Songfacts®:

• Elias is a man from Zimbabwe who Chad Urmston, a member of Dispatch, met while visiting the country in 1994. Elias, along with his wife and two sons, Honest and Manuel, live in Sector 17, one of Zimbabwe's most heavily HIV/AIDS infected areas. Chad wrote the song about them after he left Zimbabwe. He promised to write letters to Elias, but import/export laws prevented the letters form getting to the family. Soon after he got word that Elias, Manuel and Honest are alive and well. Zimbabwe is one of the world's most heavily HIV/AIDS-infected countries in the world. >>>

  Suggestion credit:
  Thea - Litchfield, CT
• The first three verses are in sung in Shona, a language spoken in Zimbabwe. The first part deals with friendship and means that when you're feeling bereft of hope, don't be afraid to lean on your friends to get you through. The second part is a typical greeting in Zimbabwe. "Coz e wah he" means "Are you strong?" The reply to this is, "I am strong if you are strong." And then the greater replies with, "I am strong."
• Dispatch created a fund called The Elias Fund that tries to reach out to the youths around the world, encouraging them to be aware of global situations and be an active voice on outstanding issues. >>>

  Suggestion credit:
  Aislinn - Hamilton, Canada, for above 2