Pampoene Oppie Dak – Anton Goosen

Pampoene Oppie Dak – Anton Goosen

Anton Goosen – ‘n Vis Innie Bos

‘Pampoene!’ Lise Swart yells at the start of the song, just to make sure you know what it’s about and to grab your attention. For those of you who don’t know, ‘pampoene’ are pumpkins and the tradition in rural South Africa is to put pumpkins on the roof to ripen in the sun. Anton Goosen uses this image to create a classic song.

However, there is a huge tongue in Goosen’s cheek (how often isn’t there one?). He is having a go at the ‘poppies’, those fashion conscious girls who walk around in Gucci and Calvin Klein, pretending to be smart city slickers, but back home, they are just farm girls who live in houses with pampoene oppie dak.

The song is done in a hoe-down style and is jam packed with feel good faction. From the bouncy, toe-tapping fiddle to the hilarious lyrics, this song was bound to go down in Afrikaans music folklore. It has been covered by Jakkie Louw and features in a number of medleys (Theuns Jordaan, Beeskraal) and will probably crop up many more times in the future.

Where to find it:
‘n Vis In Die Bos (2001)  Gallo Records (GWVCD XX33)
Grootste Treffers Van Die Liedjieboer (2010) Select Musiek

Website:
AntonGoosen.co.za

Lyrics:

Pampoene!….

Bekkie, bokkie, baby.
Is jy ook so lief vir my?
Daar’s ‘n deel van jou wat vry wil bly.
Ma’ die anner deel van jou wil net die heeltyd vry.
Waar kry jy jou luck vandaan?
Always oopoog op die stoep gestaan.
Bekkie, bokkie, baby.
Dis ‘n skande dat niks ooit, ook verander nie.

Pampoene op die dak.
Pampoene op die dak.
Calvin Klein en Gucchi op die gatsak.
Maar … Pampoene op die dak.

Bekkie, bokkie, baby.
As jou geblomde rokkie wip.
Kan jy my hart ma’  op jou hande dra.
Al gooi jou pa met klip.
Al sou jou antie met ‘n kierie slaan.
Al skree jou oompie op jou ma.
Bekkie, bokkie, baby en ek.
Ry ‘n wonderlike wolwielwa.

Pampoene op die dak.
Pampoene op die dak.
Calvin Klein en Gucchi op die gatsak.
Maar … Pampoene op die dak.

Daar’s paddas in die dam.
Kriekies in die vlei.
Doring in die hart moet mens uitgetrek kry -  en dan … net tjoepstil bly.
Blou water lê agter my.
Die blou berge lê voorkant my.
Ek wonder of jy weet hoe vreet die liefde binne my?
Hoe kan ek, as my hart so skree net tjoepstil bly?

Pampoene op die dak.
Pampoene op die dak.
Calvin Klein en Gucchi op die gatsak.
Maar … Pampoene op die dak.

(Written by Anton Goosen)

Video:

Stof – Klopjag

Stof – Klopjag (Dust this one off)

Klopjag – 5

Drawing group members from Parys, Pretoria, Kempton Park and Bronkhorstspruit, Klopjag is a six piece band that has been around the music scene in South Africa since 2002. Singing in Afrikaans, they didn’t really fit in with the blues movement of Albert Frost, Valiant Swart et al. Neither did they go plough the lighter, pure pop furrow that Steve Hofmeyr and Theuns Jordaan did.  Rather they are sort of a cross between REM and Neil Young with Afrikaans lyrics.

‘Stof’ finds them leaning more to the REM side of their influences, but a good smattering of harmonica shows their Neil Young side. The vocals are more traditional sounding than Young’s wail, but you can find an edge of the angst that Young has perfected, in Klopjag.

Like a number of South African songs, the Karoo and travelling through it seems to have been the inspiration. Although this is not a typical ‘driving’ tune, one can certainly imagine it being played as you cruise through that famous desert. It does rather encapsulate the openness and loneliness of the place.

Where to find it:
Klopjag – 5 (2007), Harthor Records

Video:

Lyrics:

Ek verruil toe my das vir ‘n verrypas en ek pak my tas
Daar was bloed op die snare, daar was sweet in jou hare
Daar was stof
Daar was stof op my skoene en die myle tussen jou en my
Die myle gly verby soos ons verder ry. Ek word weer vaak
maar ek’s besig om die kode van die langpad te kraak.
En daar was stof op ons wiele en die myle tussen jou en…

Koor:
Baby, as ek verbyry, (moet jy smile) vir my as jy saam wil ry.
Baby, soos daai keer in die Karoo waai die stof weer in my oë
En ek soek vir jou, en ek soek… (‘vir my’ in ander verse)

Nog een klein botteltjie Shampoo
Nog een roadhouse se koffie om te proe, met stof
Pasop vir as jy dalk hier in Klaarstroom stop
Want hier hou die paaie en die petrol op

En was jy ook al bang dat jou stof hier bly hang
Dat jou stof hier bly hang?

Koor : (skreeu vir my)

Terug op op my stoep is dit die pad wat my weer roep,
Life on the road?
As ek my das weer vou, dan word alles weer net stof
Dan word alles weer net stof

Koor : (wys jou been vir my)

So baby as jy verbyry vat my saam
Vat my saam, vat my

(Words & music – J Opperman en M Pretorius)