FROM ROCK 'N 'ROLL TO HARD CORE PUNK - UKZN ...

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organ used to introduce the 'silent is my lamb' section each time
it is played, supports the religious interpretation of these
lyrics. The fact that the lamb is seen to be awakening is
indicative of the impatience of the narrator to see an end of all
war.
Both sections in which the soldier visualises himself going home
are accompanied by unfettered crashing piano chords and a greater
degree of melodic writing, which could be one way of dramatising
the happiness and carefree atmosphere which he is imagining.
Conversely, each time he realises that his fantasies are not to
be, and that war has stolen these from him, the music and vocal
performance gains intensity to the point of heartbreak.
'Awakening' is an experiment in emotional dramatisation, one
which succeeds to a certain extent in communicating states of
sorrow and bliss. More importantly, however, it is a condemnation
of war, a condemnation that goes beyond physical violence and
attacks violation of the soul. The soldier's declaration that he
cannot see near the end of the song refers to a physical
blindness. However, it could also be seen to refer to a spiritual
blindness, one which blinds people from seeing the worth in each
other because of the ideological constructs which separate them.
Conclusions: 1964 - 1972
The existence of the 'progressive' rock bands in South Africa
were, again, linked to the popularity of the more 'progressive'
British and American rock bands which had begun to take centre
stage in the early 1970s. At the same time, however, these
'progressive' South African rock bands were unique within the
apartheid context. By this I mean that their musical
experimentation often crossed boundaries that apartheid had tried
so hard to maintain. Abstract Truth, for example, made use of a
cross-cultural sound through the introduction of the sitar into
their mix. This experimentation represented a musical defiance
of an enforced political reality and defined a new reality in