Bongo Bong
Manu Chao Lyrics
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Papa was king of the Congo
Deep down in the jungle
I start bangin' my first bongo
Every monkey'd like to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause I'm the king of bongo, baby
I'm the king of bongo bong
I went to the big town
Where there is a lot of sound
From the jungle to the city
Looking for a bigger crown
So I play my boogie
For the people of big city
But they don't go crazy
When I'm bangin' on my boogie
I'm the king of the bongo, king of the bongo bong
Hear me when I come, baby
King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong
Nobody'd like to be in my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy when I'm bangin' on my boogie
I'm a king without a crown, hanging loose in a big town
But I'm the king of bongo, baby
I'm the king of bongo bong
King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong
Hear me when I come, baby
King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong
Hear me when I come
They say that I'm a clown making too much dirty sound
They say there is no place for little monkey in this town
Nobody'd like to be in my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy when I'm bangin' on my boogie
I'm the king of the bongo, king of the bongo bong
Hear me when I come, baby
King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong
Hear me when I come
Bangin' on my bongo, all that swing belongs to me
I'm so happy there's nobody in my place instead of me
I'm a king without a crown hanging loose in a big town
I'm the king of bongo, baby
I'm the king of bongo bong
King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong
Hear me when I come, baby
King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong
Hear me when I come
Mama was queen of the mambo
Papa was king of the Congo
Deep down in a jungle
I start bangin' my first bongo
Every monkey'd like to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause I'm the king of bongo, baby
I'm the king of bongo bong
Hear me when I come
Hear me when I come, baby (king of the bongo, king of the bongo bong)
Hear me when I come
The lyrics to Manu Chao's "Bongo Bong" are a biography of sorts, telling the story of the singer's rise to power as the "king of bongo." The song's opening lines are a nod to his parents - Mama was queen of the mambo, Papa was king of the Congo. Chao grew up between France and Spain, but both his parents are from South America; his mother is Basque and his father is Galician. The next lines suggest that the singer, like many budding musicians, started playing music at a young age, and his first instrument was a bongo.
The second verse, however, shows a shift in the tone and theme from the first. The singer leaves the jungle and goes to the big town (presumably Paris or Barcelona) in search of a bigger crown. He plays his music for the people there, but they don't appreciate his sound. The chorus brings back the monkey imagery from the earlier lyrics, with every monkey wishing to be in his place. The third verse brings back the negative tone, stating that some people think the singer is a clown making too much noise. The final chorus repeats the first, with a reiteration of the singer's power and his ability to command attention with his music.
Overall, "Bongo Bong" can be interpreted as a tale of the outsider artist who, despite the rejection of the mainstream, remains content and empowered through music. The singer claims his rightful place as the "king of bongo," a symbol of the power inherent in his unique sound.
Line by Line Meaning
Mama was queen of the mambo
My mother was a skilled performer in the mambo dance style
Papa was king of the Congo
My father was a leader in the Congo region
Deep down in the jungle, I start bangin' my first bongo
As a child growing up in the jungle, I started playing the bongo drums
Every monkey'd like to be in my place instead of me, 'cause I'm the king of bongo, baby, I'm the king of bongo bong
The monkeys in the jungle envy my status as a skilled musician and leader in the community
I went to the big town, where there is a lot of sound, from the jungle to the city, looking for a bigger crown
I moved to the city in search of fame and recognition for my musical talents
So I play my boogie for the people of big city, but they don't go crazy, when I'm bangin' on my boogie
Despite my efforts to impress the people of the city with my music, they do not appreciate or respond to it as much as I had hoped
I'm a king without a crown, hanging loose in a big town, but I'm the king of bongo, baby, I'm the king of bongo bong
Although I may not have the recognition or status I desire in the city, I still know that I am a leader in my community and a skilled musician
They say that I'm a clown making too much dirty sound, they say there is no place for little monkey in this town
