Production and lyrics:
Ross Robinson produced the album. Most of the themes presented on Roots are centred on Brazilian politics and culture. The film At Play in the Fields of the Lord inspired the idea for the album. The movie inspired Max Cavalera to travel to Mato Grosso, Brazil to visit the Xavante tribe. The album cover features an indigenous woman taken from a banknote of the discontinued Brazilian Cruzeiro, to which artist Michael Whelan added a locket with Sepultura's "tribal S" logo and a background of red roots.
The music on Roots reflects Brazil's history and culture. According to Max Cavalera, "Roots Bloody Roots" is "about believing in yourself, about being proud of your heritage, proud of where you come from, powerful but simple lyrics. So it's about just being down with your own roots and believing in your roots." "Cut-throat" is about Epic Records. "Ratamahatta" is "a celebration of life in Brazil's slums, sung all in Portuguese, which tells the stories of" people "like Ze Do Caixao (Coffin Joe) and Lampiao, the leader of an early 1900s outlaw gang from north Brazil, whose head was put on public display after he was captured." "Ambush" is "a tribute to murdered South American rain-forest activist Chico Mendes."
Musical style and influences:
The inspiration for Roots's new musical direction was two-fold. One was the desire to further experiment with the music of Brazil, especially the percussive type played by Salvador, Bahia samba reggae group Olodum. Another innovation Roots brought was the inspiration taken from the sound of Korn - especially their debut, with its heavily down-tuned guitars.
The music of Roots has sounds of world music, death metal, nu metal, thrash metal, tribal music, and Brazilian folk music. The band incorporated these elements into almost all songs in the album, and one of them ("Itsári") was recorded with members of the Xavante Indians at their ancestral home. Meeting the Xavante Indians meant a lot to Roots. Igor says the band identified a lot with the natives: "In a certain way, I think that we, as a band, had many things in common with the Xavante Indians. We also lived on the edge of society, and our music and lifestyle is a long way from being assimilated and respected by that society." A representative of the tribe declared: "We had seen pictures of Roots and we knew that they were different, with their long hair and many tattoos. We also knew that they had been discriminated, as if we were. Because of that, we were curious about them." Some songs also include participation ("Ratamahatta", "Dictatorshit" and "Endangered Species") and co-writing ("Ratamahatta") from Carlinhos Brown, a popular Brazilian musician. The political theme and influence of hardcore punk on the album are further reflected in the topic of "Dictatorshit", namely the 1964 Brazilian coup d'état. The lyrics to "Attitude" were co-written by Dana Wells, Max Cavalera's stepson, whose death (in part) led to the events which caused Max to leave the band. Dana also came up with the concept for the video for the song, featuring Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu experts the Gracie family.
In 2008, speaking to Kerrang, Max Cavalera remembered:
"Roots came from a blurry dream I had about going to the rainforest. Wine may have been involved. In the end, when we went into the forest to record, it was unbelievable. The whole album was a huge personal journey for me, and as a Brazilian, it felt as an incredible achievement. Everyone was inspired and Igor was at the top of his game. The percussion was crazy and we worked with so many great musicians, in the end coming out with a 15-minute drum jam that someone likened to a crazy Brazilian Pink Floyd. When we took the album to Roadrunner, they loved it except for the title. They thought it would sound like a Bob Marley tribute album. We explained it to them, and thankfully they got it."
The last words in the song "Cut-Throat" are "Enslavement, Pathetic, Ignorant, Corporations". This spells EPIC, the record company with which Sepultura had some trouble during their previous album, Chaos A.D.
Critical reception:
American newspapers like The New Times, the Daily News and the Los Angeles Times reviewed the Brazilian band: "The mixture of the dense metal of Roots and the Brazilian music has an intoxicating effect," wrote a Los Angeles Times reviewer. The Daily News praised the album saying: "Sepultura reinvented the wheel. By mixing metal with native instruments, the band resuscitates the tired style, reminding of Led Zeppelin times. But while Zeppelin mixed English metal with African beats, it's still more moving to hear a band that uses elements of its own country. By extracting the sounds of the past, Sepultura determines the future direction of metal." Specialized heavy metal critics also reviewed the album positively. Martin Popoff, an author of the book The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal, ranked Roots as the 11th best metal record of all time. "This is a spectacular metal and futurist hardcore LP", wrote Popoff, "A masterpiece, accomplished by a band with an enormous heart and an even larger intellect." Kerrang! Magazine awarded Roots second place in the list of "100 records that you have to hear before dying"; just after In Utero from Nirvana. In 2001 Q magazine named Roots as one of the 50 Heaviest Albums Of All-Time. Rolling Stone Brasil named it the 57th best Brazilian music album. Rolling Stone (3/21/96, p. 98) Gave the album three stars out of five and said, "Sepultura play a violent game of sonic overload... the band uses its catharsis as a creative force, funnelling torrents of noise into a tunnel of hate." Music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a negative "dud" rating. Looking back on the album 20 years later, PopMatters contributor Saby Reyes-Kulkarni referred to Roots as "inarguably one of the most radical departures from a convention in heavy metal history."
