Sit Dit Af – Johannes Kerkorrel
Sit Dit Af – Johannes Kerkorrel (Turn OFF the telly)
Sit Dit Af – Johannes Kerkorrel
I’m sure we all loved seeing the friendly face of PW Botha on our TV’s almost every night during those dark days of apartheid. No? I didn’t think so. Well, you are not alone, Johannes Kerkorrel (real name: Ralph John Rabie) felt the same way, but he was the one who sang about it.
‘Sit Dit Af’ was a cry to white Afrikaaners in particular, but also to everyone in general, to turn off the propaganda that the National Party was churning out. There had been protest music before this, but it had never been in Afrikaans. There had been Afrikaans music before this, but not much that sounded like this.
With its honky tonk piano over a stomping blues rhythm, Kerkorrel was one of the leaders of the Voëlvry movement that toured the country in 1989, bringing the message that we were sick of apartheid to all. But it wasn’t all just anger, there was a great sense of humour that flowed through the lyrics.
Check out the live version on the Voëlvry Die Toer album which has a guitar intro as opposed to the piano one of the studio version, and also has Kerkorrel introducing the Gereformeede Blues Band.
Where to find it:
Eet Kreef – Johannes Kerkorrel (1989), Shifty Music, SHIB 32
Tien Jaar Later – Johannes Kerkorrel (1998), Gallo, GWVCD 4
Voëlvry Die Toer (Live version) – Various Artist (2002), Sheer, SHIF002
Lyrics:
Sit dit af
(Ter herdenking aan ’n wonderlike era uit ons geskiedenis)
Die ander dag joe voel ek lam
Ek wou ’n klein bietjie ontspan
En ’n boer maak ’n plan
Ek sit my TV set toe aan
Jy sal nie glo wat ek sien
Op my TV screen
Dit was ‘n nare gesig
Dit het my heelternal ontstig
Dit was ’n moerse klug
Dit was PW se gesig
En langs hom staan oom Pik
Wel ek dog ek gaan verstik
Sit dit af, sit dit af
sit dit af, sit dit af
sit dit af, sit dit af
want dis ’n helse straf
ek strap kombuis toe kry ’n bier
skakel oor na TV4
o my gots wat het ons hier
wat my TV screen ontsier
is daar nêrens om te vlug
van daai man se mooi gesig
Met sy vinger in die lug
Gaan hy my lewe net ontwrig
In die programme in die lug
Sien jy net PW se gesig
Ek vat jou nou ’n wet
Al die bure het M-Net!
O, ek sê jou dis finaal,
Voor julle my kom haal
En ek met al my verstand
In die gestig beland
As daar iets is wat my kwel is dit my TV stel
(Written by Johannes Kerkorrel)
Video:
1001 South African Songs You Must Hear Before You Go Deaf 
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The f**ker killed himself before he could experience the fullness of what he fought for.