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.
In The Beginning
K'naan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the beginning there was a hum
From a poet whose pulse fell dRUM DRUM DRUM!
He would perform prayers and all
Till one day he heard a voice call
COME COME COME! Sus'pi'cious he moved
He thinks is a little often
People get held back by the void inside 'em
YO!
The void said
I'm poised to speak inside you
"Rejoice then please let me invite you
To evil, greed and lies too"
YEAH!
Confused and dazed he moved in ways
He soon became "Hakuna" bOOM BOOM BOOM
A knock on his door, his heart is no more
A knock on his door, his soul is no more
Yeah that was in the beginnin'
As the story goes on so -
The poet's got a proposal
He would always hope but never know
What it feels to be free
He would be the frozen imposed as the chosen
All laws oppose him but it would be greed
That's got him there he's power hungry
And proud too
People don't care, he will just care
Evil don't care, he will just prayer
Yeah that was In the beginning
There was a hum
Then things changed
They say- it is better to light a candle
Than to curse the dark
In the eyes of the youth
There are question marks
Like freedom freedom for the mind and soul
We don't see them
See them for their worth at all
That's why we lead em
Lead em to these wars
And what is it we feed em
Feed em our impurities
And who it is we treat em
Treat em like the enemy
Humanity will need em
Need em like the blood we spill
And we're freedom
Freedom for the hearts we fill we mislead em
They hunger for the love we give
But we cheat em
The guys beat him and all he wants
Is his freedom
So they defeat him whatever spirit he's got
"beat him"
And they teach him
The rest of the world don't need him
And he believes
In the disease that he's heathen
Put up your fists if all you want is freedom
Put up your fists if all you want is -
That was in the beginning
Then things changed
Yeah
And we keep holdin' on
And we keep bein' strong
And we keep goin' on and on and on and on
The song In The Beginning by K'naan is a powerful reflection on the struggle between good and evil in society. The song begins with the sound of a hum representing the pulse of a poet who was called by a voice to embrace the path of evil, greed, and lies. He becomes power-hungry, proud, and consumed by the void inside him. The poet's struggle embodies humanity's struggle for freedom of mind and soul. The poem calls for people to stand up and fight for their rights and for the love of fellow humankind.
The lyrics show an inner conflict of a person who is caught between what they know is right, and the lure of power and wealth. The poet is ultimately defeated, and his spirit is broken, leading him to mislead others with his negative way of life. The song advocates that people should resist complacency and spread love, equality and peace instead of the negativity that surrounds us.
The song is essentially a socio-political commentary on the state of the world and its flawed system, where people are misled and disregarded. K'naan is exhorting people, especially the youth, to be aware of their agency and power, to understand their worth, and to unite and fight for freedom and equality for all.
Line by Line Meaning
In the beginning
At the start of the story
There was a hum
There was a subtle sound
From a poet whose pulse fell
From a poet with a slow heartbeat
Drum drum drum!
The sound of his pulse
He would perform prayers and all
He used to engage in various religious practices
Till one day he heard a voice call
One day he heard a mysterious voice calling him
Come come come!
The voice was urging him to come closer
Suspicious he moved
He moved cautiously
With vicious caution
With extreme care
Dismisses,
He ignores
He thinks is a little often
Avoids overthinking regarding what he dismissed
People get held back
People are held back
By the void inside 'em.
Due to the emptiness inside them
The void said,
The emptiness spoke
I'm poised to speak inside you
I am ready to speak within you
"Rejoice then please let me invite you
"Be happy and accept my invitation
To evil, greed and lies too."
Into embracing evil, greed, and deception as well
Confused and dazed
Feeling bewildered
He moved in ways
He acted in ways
He soon became "Hakuna"
He changed his name to "Hakuna"
A knock on his door, his heart is no more
Someone knocked his door, he lost his heart
A knock on his door, his soul is no more
Another knock on his door, his soul was lost as well
The poets got a proposal
The poet was offered a proposition
He would always hope but never know
He would always have hope but never actualize it
What it feels
What true freedom feels like
To be free.
To be liberated
He would be the frozen
He would be motionless
Imposed as the chosen,
Chosen by others
All laws oppose him
The laws were against him
But it would be greed.
He was enticed by greed
That's got him there
Greed got him where he is now
He's power-hungry,
He is obsessed with power
And proud too.
He is also proud
People don't care, people just care
People don't care much, but all they care about is
Evil don't care, evil just care
Evil doesn't care much either, all it cares about is
They say
It is said
It is better to light a candle than to curse the dark in the eyes of the youth
It is better to spread hope than to dwell on despair when it comes to the younger generation
There are question marks
There are mysteries
Like freedom.
Like what freedom actually entails
Freedom for the mind and soul,
Freedom of the mind and soul
We don't see them.
We do not see its value
See them for their worth at all,
Appreciate their true value
That's why we lead'em
This is why we guide them
Lead'em to these wars
Leading them into conflicts
And what is it we feed 'em.
And what we propagate to them
Feed em our impurities
Give them our impure beliefs
And who it is we treat 'em
And how we treat them
Treat em like the enemy
Treat them as enemies
Humanity will need'em.
Humanity will need the youth
Need 'em like the blood we spill
Need them like the blood we shed
And we're freedom
We are the embodiment of freedom
Freedom for the hearts we fill
Freedom for the hearts we possess
We mislead 'em.
We deceive them
They hunger for the love we give
They crave the affection we provide
But we cheat 'em.
But in return, we deceive them
The guys beat him and all he wants
The men beat him, and all he desires is
Is his freedom,
Is his liberty
So they defeat him,
So they vanquish him
Whatever spirit hes got.
Whatever his spirit constitutes of
Beat him!
Assault him!
And they teach him
And they instruct him
The rest of the world don't need him
The world does not require his presence
And he believes.
And he accepts
In the disease that hes heathen
He accepts the belief that he is a sinner
Put up your fists if all you want is freedom
Raise your fists if freedom is all you desire
And we keep holdin' on,
And we keep persisting
And we keep bein' strong
And we remain resolute
And we keep goin' on
And we continue to persevere
And on and on and on
And the cycle continues
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sayno_0137
12 years later and this still warms my heart up...
@fireinfireout
15 years after I first heard it in 2008...still good, still underrated
@notsure7060
@@fireinfireoutI just saw Harold and Kumar G.Bay as the president called it and i fell in love with this awesome tune ....
@grahamburrows7570
sitting on the back of my pickup truck in the middle of southern Ontario. you don't need to be Somali to absolutely love K'naan! the man is a genius...
@zakariyaabdullahi2350
True that bro
@anonymoussincebirth9977
Facts
@abshir44
You're a real guy Graham!
@JJ-rb4rx
Facts
@nasser2169
❤
@tomdeming
Whether you were brought here by two stoners, porno vampires or appreciation for Somali-Canadian music, this is awesome!