The name Bamboo is shared by multiple artists:

(1) An alternative ro… Read Full Bio ↴The name Bamboo is shared by multiple artists:

(1) An alternative rock band founded in 2002 in the Philippines.
(2) A rap artist from Philadelphia living in Pittsburgh.
(3) A 1979 German disco group, Side project of Supermax.
(4) A short-lived British house production act.
(5) A Rap artist from Nairobi, Kenya
(6) A Swedish 60's pop group from Stockholm
(7) a Canadian 80's pop group
(8) a British indie / alternative folk / pop duo from Brighton/London UK on Upset The Rhythm records.

(1) an alternative rock band founded in 2002 in the Philippines by vocalist Bamboo Mañalac. Contrary to popular belief, the band was not named after him. According to guitarist Ira Cruz, the word bamboo also relates to strength and durability with an island feel to it. Rounding up the band are Nathan Azarcon on bass and Vic Mercado on drums.

Francisco "Bamboo" Mañalac finally confirmed the breakup of his band in an official statement posted before midnight of January 11, 2011 on the group's website.

(2) a rap artist, singer, producer from Philadelphia living in Pittsburgh, PA. His second, new full-length album is sleighted for release in 2011.

(3) A German disco group consisting of Gerda Cronie, Glendora Maria Robles and Haydee Simona Cyntje produced by Austrian Kurt Hauenstein, which makes Bamboo to a sideproject of his rather famous Supermax project.

(4) a short-lived British house production act formed by producer Andrew Livingstone, formerly of Hed Boys (with Dave Lee/Joey Negro). It had a #2 hit in the UK Singles Chart with "Bamboogie" in 1998, which was based on a sample from the KC And The Sunshine Band song Get Down Tonight . The act's other hit single, also in 1998, was "The Strutt", which peaked at #36.

(6) 1967-1970 Mikael Rickfors (bass, vocals), Ronny Roswall (guitar), Jan Bråthe (bass, trombone), Peter Frick (guitar), Ronnie Gustafsson (guitar)

(7) Bamboo was a band formed in Ontario in 1982, recording one album, with one charting hit in Canada, "Come Day O Night Eh!"; they disbanded in 1986.

(8) BAMBOO, the ongoing project from Nick Carlisle (of Peepholes, Don't Argue) and Rachel Horwood (of Trash Kit, Halo Halo) announce their third studio album, Daughters Of The Sky, due 14th June 2019 on Upset The Rhythm. Far from being a side-project, Bamboo is very much a fully realised pursuit, with the band working on multiple records simultaneously from their Brighton and London base camps. http://www.bamboosongs.co.uk/

Prayer For The Dying
Bamboo Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Fearless people,
Careless needle.
Harsh words spoken,
And lives are broken.
Forceful ageing,
Help me I'm fading.
Heaven's waiting,
It's time to move on.

Crossing that bridge,
With lessons I've learned.
Playing with fire,
And not getting burned.
I may not know what you're going through.
But time is the space,
Between me and you.
Life carries on... it goes on.
Just say die,
And that would be pessimistic.
In your mind,
We can walk across water.
Please don't cry,
It's just a prayer for the dying.
I just don't know what's got into me.
Been crossin' that bridge,
With lessons I've learned.
Playing with fire,
And not getting burned.
I may not know what you're going through,
But time is the space,
Between me and you.
There is a light through that window
Hold on say yes, while people say no
Life carries on
Ohh!
It goes on....oh-ee-oh, whoa-ee-oh ho oh...
I'm crossing that bridge,
With lessons I've learned....
I'm playing with fire,
And not getting burned....
I may not know what you're going through.
But time is the space,
Between me and you.
There is a light through that window.
Hold on say yes, while people say no
Cause life carries on....oh-ee-oh, whoa-ee-oh ho on...
It goes on....oh-ee-on,
It goes on.
Whoa.
Whoa.
Life carries on.
When nothing else matters.
When nothing else matters.
I just don't know what's got into me.

It's just a prayer for the dying.
For the dying.

Overall Meaning

Bamboo's song Prayer for the Dying is a reflection on the struggles and difficulties of life. The song is about facing obstacles such as fear, addiction, aging, and loss. Fearless people and careless needles represent the recklessness that can lead to harm against oneself and others. Harsh words spoken can break lives and forceful aging can leave an individual feeling weak and helpless. Bamboo sings about how life is a learning process with a bridge to cross and fires to play with, but at the same time, caution is needed to not get burned.

The chorus of the song highlights the message of the song, which is that despite our struggles, life still goes on. The phrase “just say die” is a pessimistic view that Bamboo wants the listener to avoid. Instead, he suggests that we should believe in ourselves and our ability to overcome any obstacle. Bamboo believes that life carries on, and we must hold on to the light that can be seen through the window. The light is the hope that despite all the struggles, we can still move forward and live life to the fullest.

Prayer for the Dying offers a message of hope and inspiration to its listeners. It is a reminder that life is not perfect, and challenges will come our way, but we should not lose hope. We must believe in ourselves, cross bridges, play with fire, but cautiously, and hold on to the light that guides us through the tough times.

Line by Line Meaning

Fearless people
People who are brave and unafraid.

Careless needle
People who use drugs without thinking about the consequences.

Harsh words spoken
Words that are cruel or hurtful to others.

And lives are broken
These words can have a negative impact on people's lives and leave them feeling hurt and broken.

Forceful ageing
The process of getting older and weaker even though we might not want to.

Help me I'm fading
A plea for help when someone is feeling weak or losing strength.

Heaven's waiting
The idea that there is a better place waiting for us after we die.

It's time to move on
The need to let go of the past and move forward.

Crossing that bridge
Metaphor for moving on to something new or facing a challenge.

With lessons I've learned
Using past experiences and learning from them to help in the current situation.

Playing with fire
Taking risks that could potentially be dangerous.

And not getting burned
Being able to take risks without experiencing negative consequences.

I may not know what you're going through
Acknowledging that the singer may not fully understand the struggles that the listener is facing.

But time is the space
Time can create distance between people and their experiences.

Between me and you
The space that exists between two individuals.

Life carries on... it goes on.
Reminding the listener that life will continue and that things will get better.

Just say die, and that would be pessimistic.
Giving up is not the solution and is not a productive mindset.

In your mind, we can walk across water.
Encouraging the listener to believe in themselves and their abilities to overcome challenges.

Please don't cry, it's just a prayer for the dying.
The singer is offering support and comfort to the listener who may be going through a difficult situation.

There is a light through that window.
Hope that there is a better future ahead.

Hold on say yes, while people say no
Believing in oneself and their abilities even when others may doubt them.

When nothing else matters.
When everything else is unimportant and only the current moment matters.

It's just a prayer for the dying.
A comforting positive thought or prayer for someone who is struggling or in pain.

Contributed by Nora P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS