Gimme Hope Jo’anna (1988)
Gimme Hope Jo'anna is an anti-apartheid song written and originally released by Eddy Grant in 1988, 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 number seven on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Grant's first UK top 10 hit for five years.[1]
Key Lyrics
Well Jo'anna she runs a country
She runs in Durban and the Transvaal
She makes a few of her people happy oh
She don't care about the rest at all
She's got a system they call apartheid
It keeps a brother in subjection
But maybe pressure will make Jo'anna see
How everybody could live as one
Interpretation
"Jo'anna" is a reference to Johannesburg, the largest city in South Africa. "The Archbishop who's a peaceful man" is a reference to Desmond Tutu, the first black South African Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town who received the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize for his fight against apartheid.[2]
Reception
References
- ↑ Andrew Perry. "How Eddy Grant gave hope to South Africa". 27 June 2008. The Telegraph. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ↑ Gimme Hope Jo’anna. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 2, 2021.