Signed to XL Recordings, they released the Oya EP in June 2014 which also includes the song River. Mama says was released in November, extracted from their eponymous Richard Russell produced album launched in February 16th, 2015. A third song from "Ibeyi", Ghosts, was promoted in January 2015 before they embarked on an extensive European and US Tour.
http://www.ibeyi.fr
Mama Says
Ibeyi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And mama says
She can't live without him
The man is gone
And mama says
There is no life without him
She has no one to stop her tears
She needs to wake up in her man's arms
And to be loved just like a child
Ooh ooh
Ooh ooh
The man is gone
And mama says
That she can't live without him
The man is gone
And mama says
There is no life without him
How can I tell her the way I feel?
I'm afraid she'd be hurt and sink
It pisses me off, it drives me mad
That she lets herself feel so bad
Ooh ooh
Ooh ooh
The man is gone
And mama says
That she can't live without him
The man is gone
And mama says
There is no life without him
The song Mama Says by Ibeyi is a heartbreaking exploration of grief, loss and the difficult process of healing. The song opens with the repetition of the line "the man is gone, and mama says," emphasizing the deep pain she is feeling due to the loss of her partner. The next line, "she can't live without him," reveals the intensity of her emotional state, indicating that she is struggling to cope with life without her partner. The lyrics go on to describe how the mother is in need of constant emotional support and comfort, with nobody to wipe away her tears or calm her fears. The song builds to a chorus of "there is no life without him," further highlighting the depth of despair the mother is feeling.
The lyrics of the second verse explore the singer's own struggle to help her mother through her grief. She expresses fear that telling her mother how she feels will only hurt her more, and expresses anger that her mother is allowing herself to feel so terrible. The song comes full circle with its final repetition of the opening lines, "the man is gone, and mama says," underscoring the ongoing nature of grief and how it can consume one's entire life.
Overall, Mama Says is a poignant and moving song that captures the complexities of loss and the difficult road towards healing.
Line by Line Meaning
The man is gone
Mama's partner is no longer with her
And mama says
Mama has expressed verbally her thoughts and feelings
She can't live without him
Mama feels like she needs her partner to live
There is no life without him
Mama believes that her life won't go on without her partner
She has no one to stop her tears
Mama feels alone without someone to comfort her
A man who heals and calms down her fears
Mama's partner provided emotional support
She needs to wake up in her man's arms
Mama misses the intimate presence of her partner
And to be loved just like a child
Mama wants to feel the unconditional love from her partner
How can I tell her the way I feel?
The singer is questioning how to express her own feelings to Mama
I'm afraid she'd be hurt and sink
The singer worries about Mama's emotional stability
It pisses me off, it drives me mad
The singer is upset and frustrated by Mama's reliance on her partner
That she lets herself feel so bad
The singer thinks Mama is allowing herself to be consumed by sadness
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: LISA KAINDE DIAZ, NAOMI DIAZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@brunocsmota
Mama Says
The man is gone
And mama says
She can't live without him
The man is gone
And mama says
There is no life without him
She has no one to stop her tears
A man who heals and calms down her fears
She needs to wake up in her man's arms
And to be loved just like a child
The man is gone
And mama says
She can't live without him
The man is gone
And mama says
There is no life without him
How can I tell her the way I feel?
I'm afraid she'd be hurt and sink
It pisses me off, it drives me mad
That she lets herself feel so bad
Elegua ago
Elegua ago aña
Elegua ago
Elegua ago aña
Alaroye masankio
Elegua ago aña
The man is gone
And mama says
She can't live without him
The man is gone
And mama says
There is no life without him
@keinaweiler9728
Ibeyi – Mama Says Lyrics
CHORUS:
The man is gone
And mama says
She can’t live without him.
The man is gone
And mama says
There is no life without him.
She has no one
To stop her tears.
A man who heals and calms down her fears
She needs to wake up in her man’s arms
And to be loved just like a child.
Uuh-Uuh.
CHORUS:
The man is gone
And mama says
That she can’t live without him.
The man is gone
And mama says
There is no life without him.
How can I tell her the way I feel?
I’m afraid she’d be hurt and sink
It pisses me off, it drives me mad
That she let’s herself feel so bad.
Uuh-Uuh.
[…]
CHORUS:
The man is gone
And mamma says
That she can’t live without him.
The man is gone
And mamma says
There is no life without him.
[Lyrics to Mama Says by Ibeyi]
@monroerodriguez
I love this group because they write in metaphor based on afro-caribbean tradition spiritual music/stories and pair it with their own lives and music.
"The man is gone
And mamma says
That she can’t live without him.
...There is no life without him."
In this song, at first glance it's about the loss of their father and how their mother is dealing with that loss. Towards the end, they sing a song to Elegua and the lyrics "the man is gone, there is no life without him" bring new meaning because Elegua, is the yoruban orisha of communication, roads. He is the bridge between the spiritual world and the material world. He is the first orisha to be saluted in any ceremony. So in essence, when he is out of the equation, there is no ceremony, no communication to the divine, no path, so there is no life without him.
@monroerodriguez
In addition, during misas or spiritual masses, the person the misa is for sits in the center in a chair facing the table while all the other spiritists/spiritualists (usually dressed in white) deliver their messages.
@JoeNeddy
***** Thanks for that sir
@jeromedupont5218
thx for the explanation Mister. Culture relates men and women.
@monroerodriguez
NO
@alalilu1
8
@nonsoville
I got shivers at the part where the young one breaks down. Glad it was added to the final video. You can tell they poured everything in. RIP to your dad Ibeyi. You guys should definitely come perform in Lagos, Nigeria.. Definitely!
@franchescazamora1726
They are twins
@kurtemonster578
I appreciate that they were vulnerable enough to retain the footage of Naomi starting to weep (which hits me right in my Dad feels!), but respectful enough to pull the camera away. A beautiful, delicate balance.
@brunocsmota
Mama Says
The man is gone
And mama says
She can't live without him
The man is gone
And mama says
There is no life without him
She has no one to stop her tears
A man who heals and calms down her fears
She needs to wake up in her man's arms
And to be loved just like a child
The man is gone
And mama says
She can't live without him
The man is gone
And mama says
There is no life without him
How can I tell her the way I feel?
I'm afraid she'd be hurt and sink
It pisses me off, it drives me mad
That she lets herself feel so bad
Elegua ago
Elegua ago aña
Elegua ago
Elegua ago aña
Alaroye masankio
Elegua ago aña
The man is gone
And mama says
She can't live without him
The man is gone
And mama says
There is no life without him