Zulu Warrior

Zulu Warrior is a folk song sung as a round and is a popular drinking song amongst rugby players, hash house harriers and air force fighter pilots. It was reportedly composed by Josef Marais, a South African folk singer who emigrated to the United States. The duo Marais and Miranda performed it in the 1948 movie Rope of Sand. [cite web|url=http://www.maraisandmiranda.com/bio.htm|title=Marais and Miranda biographies|accessdate=2007-03-02]

There are many variations on the lyrics, similar to the following:

:I zicka zimba, zimba, zimba
:I zicka zimba, zimba, zay
:I zicka zimba, zimba, zimba
:I zicka zimba, zimba, zay

:Hold him down, you Zulu warrior
:Hold him down, you Zulu chief, chief, chief

Sometimes the lyrics start "I kamma zimba" and refer to a Swazi warrior. The lyrics appear to be nonsense rather than in the Zulu language.

References