Youssou N'Dour "Seven Seconds" Garbage?

[GNC]

Anyone remember the nineties hit record "Seven Seconds" by Youssou N'Dour and Neneh Cherry? I just heard it on the radio, and it reminded me of a story going around at the time that the apparently African language Youssou was speaking during the record was in fact all made up, and he was just talking rubbish. Was this true? Does anyone know what he is saying? Or was it a rather unkind rumour?

 

[Anonymous]

Here's the Lyrics, As Posted in English

From the World Beat Planet Website

7 Seconds
By Youssou N'Dour & Neneh Cherry

Don't see me from a distance
Don't look at my smile
And think that I don't know
What's under and behind me
I don't want you to look at me and think
What's in you is in me
What's in me is to help them

I assume the reasons that push us to change everything
I would like us to forget about their color
So they can try to be optimistic
Too many views on rave that make them desperate
Let's leave the door wide open
So they can talk about their pain and joy
Then we can give them information
That will bring us all together

Chorus: It's not a second 7 seconds away
Just as long as I stay I'll be waiting

Nothing can move us, we should be moving from the ones who practice wicked charms
For the son and the stone
Bad to the bone
Man is not evil, even when it's born

And when a child is born into this world
It has no concept
The tone the skin is living in

(chorus)

There's a million voices
There's a million voices
To tell you what she should be thinking so you better sober up for a second

Since N'Dour is a very fine Senegalese singer song writer and musician. My money's on the lyrics being in a real Senegalese language, probably 'Wolof.'

More about Youssou N'Dour, 'Wolof' and the musical style of, mbalax ["UMM BAH-LAAKH"]

 

[stu neville]

It's the Wolof! It's the Wolof! It's the Wol-offff!


Sorry.

Yep, according to a West African colleague of mine, it's UL and bull, basically (cos I asked them this a while back when I first heard the rumour). Apparently he's singing part of the refrain in whatever language it is.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm coming, Lambsie.

(not advisable to say if you're a sheep-farmer)

 

[GNC]

Excellent, thanks Androman. The whole rumour sounds a bit like dodgy "He's talking foreign, therefore it's rubbish" prejudices anway.

 

[GNC]

Having said that, it might have been quite funny if he was having a laugh.

 

[McAvennie]

Oh, I thought this wa just gonna be a thread slating the song for being gash.
I hated it.

 

[Yithian]

Oh, I thought this wa just gonna be a thread slating the song for being gash.

Gash: now there's a word I've not heard uttered in anger for a while!

I didn't mind it.

Perhaps i'm mellowing.

 

[Anonymous]

When it came out (about 94) me and my friends couldn't get over the fact that the second line in sounds like "Don't f*** me off"!

 

[Anonymous]

Remember that Eighties song by Falco(?) "Rock Me Amadeus"? They went off into what I think was some Scandinavian tongue, and uttered a VERY BAD four letter word, with perfect clarity, must've meant something quite innocent...

 

[GNC]

I believe Falco was Austrian. Rapping in German - superb.

Sadly, he died in a car crash a few years ago.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Here's the Lyrics, As Posted in English

[Chorus: It's not a second 7 seconds away
Just as long as I stay I'll be waiting

Can we not criticise the parts of the song sung in English (for instance, the chorus) for being 'garbage' instead. What on Earth are they talking about? "Just as long as I stay, I'll be waiting"? This kind of tautological nonsense is so ambiguous as to be entirely devoid of meaning. And seven seconds clearly isn't a second. I don't need that pointed out to me.
The verses in Wolof, when translated into English, ,seem to retain some genuine sentiment and meaning, whereas the English parts just seem to be filler for people to bleat along to in between with no real understanding of what they're singing.
Rant, mumble, rant....

 

[Anonymous]

Maybe the song was meant for the Senegalese market, where they hoped people would not speak English and therefore not realise the chorus was rubbish.

Still, it wasn't as bad as 'Grandma, I love you' shudder!!