Critics and skeptics in the city disparage my music and suggest that I do not belong there
Bangin' on my bongo, all that swing belongs to me, I'm so happy there's nobody in my place instead of me
Despite the challenges and doubt I face, I am confident in my musical abilities and enjoy playing the bongo drums
Hear me when I come, hear me when I come, baby (king of the bongo, king of the bongo bong)
I want people to take notice and appreciate my music and my leadership in the community
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Jose Manuel Chao
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ellencogo8705
Mama was queen of the mambo
Papa was king of the Congo
Deep down in a jungle
I started banging my first bongo
Every monkey like to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause I'm the king of Bongo, baby
I'm the king of Bongo Bong
I went to the big town
Where there is a lot of sound
From the jungle to the city
Looking for a bigger crown
So I play my Boogie
For the people of big city
But they don't go crazy
When I'm banging all my boogie
I'm the
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Nobody likes to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy
When I'm banging on my boogie
I'm a king without a crown
Hanging loose in a big town
But I'm the king of Bongo, baby
I'm the king of Bongo Bong
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Hear me when I come
They said that I'm a clown
Making too much dirty sound
They said there is no place
For little monkey in this town
Nobody liked to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy
When I'm banging on my boogie
I'm the
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Hear me when I come
Banging on my bongo
All that swing belongs to me
I'm so happy there's nobody
In my place instead of me
I'm a king without a crown
Hanging loose in a big town
I'm the king of Bongo, baby
I'm the king of Bongo Bong
King of the Bongo bong)
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Hear me when I come
Mama was queen of the mambo
Papa was king of the Congo
Deep down in a jungle
I started banging my first bongo
Every monkey like to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause I'm the king of Bongo, baby
I'm the king of Bongo Bong
Hear me when I come
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong)
Hear me when I come
@Hello_Foxy
Mama was queen of the mambo
Papa was king of the Congo
Deep down in the jungle
I started bangin' my first bongo
Every monkey like to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause I'm the king of bongo, baby
I'm the king of bongo bong
I went to the big town
Where there is a lot of sound
From the jungle to the city
Looking for a bigger crown
So I play my boogie
For the people of big city
But they don't go crazy
When I'm bangin' in my boogie
I'm the "king of the bongo, king of the bongo bong"
Hear me when I come, baby
King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong
Nobody like to be in my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy when I'm bangin' on my boogie
I'm a king without a crown
Hanging loose in a big town
But I'm the king of bongo, baby
I'm the king of bongo bong
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong)
Hear me when I come
They say that I'm a clown
Making too much dirty sound
They say there is no place for little monkey in this town
Nobody'd like to be in my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy when I'm bangin' on my boogie
I'm the
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong)
Hear me when I come
Bangin' on my bongo all that swing belongs to me
I'm so happy there's nobody in my place instead of me
I'm a king without a crown
Hanging loose in a big town
I'm the king of bongo, baby
I'm the king of bongo bong
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong)
Hear me when I come
Mama was queen of the mambo
Papa was king of the Congo
Deep down in the jungle
I start bangin' my first bongo
Every monkey like to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause I'm the king of bongo, baby
I'm the king of bongo bong
Hear me when I come
Hear me when I come, baby
Hear me when I come
@cocsukervimcemt
I SEARCHED FUCKING EIGHT YEARS FOR THIS SONG AND TODAY I FINALLY FOUND IT!!!! NOW I CAN DIE HAPPY
@mrshadow70835
<3
@EinFreund11
But i hope you still alive ;)
@jshamel
I was at the Cincinnati Zoo and heard this song playing in the gift shop. I didnt leave until someone told me the name of this song! :)
@JustRememberWhoYoureWorkingFor
yeah it can be confusing because Manu Chao has at least two other songs that sound like this one, one of them is "homens" and the other I don't remember its name
@yougot104
Me too, finally i used shazam with the radio
@louis-nz8ce
This has massive MASSIVE amounts of nostalgia for me 😭😭take me back
@Assyrian_king
Fr bro
@ProdByXorak
Same riding in my tíos car when I was lil he use to slap music like this
@rosaliadimarzo2254
I too