Gimme Hope Jo'anna
| "Gimme Hope Jo'anna" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Eddy Grant | ||||
| from the album File Under Rock | ||||
| B-side | "Say Hello to Fidel" | |||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Format | 7", 12" | |||
| Recorded | Blue Wave Studios, Saint Philip, Barbados | |||
| Genre | Reggae | |||
| Length | 3:47 | |||
| Label | Parlophone, EMI | |||
| Writer(s) | Eddy Grant | |||
| Producer | Eddy Grant | |||
| Eddy Grant singles chronology | ||||
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"Gimme Hope Jo'anna" is a song originally by Eddy Grant, a well-known anti-apartheid reggae anthem from the 1980s, written during the apartheid era in South Africa. The song was banned by the South African government when it was released, but was widely played in South Africa nonetheless. It reached #7 in the UK Singles Chart, becoming Grant's first Top 10 hit for more than five years.
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[edit] Lyrics
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This section may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (June 2009) |
"Jo'anna" in the lyrics represents not only the city of Johannesburg, but also the South African Government that ran the apartheid system. Soweto is a black township near Johannesburg, notable for its role in the resistance to the apartheid laws. The apartheid-era South African army was well-known for "sneaking across the neighbours' borders" to fight in other countries, most notably in the Angolan Civil War. The archbishop is Desmond Tutu, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his opposition to apartheid.
"She's got supporters in high up places, Who turn their heads to the city sun" represents the unwillingness of the international community, at first, to take action against the South African government for using the apartheid system. It is also a reference to Sun City, the South African luxury resort. "She even knows how to swing opinion, In every magazine and the journals" represents the propaganda which the media contributed which attributed to the success of the Apartheid system.
Eddy Grant performed a version of this song at the closing ceremony of the Indian Premier League T-20 cricket tournament on 25 May 2009. The song included a short reprise with the lyrics "...Jo'anna still runs this country" and the rest of the reprise in present tense.
[edit] Cover versions
A cover was recorded by the South African Band, Dr. Victor and the Rasta Rebels.
Argentine comedian Yayo Guridi in his 'Cantante Enmascarado' (The Masked Singer) persona sang a literal Spanish translation of this song on the Argentine humorous TV show 'Sin Codificar' on the episode that preceded the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Johannesburg is the city where the Argentine National Football Team played its opening match against Nigeria. German acapella band Basta also covered this song, dedicated to Germany's manager Joachim Loew. The song was also versioned by the German punk group J.B.O..
While not a cover, this song was modified for a Joop commercial.
[edit] Track listings
- 7" single
- "Gimme Hope Jo'Anna" — 3:47
- "Say Hello to Fidel" — 4:41
- 12" maxi
- "Gimme Hope Jo'Anna"
- "Say Hello to Fidel"
- "Living on the Frontline" (live version)
[edit] Charts
[edit] Peak positions
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[edit] End of year charts
[edit] Certifications
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[edit] Chart successions
| Preceded by "Tell It to My Heart" by Taylor Dayne |
Dutch Top 40 number-one single 9 April 1988 - 7 May 1988 (5 weeks) |
Succeeded by "Yé ké yé ké" by Mory Kanté |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e "Gimme Hope Jo'anna", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved 16 June 2008)
- ^ "De Nederlandse Top 40, week 14, 1988". http://www.radio538.nl/web/show/id=44685/chartid=5823. Retrieved 2008-03-17.
- ^ "Gimme Hope Jo'anna", UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved 17 June 2008)
- ^ 1988 Austrian Singles Chart Austriancharts.at (Retrieved 17 June 2008)
- ^ "Single top 100 over 1988" (in Dutch) (pdf). Top40. http://www.top40.nl/pdf/Top%20100/top%20100%20-%201988.pdf. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
- ^ 1988 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch (Retrieved 17 June 2008)
- ^ Elia Habib, Muz hit. tubes, p. 142 (ISBN 2-9518832-0-X)
- ^ "Les certifications depuis 1973, database" (in French). Infodisc. http://www.infodisc.fr/Single_Certif.php. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
[edit] External links
- South Campfire Song Book - includes lyrics
- Sin Codificar. "El Cantante Enmascarado singing a literal Spanish translation of Gimme Hope Jo'anna", America TV, Buenos Aires, 6 June 2009.