Roots Bloody Roots
Sepultura Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Roots, bloody roots
Roots, bloody roots
Roots, bloody roots
I believe in our fate
We don't need to fake
It's all we wanna be
Watch me freak
I say we're growing every day
Getting stronger in every way
I'll take you to a place
Where we shall find our
Roots, bloody roots
Roots, bloody roots
Roots, bloody roots
Roots, bloody roots
Rain, bring me the strength
To get to another day
And all I want to see
Set us free
Why can't you see?
Can't you feel this is real? Aaah
I pray, we don't need to change
Our ways to be saved
That all we wanna be
Watch us freak
The lyrics of Sepultura's song Roots Bloody Roots have a powerful message that speaks about personal growth, staying true to oneself, and embracing one's roots. The chorus is repetitive and commanding with the repetition of "Roots, bloody roots", which evokes a sense of aggression, power, and determination. The message is clear, the artist believes in keeping it real, holding onto their roots, and growing stronger every day.
The lyrics call out for strength in challenging times, and the rain is used as a metaphor for cleansing and rejuvenation. The song empowers listeners to believe in themselves, stay true to their beliefs, and to fight for what they believe in. The lyrics are powerful, and the repetition of the chorus makes it catchy and easy to remember, allowing it to become an anthem for those who need a reminder to stay true to themselves.
Overall, the lyrics of Roots Bloody Roots have a strong and positive message that speaks to the heart in a way that only music can. It is a reminder to stay true to oneself, to embrace one's roots, and never forget where we come from.
Line by Line Meaning
Roots, bloody roots
The band focuses on their roots and origins, which they cherish and respect.
Roots, bloody roots
The repetition emphasizes the importance of their roots and how crucial that is for them to stay grounded in their culture.
Roots, bloody roots
The bloody nature embodies the struggle that lies within their culture's history.
Roots, bloody roots
The line reiterates the significance of their roots and how their identity is rooted in their culture.
I believe in our fate
The singer expresses his faith in destiny and how it shapes their journey.
We don't need to fake
The singer emphasizes the importance of honesty and being true to themselves.
It's all we wanna be
The singer explains that their roots define their identity and that's all they strive to be.
Watch me freak
The singer symbolizes his passion for music and how their art expresses their cultural roots.
I say we're growing every day
The line expresses the idea of growth and progression within their culture and music.
Getting stronger in every way
The band recognizes how their heritage is strengthening their artistic abilities as they mature through time.
I'll take you to a place
The singer refers to their music as a medium to take the listeners on a journey to their roots and experience the culture.
Where we shall find our
The singer leaves the audience hanging, as the line ends on a cliffhanger, waiting to see what the band will deliver next.
Rain, bring me the strength
The singer appeals to nature, asking for the strength to persevere through struggles and keep their roots alive.
To get to another day
The line illustrates their commitment to their cause, promising to fight every day to keep their culture alive.
And all I want to see
The singer desires to witness the preservation and celebration of their roots throughout the world.
Set us free
The band demands the oppression they have faced to end and their freedom to express their culture through their music.
Why can't you see?
The band questions the blindness of the world towards their culture, calling for people to open their eyes and celebrate their roots.
Can't you feel this is real? Aaah
The band emphasizes the authenticity of their culture through music and urges the world to feel the same passion and reality.
I pray, we don't need to change
The singer expresses their desire to keep their roots alive without having to change their culture to fit in with the mainstream.
Our ways to be saved
The band highlights how their culture needs to be preserved in order for their traditions and heritage to survive.
That all we wanna be
The singer reiterates that their culture is their identity and all they want to be is who they are.
Watch us freak
The band celebrates their uniqueness and artistic expression by asking their audience to watch them perform and see how they incorporate their culture in their music.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Andreas Rudolf Kisser, Igor Cavalera, Massimiliano A. Cavalera, Paulo Xisto Jr. Pinto
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bluelake5290
awesome