDS. Throughout his lifetime, he received many awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize. Nelson Mandela, born on July 18, 1918, died in Johannesburg in 2013 at the age of 95.
Learning from Vusi’s lyrics, let us give something to the world and not just take from it.
Leaving a comment is a good way to practice your writing skills.
Vocabulary
authorities 当局
privilege 特権
discriminatory 差別的
might 威勢
be (musically) inclined (音楽の)才能
be exiled 追放される
reclaim 取り戻す
triumph 勝利
superior 優位
dais 演壇
throne 王座
inauguration 就任式
Sources
Sattel, J. (No date) Vusi Mahlasela. https://www.swaves.com/Back_Issues/Feb04/VUSI_MAHLASELA.html Accessed 10 July 2025.
Wikimedia Foundation. (2025, May 12). 46664. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/46664 Accessed 10 July 2025.
For another song about Nelson Mandela, see:
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