Clem Tholet - Somebody Else's Song

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I've been burdened, I've been troubled
I've been wasting my life too long
But I've been living out somebody else's dreams
Singing somebody else's songs

But I've been, making a token effort to be
What I never ever really wanted to be
I've been burdened, I've been troubled
Singing somebody else's songs

Well I've been smiled at, I've been praised
You never heard me do anything wrong
But I've been killing my independence
Singing somebody else's song
Well I've been letting everybody else pull all the strings
While I stood watching from the back of the wings
I've been smiled at, oh I've been praised
Singing somebody else's song

I have been trying for years to make the grade
But I just found out it was somebody else's grade

Well I've been looking like a winner
Digging every new thing that I won
But while I've been winning I've been losing
Singing somebody else's songs

If they could take all the symbols of success from me
It's the best remedy that there could ever be
'Cause I've been losing while I've been winning
Singing somebody else's songs

Yeah, I've been smiled at, I've been praised
Singing somebody else's songs
Well, I've been burdened I've been troubled
Singing somebody else's song

Release Date: August 02, 1978

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Clem Tholet (1948 – 6 October 2004) was a Rhodesian folk singer who became popular in the 1970s for his Rhodesian patriotic songs. He reached the height of his fame during the Rhodesian Bush War.

Clem was born in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (now Harare in Zimbabwe) in 1948 and began writing songs while he was an art student in Durban, South Africa. One of his first songs, Vagabond Gun was a category winner in the South Africa Music Festival in 1966. Clem later moved back to Rhodesia to work in advertising. He started singing at Rhodesia’s first folk venue, The Troubadour in Salisbury’s Angwa Street. While performing there, he met Sue Eccles and Andy Dillon. The three formed a trio called The Kinfolk. The group moved to South Africa, and shortly after moving to Johannesburg, South Africa, Sue left the group.

Clem and Andy formed a new group with Yvonne Raff, which they called The Legend Trio. This new trio began singing at the original Southern African “Troubadour”, and were also involved in a number of SAFMA’s National Folk Fests.

Clem married Jean Smith (daughter of Rhodesian prime minister Ian Smith) in 1967.

Clem began a solo career, recording some singles with Art Heatlie at Trutone. Mel Miller, Peter Leroy and Sylvia Stott briefly joined Clem to form a group in 1970, before Clem moved back to Rhodesia in 1971. Clem moved back and soon built up a strong following. He did a series of Rhodesian Television shows, and presented a radio program called Folk on the Rocks, which was on the air for two seasons. The name came from the folk club Clem ran at The Beverley Rocks, where it played to regular packed houses.

A popular star of the annual Bless ‘Em All Troop Shows, and in great demand in the Rhodesian entertainment scene, Clem recorded his first album Songs of Love & War at Shed Studios. Clem wrote and produced the album himself. The album was awarded a Gold Disc. He wrote the soundtrack and songs for the C.I.S. film What A Time and the theme song for a film honouring the wounded troopies of Rhodesia, Tsanga, Tsanga.

He produced a second album at Shed Studios, called Two Sides to Every Story, before moving back to South Africa. After living and working in the advertising industry for many years in Cape Town, Clem died on 6 October 2004 after having suffered from the effects of a debilitating illness for a number of years .

Clem’s last album, Archives was (and is) sold as a fund raiser to benefit the Flame Lily Foundation. This fund raising project seeks to provide funds for the living expenses of elderly former residents of Rhodesia / Zimbabwe living in South Africa, who have been denied their pensions by the Zimbabwe government.