Haiti
Arcade Fire Lyrics
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Wounded mother I'll never see
Ma famille set me free
Throw my ashes into the sea
Mes cousins jamais nés
Hantent les nuits de Duvalier
Rien n'arrête nos esprits
Guns can't kill what soldiers can't see
In the forest we are hiding
Unmarked graves where flowers grow
Hear the soldiers angry yelling
In the river we will go
Tous les morts-nés forment une armée
Soon we will reclaim the earth
All the tears and all the bodies
Bring about our second birth
Haiti, never free
N'aie pas peur de sonner l'alarme
Tes enfants sont partis
In those days their blood was still warm
The song "Haiti" by Arcade Fire is a mournful tribute to the island nation of Haiti, its history of oppression and suffering, and its resilience in the face of adversity. The opening lyrics, "Haïti, mon pays, Wounded mother I'll never see," set the tone of longing and loss, as the singer laments his separation from his homeland and his inability to help heal its wounds. The line "Ma famille set me free" suggests that the singer has been forced to leave Haiti, perhaps because of political instability or poverty. He longs to be reunited with his family and his country, even if it means his own death - "Throw my ashes into the sea."
The second verse of the song touches on the legacy of the oppressive regime of François "Papa Doc" Duvalier, which lasted from 1957 until his death in 1971. The singer imagines the ghosts of his unborn cousins haunting the Duvalier regime, which was known for its brutality and repression. The refrain "Guns can't kill what soldiers can't see" suggests that despite the violence and oppression, the spirit of resistance and rebellion lives on in the hearts of the Haitian people. The final lines of the song acknowledge the continued struggles and challenges faced by Haiti, but also offer hope and resilience: "In those days their blood was still warm."
Line by Line Meaning
Haïti, mon pays
Haiti, my country
Wounded mother I'll never see
My country is a wounded mother that I will never see
Ma famille set me free
My family set me free to pursue a better life
Throw my ashes into the sea
When I die, I want my ashes scattered in the ocean
Mes cousins jamais nés
My unborn cousins
Hantent les nuits de Duvalier
Haunt the nights of Duvalier (former president of Haiti)
Rien n'arrête nos esprits
Nothing can stop our spirits
Guns can't kill what soldiers can't see
Guns can't kill what is invisible to soldiers
In the forest we are hiding
We are hiding in the forest
Unmarked graves where flowers grow
There are unmarked graves in the forest where flowers grow
Hear the soldiers angry yelling
We hear the soldiers yelling angrily
In the river we will go
We will escape by going down the river
Tous les morts-nés forment une armée
All the stillborn babies form an army
Soon we will reclaim the earth
We will soon take back what is rightfully ours
All the tears and all the bodies
All the pain and loss
Bring about our second birth
Will bring about our rebirth as a stronger nation
Haiti, never free
Haiti has never truly been free from oppression
N'aie pas peur de sonner l'alarme
Do not be afraid to raise the alarm
Tes enfants sont partis
Your children have left to seek a better life
In those days their blood was still warm
In those days, they were still alive and full of hope
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: William Butler, Win Butler, Regine Chassagne, Tim Kingsbury, Richard R Parry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Cuenh
Haïti, mon pays
Wounded mother I'll never see
Ma famille set me free
Throw my ashes into the sea
Mes cousins jamais nés
Hantent les nuits de Duvalier
Rien n'arrête nos esprits
Guns can't kill what soldiers can't see
In the forest we are hiding
Unmarked graves where flowers grow
Hear the soldiers angry yelling
In the river we will go
Tous les morts-nés forment une armée
Soon we will reclaim the earth
All the tears and all the bodies
Bring about our second birth
Haiti, never free
N'aie pas peur de sonner l'alarme
Tes enfants sont partis
In those days their blood was still warm
@petermcginnity5572
This is my favourite.
Went to Dublin in 2022
They didnt play it.
Disgusted.
The whole show disappointed
No live, a shadow of themselves
Then Wins exposure that week
Hes not a bad man, but a sick man,
Consider his childhood
As he says in Unconditional
No ones perfect i say it again no ones perfect
@beepboopbleep3695
im going to fry a steak
with montreal seasoning
and think about some friends
they don't know me anymore
i miss them and ill miss you too
i want to dance still
maybe we're dying to dance or we were just dying out loud all the time
@deskfanman2544
as a haitian-canadian who often feels disconnected from their culture this song has helped me so much. wounded mother i’ll never see
@Nd05830
😶...🤗😇
@patrickdizon8585
This, personally, is my favorite Arcade Fire song. I'm not from Haiti, in fact, I'm a Filipino, but hearing this makes me so nostalgic of my hometown it hurts. I'm now working as a nurse in Germany and wished to be back in my country soon. Thank you Arcade Fire for all your masterpieces.
@sleepysappylovecat
Bn
@remka2000
The song is somehow about Duvalier. About where are the deads of his dictatorship. The Pinoy equivalent would be mm Superman is dead ?
@intentionalhyperbole
I have not made it to the Philippines yet, but I plan to go soon. I have been to Germany, however. I understand people in the Philippines are friendly, whereas the people in Germany are mostly...not. If I am right, I can see why you would miss your home. Perhaps next, you would give the American South a try? Friendly is our specialty.
@maximvandaele4825
Are you back yet?
@kburns2925
@@sleepysappylovecat eksmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmssmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmssmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmssmssmsmsmsmsmsssmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmssmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmssmsmsmsmsmssmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmssmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmssmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsn
@JeffMoore1984
One of the best songs in the world
@missmg100
I was 8 when funeral came out. My dad read a snippet of a review on the monthly NME magazine he bought. So we drove to HMV the day he read said review in hopes to take a chance and buy a random cd off that review. It changed his life. Which in turn changed mine. Im 27 now. They've been my constant since that day when I was 8 and heard them for the first time on cd in my dads shitty car on the way home from HMV. I seen them live last year in glasgow and it was the greatest day of my life. And my dads too. I feel like im never gonna get a greater day ever. But i dont care. Arcade fire. You will never know what you did for me. Love marnie x