Johnny Clegg’s “Scatterlings of Africa” Lyrics Meaning
In the song “Scatterlings”, Johnny Clegg (1953-2019), an international South African singer who used his stardom to speak out against Apartheid, is showing love to the “scatterlings of Africa”.
What is a scatterling?
A scatterling is a person tantamount to a vagabond, i.e a drifter. And in this song Clegg seems to be giving a shoutout to the displaced people of Africa, which would include the victims of colonialism, such as Black South Africans, specifically the impoverished Black South African victims of Apartheid.
However, this track has a wider meaning also. Indeed science believes that all human beings have come from Africa. So in a way, Johnny Clegg is also acknowledging the entire human race by referencing the “scatterlings of Africa”. And he does this intentionally as he mentions the “Olduvia” Gorge, which many believe to be the birthplace of mankind. The “Olduvia” Gorge is a famous site in Tanzania which many believe to be the birthplace of mankind. It is believed that human beings originated there and then spread out to the rest of the world. And Clegg, himself being an anthropologist, was well aware of the significance of mentioning that site in this song.
However the specific purpose of this track, as alluded to earlier, is to paint a picture of Apartheid-era Black South Africans and to relay the singer’s sentiments concerning them. And again, they are portrayed as an “uprooted” people. Yet they each possess “a burning hunger” in their heart, likely symbolizing a refusal to give in to the harrowing circumstances which dictate their lives. Indeed he states that they (as well as himself) are “on the road to Phelamanga”. “Phelamanga” is actually an old Zulu word that refers to a metaphysical, ideological destination.
And as far as how the singer feels about these people personally, he states plainly that he “love(s) the scatterlings of Africa”.
Johnny Clegg’s signature song
Many consider “Scatterlings of Africa” to be Johnny Clegg and Juluka’s (the South African band he co-led) signature song. Indeed it was Johnny Clegg’s only hit in his birth country of the United Kingdom.
When did “Scatterlings of Africa” come out?
It was released by Warnrer Bros Records in January of 1983. In addition to being featured on Juluka’s 1982 album entitled Scatterlings, a latter version of this classic (which Johnny Clegg recorded with his subsequent band, Savuka) was featured on the soundtrack of the 1988 Academy Award-winning Tom Cruise film Rain Man.
