Umfowethu knows
Plays a horn that belonged to a man he never met and feels responsible for it
the numbers
- bpm
- 123
- key
- C major
- energy
- 0.74
- dance
- 0.91
- valence
- 0.45
- vocal at
- 0.4s
- length
- 4:03
- language
- En
lyrics
You saw the kettle off the boil in the blue enamel pot My school shirt on the chair, and the bread still dry and hot You left two naartjies on the table by the cracked white cup Then you asked me for the sugar, just to make me look up You said, “Come sit by the window, let the kettle start to sing” Cape Town wind on the washing line, tapping at the zinc You knew my hands were shaking, though I kept my face still You never made it heavy, just sat there calm and still Umfowethu knows Umfowethu knows Umfowethu knows Umfowethu knows The taxi hooted twice outside, past the corner spaza wall I was counting coins in silence, staring at the tile floor small You put the blue mug closer and pushed my plate in line Then you broke the toast in half like you’d done a hundred times You said, “You don’t have to tell me, I can read your mouth” Like Table Mountain in the mist, standing over town You knew before the words came, before I found my voice You held that quiet space for me and left me with a choice Umfowethu knows Umfowethu knows Umfowethu knows Umfowethu knows When the kettle hissed at seven and the radio went low You tied my shoe, then mine again, in the passage by the door No sermon, no big question, just your hand on my shoulder You made the room feel lighter, though the day felt much older Umfowethu knows Umfowethu knows Umfowethu knows Umfowethu knows