Roots
Les Blérots de R.A.V.E.L Lyrics


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That day, I walk by the river
Remembering the days of young
My mum, the food she delivered
Our bellies were so full and fun
We heard a plane in the air flying up above
The enemy from overseas (the seas)
I grabbed my family by the hands and we ran away
We're running from the enemy

No roots, no roots, no culture
We're running from the enemy
No roots, no roots, no culture
I'm hiding with my family

Inside a room we would hide and the sun was gone
So quiet as we hid through the night
I heard a man through the window on the telephone
They're searching for my family and I
I take a chance with the gun holding in my hand
Behind it we would seek through the night
I pulled the trigger to his head, now his life is gone
My family we are free for the night

Say, no roots, no roots, no culture
We're hiding in the thick of the night, yeah
No roots, no roots, no culture
My family will fight for our lives, ohh

There's no price they can put on our name
My heart's fighting in the game
They tried to take my family apart
It's a war that you don't want to start

And now the tables have turned on the enemy
Almighty God has answered my cries
Sometimes a friend is also a frenemy
They're smiling with them lying eyes
Just like in life, there's a war everywhere around
But you can be the shining light
They took their bombs, their guns, the enemy
They're running in the dead of the night

Our roots, our roots, our culture
No one can take that feeling from me, yeah
Our roots, our roots, our culture
The power of the Totara trees, yeah
Our roots, our roots, our culture
No one can take that feeling from me, no




Our roots, our roots, our culture
The power of the Totara tree

Overall Meaning

The song "Roots" by Les Blérots de R.A.V.E.L tells a story of a family forced to flee from their home due to war and the importance of holding onto one's roots and culture. The singer remembers his happy childhood by the river where his mother would provide food for them. However, when the war started and the enemy invaded their land, the family had to run away to seek refuge. They hid in a room, but the enemy was searching for them. The singer used a gun to defend his family and successfully killed the enemy. The family was free for the night, but they still had to struggle to survive. They eventually won the war, and their roots and culture remained unbroken.


The lyrics convey the importance of holding onto one's roots and culture, especially during times of war and turmoil. The singer knows that no matter what happens, no one can take away his culture and roots. The song also touches on the idea that sometimes friends can turn into enemies, and in life, there's always a war going on. But the singer remains strong and determined to fight for what he believes in.


Overall, "Roots" is a powerful and thought-provoking song that encourages listeners to hold onto their roots and culture, especially during times of conflict.


Line by Line Meaning

That day, I walk by the river
I reminisce about the past as I stroll along the river


Remembering the days of young
Looking back at my childhood memories


My mum, the food she delivered
My mother brought us tasty food


Our bellies were so full and fun
We were full and happy


We heard a plane in the air flying up above
We heard a plane flying overhead


The enemy from overseas (the seas)
The enemy came from across the sea


I grabbed my family by the hands and we ran away
I took my family and we fled from the enemy


No roots, no roots, no culture
Without our culture and traditions, we have no identity


Inside a room we would hide and the sun was gone
We hid in a room after dark


So quiet as we hid through the night
We remained silent as we hid during the night


I heard a man through the window on the telephone
I overheard a man on the phone through the window


They're searching for my family and I
They are looking for me and my family


No roots, no roots, no culture
Our culture and traditions are what make us who we are


I'm hiding with my family
I am in hiding with my family


I take a chance with the gun holding in my hand
I take a risk with the gun in my hand


Behind it we would seek through the night
We move stealthily in the night behind the gun


I pulled the trigger to his head, now his life is gone
I shot him in the head, and he died


My family we are free for the night
My family and I are safe for the night


Say, no roots, no roots, no culture
Our culture and traditions are what give us our identity


We're hiding in the thick of the night, yeah
We are hiding in the darkness of the night


My family will fight for our lives, ohh
My family will fight to survive


There's no price they can put on our name
Our family name is priceless


My heart's fighting in the game
My emotions are heavily involved in the conflict


They tried to take my family apart
The enemy tried to separate my family


It's a war that you don't want to start
This is a war that nobody will win or benefit from


And now the tables have turned on the enemy
The tide has turned in our favor against the enemy


Almighty God has answered my cries
I have received divine intervention


Sometimes a friend is also a frenemy
Sometimes a friend can also be an enemy in disguise


They're smiling with them lying eyes
They are pretending to be friendly but are in fact deceitful


Just like in life, there's a war everywhere around
There is always some kind of conflict in the world


But you can be the shining light
You can be a beacon of hope and inspiration


They took their bombs, their guns, the enemy
The enemy has armed themselves with weapons


They're running in the dead of the night
The enemy is fleeing under the cover of darkness


Our roots, our roots, our culture
Our traditions and culture define us


No one can take that feeling from me, yeah
Our identity is something that cannot be taken away


The power of the Totara trees, yeah
The strength and symbolism of the Totara tree


Our roots, our roots, our culture
Our traditions and culture define us


No one can take that feeling from me, no
Our identity is indestructible


The power of the Totara tree
The Totara tree has a special power and significance to us




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ara Adams-Tamatea, Brad Kora, Joel Shadbolt, Miharo Gregory, Stu Kora

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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