Haïti
Arcade Fire䠀 Lyrics

The lyrics of Arcade Fire's song "Haiti" speak to the haunting legacy of the Duvalier dictatorship in Haiti. The song is sung in French, the language of Haiti's colonial and imperial past, and begins with a reference to "Haiti, mon pays," or Haiti, my country. The singer then laments a "wounded mother I'll never see," which likely refers to Haiti as a nation, which has been subject to violence and oppression for centuries. The next line, "Ma famille set me free," is more ambiguous, but could refer to the singer's own family, or it could be a reference to the Haitian people as a collective that is seeking to be freed from their oppressors.

The chorus is where the song's political message becomes more explicit. The reference to "mes cousins jamais nés/Hantent les nuits de Duvalier" refers to the many Haitians who were killed or disappeared under the Duvalier dictatorship, which lasted from 1957 to 1986. The haunting presence of these victims is implied to be a continual presence in the nightmare that is the Haitian political landscape. However, the following line - "Rien n'arrête nos espirits/Guns can't kill what soldiers can't see" - suggests a defiant spirit among the Haitian people, who refuse to be defeated by their oppressors.

The second verse continues the theme of hiding and resistance, with the line "In the forest we are hiding" likely referring to the many Haitians who were forced to flee from the violence of the Duvalier regime. The reference to "Unmarked graves where flowers grow" is a powerful image, suggesting both death and rebirth. The final lines, "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," imply that the Haitian people are engaged in a struggle for a new, more just world.

Overall, "Haiti" is a powerful and haunting song that speaks to the ongoing struggles of the Haitian people, who have faced centuries of colonialism, dictatorship, and poverty. The lyrics are poetic and ambiguous, but convey a sense of resilience and defiance in the face of oppression. This is perhaps not surprising, given that the members of Arcade Fire have a personal connection to Haiti - one of the members, Régine Chassagne, was born to Haitian parents and has spoken publicly about her family's experiences living under the Duvalier regime.