In 2001 K'naan performed in Geneva at the 50th anniversary of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
In 2005, he performed with DobaCaracol during the Live 8 concert in Barrie, Ontario. His full-length debut album, The Dusty Foot Philosopher, was released in 2005.
His song "Soobax" (pronounced "So-Bah") is now featured in the best selling video game FIFA Football 2006, made by Electronic Arts and he has toured the world with the cup.
K'naan participated in the Breedlove Odyssey Tour with Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch and Jean Grae. He also participated in the "Welcome To Jamrock" tour along with Damian Marley.
The Dusty Foot Philosopher received a 2006 Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year, and was nominated for the inaugural Polaris Music Prize. He also featured in a song by M1, titled "Till We Get There".
The song "In the Beginning" from the album The Dusty Foot Philosopher was featured in the 2008 Comedy "Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay"
He also toured with Stephen Marley on Stephen's "Mind Control" tour.
His latest album "Troubadour" was released in 2009 featuring guests artists such as Damian Marley, Adam Levine, Kirk Hammett, Mos Def, and Chali 2NA.
A remixed version of K'naan's single "Wavin' Flag" was chosen as the Coca-Cola anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
K'naan won the 2010 Juno Awards for Canada's Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year.
Be Free
K'naan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Clenched on to my mam's dress,
Hanging on like my last breath,
Even me I was a mess,
Then she teach me to address,
Injustice with fearlessness,
(Ciradiyo jacaylku caway igu kulmeeney)
Then I saw the stars faint,
Falling them with heartaches,
Then I felt the earth shake,
Trembling for God's sake,
Its like when her voice breaks,
Calling me to my place,
(Ciradiyo jacaylku caway igu kulmeeney)
La la lala laa la, la lala la laa la.
They say time is like a sword,
Striking (god's) the ambition chords,
Struggle has its own rewards,
So we hope you march forward,
Muslims Jews and Christians war
No one is left to praise the Lord!
(Ciradiyo jacaylku caway igu kulmeeney)
La la la la la la, la lala la laa la.
So if you want to be free,
There is no one ? fight it,
If you want to see the moon,
Then there is no cloud that can hide it,
We live in this impossible world,
We want change despite it,
(Ciradiyo jacaylku caway igu kulmeeney)
La la lala laa la, la lala la laa la.
La la lala laa la, la lala la laa la.
La la lala laa la, la lala la laa la.
The song "Be Free" by K'naan is a reflection on the power of courage and the need for justice in a world filled with inequality and conflict. The lyrics begin with a recollection of the artist's childhood, where he was taught by his mother to confront injustice with fearlessness. The image of the little boy clinging onto his mother's dress represents vulnerability and the need for guidance in a world where injustice is prevalent. K'naan then recalls experiences where he witnessed the effects of war and conflict - the faint stars representing hopes and dreams shattered by the heartaches of war, and the trembling earth a metaphor for the destabilizing effects of violence.
The lyrics then shift to a more explicit call for unity and the need to fight for justice together. The line "Muslims Jews and Christians war, no one is left to praise the Lord" highlights the destructive division caused by religious and ethnic conflict. The ultimate call to action is encapsulated in the chorus: "If you want to be free, there is no one to fight it, if you want to see the moon, then there is no cloud that can hide it." The key message is that change is possible, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges, as long as we are committed to fighting for it.
Overall, K'naan's "Be Free" is a powerful, uplifting song that calls for justice, unity and the courage to confront injustice head-on. Through personal anecdotes and wider social commentary, he encourages listeners to fight for a better world, and to have hope that change is possible.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a little boy,
As a child, I held tightly to my mother's dress, feeling lost and scared.
Clenched on to my mam's dress,
I was clinging on to my mother's dress for dear life.
Hanging on like my last breath,
I held on with all my might, feeling like it was my last chance to survive.
Even me I was a mess,
I was a complete mess, unable to handle my situation.
Then she teach me to address,
My mother taught me to face my problems head on.
Injustice with fearlessness,
She showed me that I could confront injustice without fear.
(Ciradiyo jacaylku caway igu kulmeeney)
(Somali phrase meaning 'my beloveds taught me')
Then I saw the stars faint,
I witnessed tragedy, my heart breaking with every falling star.
Falling them with heartaches,
The stars were falling, breaking my heart with them.
Then I felt the earth shake,
I felt the world shaking with the force of disaster.
Trembling for God's sake,
I was trembling in fear for my life and the lives of my loved ones.
Its like when her voice breaks,
It felt like everything was falling apart around me, including my mother's voice.
Calling me to my place,
She reminded me of who I am and where I come from.
They say time is like a sword,
Time can be a weapon that cuts us down.
Striking (god's) the ambition chords,
It can cut our dreams short and disrupt our ambitions.
Struggle has its own rewards,
Despite the hardships, the struggle itself can teach us and make us stronger.
So we hope you march forward,
We encourage you to keep moving forward, to never give up.
Muslims Jews and Christians war
Generations have been plagued with wars between different faiths.
No one is left to praise the Lord!
But in the end, it seems like no one is left to praise God.
(Ciradiyo jacaylku caway igu kulmeeney)
(Somali phrase meaning 'my beloveds taught me')
So if you want to be free,
If you want to break free from the shackles of this world,
There is no one ? fight it,
You must fight for your freedom, no one else will do it for you.
If you want to see the moon,
If you want to reach for the stars and achieve your dreams,
Then there is no cloud that can hide it,
Nothing can stop you from reaching your goal if you have the determination and drive to succeed.
We live in this impossible world,
It's true, the world can seem impossible to navigate at times.
We want change despite it,
But we must continue to strive for change, even in the face of adversity.
(Ciradiyo jacaylku caway igu kulmeeney)
(Somali phrase meaning 'my beloveds taught me')
La la lala laa la, la lala la laa la.
Refrain repeated throughout the song.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KEINAN WARSAME
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind