“Berlin by Sakawa Boys – A Song Feature

 

     “Berlin” is about the migration of musicians from South Africa to Germany. Sakawa Boys joke that every artist in Cape Town eventually ends up moving to Berlin. The situation is reminiscent of the youth migration into California during the 60s and 70s, when the “establishment” quipped that the U.S. was tilting and everything loose was rolling toward the West Coast.
 
     The song is the third release from an album scheduled to drop on June 28 via The Good Times Co. “Out of the Dark” will be the second album from Sakawa Boys, but the first in 8 years. In addition to “Berlin,” we highly recommend the guitar-driven energy of the album’s title track.
 
     From the instrumental perspective, the highlight of “Berlin” arrives at 1:38, when a short bridge features engaging guitar riding atop a strong bass foundation. But there is a close second with each occurrence of the chorus that begins with the line “Caught in two minds,” as a chiming guitar floats into an appealing blend of instruments. Vocally, the single from Sakawa Boys is a combination of genres, with Punk standing out.
 
     In explaining “Berlin,” the band said:
  “It’s been a running joke amongst ourselves for a while that every artist in Cape Town eventually ends up moving to Berlin. The idea for the song came up as Keenan had moved to the Camp Street house and we were joking that all of his housemates had moved to Berlin. The idea stuck when we jammed it out and we built the song around that pre-chorus line. It also touches a bit on the idea of emigrating to try and “make it” as an artist. Berlin is “Berlin” because it is one of the last scenes outside of London that might sustain a working musician. It’s disappearing in front of us and it’s kind of sad that we can’t seem to sustain a scene practically anywhere else in the world. Hence ‘cut adrift and I can’t go back’.”
 
     Sakawa Boys are a four-piece band based in Cape Town, South Africa. The members are John Seth (vocals and guitar), Peter Scott (drums), Skye MacInnes (guitar) and Keenan Oakes (bass). Their sound is described as being a mix of Post-Punk, Shoegaze and Pop.
 
     “Berlin by Sakawa Boys

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sakawaboysband
Bandcamp: https://sakawaboysband.bandcamp.com/
Streaming options: https://orcd.co/_berlin
 
Lyrics of “Berlin by Sakawa Boys
You kick your shoes down the corridor
No more four on the floor
No more kick drums through the wall
This place is abandoned
Vacated for a crawl space in Kreuzberg
 
All of your housemates
Have moved to Berlin
All of your housemates
Have moved to Berlin
 
I’m off to sweat it out with some other guys
Three floors up the second window on the right
Excuse the mess I must have lost track of time
I’d introduce you but I’m way too high
 
All of your housemates
Have moved to Berlin
Some of your best mates
They moved to Berlin
(Yeah)
 
Caught in two minds
Still mesmerised
There are no stories left to tell
Collective sigh
No longer mine
Now you’re the only game in town
 
Well it’s a mutiny by any other name
You went to Paris but it’s just not the same
I’m getting tired of your constant attacks
I got the Schengen and I’m not looking back
 
All of your housemates
Have moved to Berlin
Some of your best mates
Have moved to Berlin
 
Caught in two minds
Still mesmerised
There are no stories left to tell
Collective sigh
No longer mine
Now you’re the only game in town
 
Cut adrift
Cut adrift
And I can’t
Go back
Go back
Go back
[Repeating]