Once upon a time I made a lion roar
He was sleeping in the sunbeams on the old zoo floor.
I had gone to see the park where my papa used to play,
It's called called Villa Borghese and it's on the way
To East Africa.

Down on Grand Comoro Island, where I grew past four,
I could swim and fish and snorkel on the ocean floor,
And the wind laughed, and the wind laughed through the trees as if to say,
Here's a child who'll want the world to go his way
In East Africa, in East Africa.

Suddenly for me the world turned upside down
Far from my friends the lions and the dolphins came this awful sound.

Dark shadows, sounds of thunder raging over me,
Came this monster called 'A-dre-no-leu-ko-dys-tro-phy'
Where's my East Africa?

Well they said, they said, they said (the ones who know it all)
They said from now on for you there will be no more standing tall,
So I took my parents' hands, I lifted my head to say
I'll just have to be a hero, there's no other way!
Back to East Africa
Back to East Africa
Back to East Africa
Come with me I'm going back, going back to East Africa.


Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings

Lorenzo Lyrics as written by Phil Collins Michaela Odone

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Lorenzo song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

1 Comment

sort form View by:
  • +3
    General Comment

    This song is about a young man lorenzo Odone who was diagnosed with adrenoleukodystrophy ALD at the age of 5. Adrenoleukodystrophy is a genetic disorder in which the myelin sheath the fat around nerve cells is destroyed causing severe disability and death usually within 2 years. Told by doctors that he wouldn't live past the age of 7, his parents Augusto and Michaela Odone wouldn't hear of it so they invented a therapee of sorts called lorenzo's Oil. The song tells about his life. lorenzo's story is also told in the 1992 movie Lorenzo's oil. Lorenzo died at age 30 due to complications of adrenoleukodystrophy.

    lauren54on February 07, 2012   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
when rules change
Life in Your Way
High life
Album art
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Album art
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him. There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Album art
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Album art
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.