Sweet Litchis

The Litchis

Cripple Songololo Stew by The Litchis

The songololo lies inside
the baking tin.
Ma tends the fire with a stick
and paraffin.

Sister chops onions while
Pa pours the oil.
Songololo retreats within
its black coil.

It begins to fry and surrenders
its legs.
Ma finishes it off with a scrape
of nutmeg.

The meal won't be tasty but
it'll be good.
For once I'm done eating
I'll walk as I once could.

Sugarcane Field Albino Blues by The Litchis

There’s a ticket ship I got on
but I can’t say I ever won
Ain’t done nothing but clear cane
Can’t go back from where I came

White as sugar, blade is done
Growing old when I am young

So much sweetness in the field
But I just taste the foreman’s heel
My skin’s the shade of an Englishman
I’m slaving hard in this dead land

White as sugar, blood is sweet
Growing cold in this heat

I’m a brown man turned inside out
They shoved crops of cane down my mouth
Sugar’ll turn you into a ghost
Make you lose what you love the most

White as sugar, hope is gone
Growing pale under the sun

Crooked Broom Blues by The Litchis

My girl got a crooked broom
She ain’t sweep in many a moon
This shack ain’t a home
No this shack ain’t a home

My wife don’t stir no stew
Table is bare and pots are few
She ain’t roll no bread
No she ain’t roll no bread

My woman don’t hang no line
Empty wash stone suits her fine
She ain’t lift no rock
No she ain’t lift no rock

My girl don’t weed the plot
Don’t care that the beans will rot
Her hands ain’t touch no dirt
No her hands ain’t touch no dirt

My wife got a cold oven
Burns no coal when I need lovin’
Her cot ain’t ever been mine
No her cot ain’t ever been mine

My woman’s been all over town
Her skinny legs are on the run
She’s gonna find her a new man
Yeah, she’s gonna find her a new man

I ain’t gonna miss her pretty face
A woman should know her place
Yeah, a woman should know her place

The Litchis

Review of Green Dragon 6

Review of Green Dragon 6, which contains lyrics by The Litchis, can be found here: Kasie Kulture.

Lyrics: Songololo Song by The Litchis

Under stone, stick and bone x 2
Songololo lives alone
When we hoe, when we sow x 2
He comes out from below

Chorus

He is long, he is strong x 2
Come sing songololo's song

Go to bed, rest your head x 2
Songololo will be fed
There he goes, up your nose x 2
Creeping on a thousand toes

Chorus

If you cry, if you sigh x 2
Songololo comes to pry
Dry your tears, close your ears x 2
Or in there he disappears

Chorus

Lyrics: Rachel de Beer by The Litchis

Rachel de Beer was lost
to the freezing veld
I dressed her body
while all around men knelt

The white calf was fine
but not worth a life
If only I had known
it've met my knife

The smith found her body
naked, cold, and blue
Clutching a hollow hill
where her spirit had flew

Inside the boy was safe
dressed in her clothes
He looked like a pilgrim
come from strange roads

He would not say a word
he kissed her cold cheek
He fell into our arms
night had made him weak

I broke down the hill
and fired my gun
It'd taken our daughter
but had saved our son

We buried this brave girl
named Rachel de Beer
And traveled onwards
our children kept near

Rachel de Beer
There ain't nothing to fear
God loves you my dear
Sweet Rachel de Beer

Rachel de Beer by The Litchis

Second demo video recording from the South African-Swedish husband and wife folk duo The Litchis. The song is based on the legend of Rachel de Beer, a young Afrikaaner girl who sacrificed her life in order to save her brother. For a brief outline see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racheltjie_de_Beer

Lyrics: Snake and Cane by The Litchis

Yessir there’s a big black snake
Inside my work shoe
Could be the devil what left it
Could be his nephew

Now there’s electric current
In the city street
But over in the country
Serpents hiss at our feet

I’d strike the thing down dead
If I had the aim
But my poor head is sore
And my eyes inflamed

Don’t go blame that black snake
Wellsir not just yet
See the trouble started last night
When my mouth got wet

There’s a hundred thousand poisons
But I take just one
That there poison in my shoe
You can serve to a nun

Now you go tell the boss
That I’ve taken ill
When you come back to my shack
Your glass will be filled

If he asks you questions
Tell him ‘bout the snake
Brother do me this justice
My misery ain’t fake

First published in Green Dragon 6

Lyrics: I Married A Goose by The Litchis

I married a goose
And lived in a pond
People did frown
About our bond

We got no peace
In my hometown
Ran to the city
Got hounded around

People were cruel
Spat in my face
Said I should stick
To my own race

People will say
You should live your life
What business of theirs
Who I take as a wife

If they grew feathers
If they grew a beak
Then maybe from them
A wife I would seek

First published in Green Dragon 6

Lyrics: Black Hen by The Litchis

Black hen on my shoulder
My luck is getting colder
Black hen ain’t been good to me

Spent my life never without
Now my luck is heading south
Black hen been dogging my step

This bird ain’t lay no eggs
Shiny feathers, crooked legs
Black hen ain’t raise no chicks

Been with me for a year
Ain’t no plan to disappear
Black hen ain’t give me no rest

Ain’t afraid of butcher’s knife
That bird ain’t got no life
Black hen don’t fear no block

I been good since it come
But it ain’t helped me none
Black hen don’t keep no score

This bird don’t ever speak
No gospel from its beak
Black hen won’t give no reason

My hair turned all white
But that hen is black as night
Black hen ain’t going nowhere

Black Hen by The Litchis

Debut demo video recording from the South African-Swedish husband and wife folk duo The Litchis. Based on the Tamil sugarcane plantation folkstory of a Black Hen that is said to bring bad luck, the song was written in December 2007.

The Litchis are Jenny Kellerman Pillay and Pravasan Pillay.

Forthcoming publication from Dye Hard Press: Green Dragon 6

Contributors to this forthcoming issue of the newly relaunched Green Dragon are Alan Finlay, Arja Salafranca, Haidee Kruger, Janet van Eerden, Joop Bersee, Kelwyn Sole, Kobus Moolman, Tania van Schalkwyk, Megan Hall, Cecilia Ferriera, Anton Krueger, Allan Kolski Horwitz, Goodenough Mashego, David wa Maahlamela, Vonani Bila, Mphutlane wa Bofelo, Aryan Kaganof, Neo Molefe Shameeyaa, Colleen Higgs, Gus Ferguson, Brent Meersman, Kai Lossgott, Daniel Browde, Mick Raubenheimer and Mxolisi Nyezwa. Lyrics from Durban folk group The Litchis.

ISBN:978-0-620-43490-4

Publication scheduled for May/June.
Pricing to be confirmed.