Mano Negra was a French/Spanish/Portuguese band fronted by Manu Chao, born … Read Full Bio ↴Mano Negra was a French/Spanish/Portuguese band fronted by Manu Chao, born in Paris, France to Spanish parents. The band was founded in 1987 by Manu, his brother Antoine, and his cousin Santiago Casiriego. It split circa 1995, but many members had already left in 1992.

The band was formed from the fusion of 2 smallers bands, the Hot Pants and the Casse-pieds.

Mano Negra mixed a number of styles: straight rock (with a lead guitar), latin music (with a brass section), punk (influenced by The Clash). Their songs often mixed French, Spanish and English lyrics.

Frontman Manu Chao later reappeared as as the lead in Radio Bemba Sound System to record their eponymous 2002 live album. He has also released four solo albums, Clandestino and Proxima Estacion: Esperanza in 1998 and 2002,Siberie M'Etait Conteee in 2005 and La Radiolina in 2007.

Former band member Tom Darnal was one of the founders of the band P18

About name

La Mano Negra ("The Black Hand") was a supposed anarchist organization in Andalucía, Spain, accused of many terrorist acts. Although, in latter studies, its existence was found unlikely and was probably an excuse used by the government under Sagasta to oppress anarchist activity in southern Spain.

Bring The Fire
Mano Negra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You got no brains
You got no soul
Behind your eyes
There's a big wall

Your mind is cold
Your heart is bold
Behind your eyes

There's a big wall

Now what am I gonna do ?
Bring the fire

And I'm climbing on the wall
Just to get in touch with you

Bring the fire

'Cause there's nothin'
That I wouldn't do
To get in touch with you

It's been a long long night
Till the stole the light
I got a big desire
I want the world set on fire

Last time I saw the light
Was just a little lovelight shine

And it was burnin' down in your eyes
So unsteady it drive me blind

Overall Meaning

Mano Negra's song Bring The Fire is a powerful statement against those who are devoid of humanity, love, and compassion. The lyrics describe a person who is cold, unfeeling, and emotionally distant. The person's eyes are described as containing a big wall, which suggests that they are hiding something or trying to keep others out. The singer feels that this person is lacking in both brains and soul, suggesting that they are ignorant and uncaring.

Despite the dark and somewhat despairing tone of the lyrics, the singer is determined to break through the wall and connect with the person on the other side. They climb the wall and "bring the fire" in order to do so. This suggests that the singer is willing to do whatever it takes to reach out to the person and make a connection. The repeated refrain of "bring the fire" underscores this determination and serves as a call to action for the listener.

Overall, Mano Negra's song Bring The Fire is a passionate and powerful anthem about the importance of human connection and the need to break down emotional barriers in order to truly connect with others.

Line by Line Meaning

You got no brains
You lack intelligence in making important decisions.

You got no soul
You lack empathy and compassion towards others.

Behind your eyes There's a big wall
You have a strong emotional barrier that prevents you from connecting with others.

Your mind is cold
You lack warmth and emotionality in your thinking process.

Your heart is bold
You are courageous in your emotional responses, despite lacking warmth.

Now what am I gonna do ? Bring the fire
To break through your emotional barriers or to evoke a response; the singer will bring intensity or passion to the situation.

And I'm climbing on the wall Just to get in touch with you Bring the fire
The singer is willing to go to great (possibly physically demanding) lengths to try to connect with you and elicit a response.

'Cause there's nothin' That I wouldn't do To get in touch with you
The artist values connection with you so much that there are no actions they wouldn't take to make it happen.

It's been a long long night Till the stole the light I got a big desire I want the world set on fire
The artist has been emotionally disconnected for a long time, but has an intense desire to make a change and create a passionate response, even if it means igniting chaos or destruction.

Last time I saw the light Was just a little lovelight shine And it was burnin' down in your eyes So unsteady it drive me blind
The artist remembers a small glimpse of emotional warmth from you that lit a fire in them, but the inconsistency of your emotional response made it hard for the artist to navigate the situation.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: MANU CHAO, OSCAR TRAMOR, SANTIAGO EL AGUILA CASARIEGO, TONIO CHAO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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