Visionary singer, cultural ambassador, storyteller Baaba Maal wasn’t destin… Read Full Bio ↴Visionary singer, cultural ambassador, storyteller Baaba Maal wasn’t destined to be a performer - in West African culture, the ancient griot caste traditionally produces the singers and poets, and Maal was born in 1953 in the northern Senegal town of Podor into the fisherman's caste. Growing up surrounded by music, he defied expectation and became a musician. Maal formed the group Daande Lenol developing a distinctive sound fusing traditional African instruments with an electronic approach. 1988’s Wango was the first in a series of solo albums including Missing You, Lam Toro & Baayo. In 2015, he recorded The Traveller for Marathon Artists, reflecting his passion for exploring and blurring diverse musical forms. In 2018 he helped composer Ludwig Goransson soundtrack Marvel’s Black Panther. Established as the Voice of Wakanda, Maal is featured in the Black Panther sequel, 2022’s Wakanda Forever. Baaba Maal's next album, Being, will be released via Marathon Artists on March 31st 2023.

Baaba Maal will be headlining London's Barbican on the 30th of May.

Baaba
Baaba Maal Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Vazgeçsen olmuyor, ölsen olmuyor
Vazgeçsen olmuyor, ölsen olmuyor

Günlerdir kapımı kimseler çalmıyor
Göğsümden içeri yokluğun sızıyor
Bir demlik çayım var
Tütünüm de geçiyor
Bir demlik çayım var

Tütünüm de geçiyor

Duvarlara yazdığım her cümle ağlıyor
Evlerin ışıkları tek tek sönüyor
Bu ev bu nağmeler peşimi bırakmıyor
Bu ev bu nağmeler peşimi bırakmıyor

Geceler kara tren
Geceler
Yüklüyor seni bana
Geceler
Bende bir resmin var yüzüme bakmıyor
Bende bir resmin var yüzüme bakmıyor

Kollarım seni ister
Geceler yine seni
Ne baharın tadı var ne de yazın sevgili
Bir demlik günüm var ömrüm de geçiyor
Bir demlik günüm var ömrüm de geçiyor

Hiç mi aslı yok bunun
Bu asılsız yüzlerin
Dudağımdan geçtin
Gözlerin yakmıyor

Vazgeçsen olmuyor ölsen olmuyor
Vazgeçsen olmuyor ölsen olmuyor

Geceler kara tren
Geceler
Yüklüyor seni bana
Geceler
Ben de bir resmin var
Yüzüme bakmıyor
Ben de bir resmin var
Yüzüme bakmıyor
Ben de bir resmin var
Yüzüme bakmıyor
Ben de bir resmin var
Yüzüme bakmıyor

Vazgeçsen olmuyor ölsen olmuyor
Vazgeçsen olmuyor ölsen olmuyor

Overall Meaning

Baaba Maal's song Baaba is a hauntingly beautiful lament that describes the feeling of being trapped in grief and despair, unable to escape no matter how much one tries. The repeated phrases "Vazgeçsen olmuyor, ölsen olmuyor" (It doesn't work if you give up, it doesn't work if you die) convey the sense of hopelessness and futility that the singer is experiencing. The imagery in the song is vivid and intense, with the singer describing the pain of missing someone and feeling their absence like a physical hurt in their chest.

The lyrics also touch on the idea of memory and how it can haunt us, with the singer describing how everything around them seems to be a reminder of the person they are missing. The lines "Duvarlara yazdığım her cümle ağlıyor, Evlerin ışıkları tek tek sönüyor" (Every sentence I wrote on the walls is crying, The lights in the houses are going out one by one) paint a picture of a world that is slowly fading away, leaving the singer alone with their grief.

Overall, Baaba Maal's song Baaba is a powerful expression of the pain of loss and the struggle to come to terms with it. The haunting melody and poetic lyrics create a deeply moving and evocative piece of music.

Line by Line Meaning

Vazgeçsen olmuyor, ölsen olmuyor
No matter how hard you try to give up, and even if you die, you cannot escape from the pain and sadness

Günlerdir kapımı kimseler çalmıyor
I have been alone for days, and no one is even knocking at my door

Göğsümden içeri yokluğun sızıyor
The feeling of emptiness is penetrating deep into my chest and causing pain

Bir demlik çayım var
All I have is a cup of tea

Tütünüm de geçiyor
Smoking my tobacco is helping me cope with my feelings

Duvarlara yazdığım her cümle ağlıyor
Every sentence I wrote on the walls is crying

Evlerin ışıkları tek tek sönüyor
The lights in all the houses are gradually turning off

Bu ev bu nağmeler peşimi bırakmıyor
This house and these laments are haunting me

Geceler kara tren
Nights are like a dark train coming towards me

Yüklüyor seni bana
Bringing all the weight of your absence to me

Bende bir resmin var yüzüme bakmıyor
I have a picture of you, but you don't look at me anymore