The settlement of Sophiatown had been destroyed by the apartheid government of South Africa in 1955, and its 60,000 inhabitants forcibly moved, many of them to a settlement known as Meadowlands. The forced relocation inspired Vilakezi to write "Meadowlands". "Meadowlands" was set to an "infectious jive beat". It featured music writer Todd Matshikiza on the piano. The lyrics of the song were written in three languages; IsiZulu, SeSotho, and "tsotsitaal", or street slang. Superficially upbeat, the song was misinterpreted as being supportive of the move by the South African government; as a result, Vilakezi was congratulated for it by a government bureaucrat, and according to some sources, had an application for housing expedited. Originally performed by Nancy Jacobs and Her Sisters, as with many other protest songs of this period, "Meadowlands" was made popular both within and outside South Africa by Miriam Makeba, and it became an anthem of the movement against apartheid.