Gimme Hope Jo'anna

"Gimme Hope Jo'anna"
Single by Eddy Grant
from the album File Under Rock
B-side	"Say Hello to Fidel"
Released	1988
Format	7", 12"
Recorded	Blue Wave Studios, Saint Philip, Barbados
Genre	Reggae, ringbang
Length	3:47
Label	Parlophone, EMI
Writer(s)	Eddy Grant
Producer(s)	Eddy Grant
Eddy Grant singles chronology
"Boys in the Street" (1984) "Gimme Hope Jo'anna" (1988) "Harmless Piece of Fun" (1988)

"Gimme Hope Jo'anna" is a song originally by Eddy Grant, a well-known anti-apartheid anthem from the 1980s, written during the apartheid era in South Africa. The song was banned by the South African government when it was released, but was widely played in South Africa nonetheless.^[1] It reached #7 in the UK Singles Chart, becoming Grant's first Top 10 hit for more than five years.

Lyrics

The "Jo'anna" of the lyrics represents not only the city of Johannesburg, but also the South African Government and its apartheid policy. Soweto is a black township near Johannesburg, known for its role in the resistance to the apartheid laws. The South African army during the apartheid era was well known for "sneaking across the neighbours' borders" to fight in other countries, most notably in the Angolan Civil War. The archbishop is Desmond Tutu, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his opposition to apartheid.

"She's got supporters in high up places, Who turn their heads to the city sun" represents the unwillingness of the international community, at first, to take action against the South African government and its apartheid system. It is also a reference to a South African luxury resort by the name of Sun City. "She even knows how to swing opinion, In every magazine and the journals" represents propaganda in the media and the Muldergate Scandal, which involved secret government subsidization of pro-apartheid media.

Eddy Grant performed a version of this song at the closing ceremony of the Indian Premier League T-20 cricket tournament on 25 May 2009. The song included a short reprise with the lyrics "...Jo'anna still runs this country" and the rest of the reprise in present tense.

Cover versions

A cover was recorded by the South African Band, Dr. Victor and the Rasta Rebels.

The lyrics and melody were famously adapted for the Yop jingle, 'Gimme Yop, Me Mama'.

Argentine comedian Yayo Guridi in his 'Cantante Enmascarado' (The Masked Singer) persona sang a literal Spanish translation of this song on the Argentine humorous TV show 'Sin Codificar' on the episode that preceded the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Johannesburg is the city where the Argentine National Football Team played its opening match against Nigeria. German a cappella band Basta also covered this song, dedicated to Germany's manager Joachim Löw. The song was also versioned by another two German punk bands, JBO^[2] in 1995 and Not Available^[3] in 1998.

Lou Bega also recorded a cover of this song for his album A Little Bit of 80's.

Wales football supporter band The Barry Horns changed the lyrics to create a terrace chant, to "Give Me Hope, Joe Allen", in honour of the Welsh central midfielder.

Track listings

7" single

1. "Gimme Hope Jo'Anna" — 3:47
2. "Say Hello to Fidel" — 4:41

12" maxi

1. "Gimme Hope Jo'Anna"
2. "Say Hello to Fidel"
3. "Living on the Frontline" (live version)

Charts

Peak positions Chart (1988) Peak position Austrian Singles Chart[4] 2 Belgian Singles Chart 1 Dutch Top 40[5] 1 French SNEP Singles Chart[4] 8 German Singles Chart[4] 4 New Zealand RIANZ Top 40 3 Spain (AFYVE)[6] 1 Swedish Singles Chart[4] 8 Swiss Singles Chart[4] 2 UK Singles Chart[7] 7

Year-end charts Chart (1988) Position Austrian Singles Chart[8] 20 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart[9] 5 Dutch Top 40[10] 10 Swiss Singles Chart[11] 2 French Singles Chart[12] 50 Certifications Country Certification Date Sales certified Physical sales France[13][14] Silver 1988 200,000 243,000

Chart successions

References

1. "How Eddy Grant gave hope to South Africa". The Telegraph. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
2. "Explizite lyrik". jbo.de. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
3. "Resistance is futile". notavailable.eu. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
4. "Gimme Hope Jo'anna", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved 16 June 2008)
5. "De Nederlandse Top 40, week 14, 1988". Retrieved 17 March 2008.
6. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
7. "Gimme Hope Jo'anna", UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved 17 June 2008)
8. 1988 Austrian Singles Chart Austriancharts.at (Retrieved 17 June 2008)
9. "1988 Belgian Flanders Singles Chart" (in Dutch). ultratop.be. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
10. "Single top 100 over 1988" (pdf) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
11. 1988 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch (Retrieved 17 June 2008)
12. http://top.france.free.fr/html/annuel/1988.htm
13. Elia Habib, Muz hit. tubes, p. 142 (ISBN 2-9518832-0-X)
14. "Les certifications depuis 1973, database" (in French). Infodisc. Retrieved 21 September 2010.

External links

• South Campfire Song Book - includes lyrics
• Sin Codificar. "El Cantante Enmascarado singing a literal Spanish translation of Gimme Hope Jo'anna", America TV, Buenos Aires, 6 June 2009.
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics