Mahala Raï Banda is a Romanian band with members originating from the Roman… Read Full Bio ↴Mahala Raï Banda is a Romanian band with members originating from the Romanian villages of Zece Prajini (Ten Fields) and Clejani, and retired soldiers from Moldavia.
Shaped in the Gypsy ghettos (Mahala) around Bucharest, Mahala Rai Banda (literally Noble Band from the Ghetto), combines a surprising array of trends and styles. Combining Romanian violins & accordions with a brass section consisting of army brass band veterans and a rocking rhythm section, they're the rising band from the Balkans. They effortlessly combine a knack for inventive arrangements with an indeniable ability to turn every single concert into a wild party. Tracks by Mahala Rai Banda (alongside pieces by label mates Taraf de Haidouks and Kocani Orkestar) were reworked/recreated by Nouvelle Vague, Balkan Beat Box, Dj ClicK, Forty Thieves Orkestar and Russ Jones for the Electric Gypsyland 2 project, and their "Mahalageasca" appears in the Borat (aka Ali G) film and also on the Buddha Bar Ten Years CD's compilation.

L'Homme QUI BOIT
Mahala Raï Banda Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Nevasta mă ceartă întruna
Că vrea să las băutura

Mai bine-mi las nevasta
Oricum are gură rea măi

Nevasta cu ceartă multă
Nici copiii nu te ascultă

Ce placere aș mai avea,
De-aș lăsa băutura

Dau cu berea, dau cu sprițu
Că mi se usucă gâtul

Aș bea șpriț și bere întruna
Până când mi-o coase gura

Băutura mult îmi place
Asta-i viața n-ai ce-mi face

Am să beau, să șprițuiesc
Cât pe lume mai trăiesc

Nevasta cu ceartă multă
Nici copiii nu te ascultă

Ce plăcere aș mai avea,
De-aș lăsa băutura

Băutura mult îmi place
Asta-i viața n-ai ce-mi face

Am să beau, să șprițuiesc
Cât pe lume mai trăiesc

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "L'Homme Qui Boit" by Mahala Raï Banda tell the story of a man who is constantly being nagged by his wife to stop drinking. He is torn between the desire to please his wife and the enjoyment he finds in drinking. He believes that if he were to give up drinking, his wife's constant criticism would continue and even his children would not listen to him. From his perspective, his wife's nagging only makes him want to drink more.

The man in the song goes on to say that he drinks both beer and spirits until his throat is dry. He finds great pleasure in drinking and believes that it is an integral part of life that cannot be taken away from him. He plans to continue drinking as long as he lives, despite his wife's objections.

Overall, the song portrays the struggle and conflict between a man's love for drinking and the pressures he faces from his family to stop.

Line by Line Meaning

Nevasta mă ceartă întruna
My wife constantly nags me

Că vrea să las băutura
Because she wants me to stop drinking alcohol

Mai bine-mi las nevasta
I'd rather leave my wife

Oricum are gură rea măi
Anyway, she has a bad mouth

Nevasta cu ceartă multă
My wife with all her nagging

Nici copiii nu te ascultă
Even the children don't listen to you

Ce placere aș mai avea,
What pleasure would I have

De-aș lăsa băutura
If I gave up drinking alcohol

Dau cu berea, dau cu sprițu
I drink beer and spirits

Că mi se usucă gâtul
Because my throat is dry