7 Seconds

Content warning:
This post includes discussion on bullying.

Last summer, when volunteering on an election team (as I mention in an earlier post), I did a lot of writing for campaign announcements and often listened to music in the background. I heard several new-to-me songs I took note of for later, and today’s selection is one of them.

“7 Seconds” is a song co-written by Senegalese composer, singer-songwriter, musician, actor and politician Youssou N’Dour (b. 1959) and Swedish singer-songwriter, DJ, rapper and broadcaster Neneh Cherry (b. 1964), along with English singer-songwriter and producer Cameron McVey (b. 1957) and English producer and songwriter Jonathan Sharp (aka Johnny Dollar, 1964-2009). N’Dour released it in 1994 as a single featuring Cherry.

Of the collaboration, Cherry’s website archive states, “For Neneh it was very important to work with an African artist, particularly on a song about racism and people’s ways of looking at color. ‘7 Seconds’ is about the first positive 7 seconds in the life of a child just born not knowing about the problems and violence in our world. The song is sung in three different languages: Youssou sings Wolof, the Senegalese language, and French, Neneh sings English. (Cherry says) ‘They told us to translate it to English so that everybody can understand what it is about. But not everybody speaks English and why does it always have to be the dominant language. People should just learn to listen and see whether they like it and feel what it is about…!'”

“Boul ma sene, boul ma guiss madi re nga fokni mane
Khamouma li neka thi sama souf ak thi guinaw
Beugouma kouma khol oaldine yaw li neka si yaw
mo ne si man, li ne si mane moye dilene diapale

Roughneck and rudeness,
We should be using
On the ones who practice wicked charms
For the sword and the stone
Bad to the bone
Battle is not over
Even when it’s won

And when a child is born
Into this world
It has no concept
Of the tone the skin is living in

It’s not a second
Seven seconds away
Just as long as I stay
I’ll be waiting
It’s not a second
Seven seconds away
Just as long as I stay
I’ll be waiting
I’ll be waiting
I’ll be waiting

J’assume les raisons qui nous poussent de changer tout,
J’aimerais qu’on oublie leur couleur pour qu’ils esperent
Beaucoup de sentiments de races qui font qu’ils desesperent
Je veux les deux mains ouvertes,
Des amis pour parler de leur peine, de leur joie
Pour qu’ils leur filent des infos qui ne divisent pas
Changer

Seven seconds away
Just as long as I stay
I’ll be waiting
It’s not a second
Seven seconds away
Just as long as I stay
I’ll be waiting
I’ll be waiting
I’ll be waiting

And when a child is born
Into this world
It has no concept
Of the tone the skin it’s living in

And there’s a million voices
And there’s a million voices
To tell you what you should be thinking
So you better sober up for just a second

We’re seven seconds away
Just as long as I stay
I’ll be waiting
It’s not a second
We’re seven seconds away
For just as long as I stay
I’ll be waiting
It’s not a second
Seven seconds away
Just as long as I stay
I’ll be waiting”

“7 Seconds,” by Youssou N’Dour, Neneh Cherry, Cameron McVey and Jonathan Sharp. Lyrics retrieved from AZLyrics.com.

In the Gavin Report, a former San Francisco-based radio trade publication, editor Dave Sholin said this about the song: “Music to stir the senses combined with lyrics that make a powerful case for our common humanity. ‘7 Seconds’ is especially powerful in light of recent events in South Africa and it’s made that much more riveting by the melding of these two voices. It’s worth spending some time with this amazing track.'” (Sholin was referring to the transition from South African president F.W. de Klerk’s National Party apartheid government to the African National Congress under longtime political prisoner and later president Nelson Mandela.)

It’s often noted that childhood is a time of curiosity, and unconditional love and acceptance. I see and feel that so strongly every time Sweety and I care for our grandchildren, who savour time with us and we with them. Why does society cause people to not only lose those kind and humane qualities but also look down upon them as weak? I remember this starting in junior high school; any display of sensitivity was a rallying cry for bullies to terrorize and make life miserable. Later as a parent, I remember wanting so hard to protect my kids from this, and despite spending many meetings and phone calls with school principals and staff, little was ever done to stop the merciless treatment. And last summer, during my volunteer stint, the abusive treatment some political candidates endured was truly appalling. As I mentioned once before, I would never do that work again.

Maybe someday, we will learn to work together as a world and ensure each baby’s first seven positive seconds will be a prelude to what that child’s whole life will bring to them, regardless of their colour, gender, sexuality, ability, economic status or any other attributes that are so often used to exclude people from a joyful, secure and fulfilling existence.

In addition to its release as a single in 1994, “7 Seconds” appeared the same year on N’Dour’s seventh studio album, The Guide (Wommat), and in 1996, on Cherry’s third studio album, Man.

Now you know a little about why this is my Song of the Day for Today. Thanks for joining me here, and please enjoy.

Here’s the official music video from the Youssou N’Dour YouTube channel:

With kind wishes,

Steve