SOTD: Sweet Lullaby – Deep Forest

On World Music Day check out the hit song Sweet Lullaby by Deep Forest. The song uses Baegu lullaby which is from Northern Malaita (Solomon Islands) recorded by ethnomusicologist Hugo Zemp. The song is called Rorogwela and is sung by Afunakwa.

The lullaby is about a young child crying because his parents are not around. In response his older brother sings this song to comfort, as well as tell him the reality, with an appeal for his deceased parents to protect this child in the land of the living (local ancient belief is that the dead care for loved ones they left behind).

Here is the translation for the lyrics.

Little brother, little brother, stop crying, stop crying
Though you are crying and crying, who else will carry you
Who else will groom you, both of us are now orphans
From the island of the dead, their spirit will continue to look after us
Just like royalty, taken care of with all the wisdom of such a place

Little brother, little brother even in the gardens
This lullaby continues to the different divisions of the garden,
From the island of the dead, their spirit will continue to look after us

Little brother, little brother, stop crying, stop crying
Though you are crying and crying, who else will carry you
Who else will groom you, both of us are now orphans
From the island of the dead, their spirit will continue to look after us

Source for the Info and Translation

Here is another music video of Sweet Lullaby directed by Tarsem Singh but I prefer the above one which I first watched in the 90s on MTV.