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.

Darling darling
Mano Negra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Je reviendrais un jour chez toi
Pour te serrer fort dans mes bras
Je reviendrais un jour chez toi
Pour te serrer fort dans mes bras
Tu es partie un beau matin
Maintenant je suis plein de chagrin
Et j'entan j'entan au loin
Le cri du dernier train

Et j'entan j'entan au loin
Le cri du dernier train

You stick my body
You steack my friend
You steack my body stick my friend

Darling darling darling
Darling darling darling

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Mano Negra's song "Darling darling" tell a story of a person who is separated from their loved one and expresses their strong desire to be reunited with them. The verses speak of the singer's intention to come back and hold their partner tightly in their arms again, filled with sadness from their departure. The sound of the last train can be heard in the distance, emphasizing the feeling of distance and longing. The chorus, on the other hand, appears to be quite unrelated to the verses, merely repeating the phrase "you stick my body, you steak my friend, you steak my body stick my friend, darling darling darling" without any clear interpretation.

One way to interpret these lyrics is to view them in the context of Mano Negra's music, which often includes political and social commentary. The phrase "you stick my body, you steak my friend" could be seen as a reference to oppression and injustice, with the word 'steak' being a play on words that denotes both stealing and killing. It seems possible that the chorus is a commentary on the notion that the power holders can take away anything that belongs to the oppressed, including their bodies and their friends.

Overall, the song seems to be about the singer's yearning for their lover, but also comments on the wider societal issues of oppression and struggle.

Line by Line Meaning

Je reviendrais un jour chez toi
I promise to come back to you someday

Pour te serrer fort dans mes bras
To hold you tight in my arms

Tu es partie un beau matin
You left one beautiful morning

Maintenant je suis plein de chagrin
Now I'm full of sorrow

Et j'entan j'entan au loin
And I hear, I hear in the distance

Le cri du dernier train
The sound of the last train

You stick my body
You hold my body

You steack my friend
You steal my friend

You steack my body stick my friend
You steal my body and take my friend with you

Darling darling darling
My love, my dear, my sweetie