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.
Mad house
Mano Negra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Full of ghosts and rats
A house without a window
And darkness livin'inside
So you came little Babe
And you turned on the lights
So you came little Baby
And you turned on the lights
You blew the lights and hide
My hearts is...
Now Baby won't you come back
Baby won't you come back
Won't you come back again
Voix off: She told me just before she's gone
That I'm a sucker I'm a punk
I'm violent everytime I'm drunk
She just can't stand a Wino Man
Had a dream last nigth
it was so bright
You! or was it Mr Hide?
Voix off: That's when the moon felt down, right up from the sky...
And broke my heart into pieces
The song Mad House by Mano Negra seems to describe a place or state of mind where the person's heart is a big house filled with ghosts and rats, with no window and only darkness inside. However, a little baby came and turned on the lights, and in doing so, the baby saw the monsters that made them cry. In response, the lights were blown, and the little baby hid. This seems to illustrate how exposing the darkness inside can be overwhelming, and sometimes it can be easier to retreat than to face it. Nevertheless, the lyrics move on to plead for the baby to come back and turn on the lights once again. It's almost as if the person is begging for some form of external validation and support to overcome the monsters living inside.
The end of the song takes a bit of a surreal turn with the mention of a dream where the moon fell down from the sky and broke their heart into pieces. The lyrics seem to be a metaphor for feeling completely shattered and lost, not knowing how to put oneself back together again. The voix off also adds another layer of meaning by revealing that the person was called a sucker, a punk, and violent whenever drunk, and that the person's partner couldn't stand a wino man. It's possible that these remarks contributed to the person's feelings of darkness and instability, and they're now left alone to face the ghosts and rats in their big house.
Line by Line Meaning
My heart is like a big house
My emotions are very complex and deep, just like a big house.
Full of ghosts and rats
There are many things in my heart that I try to keep hidden, some of them even scare me.
A house without a window
My heart feels like a place of confinement or imprisonment, with no way to see the outside world.
And darkness livin'inside
My mind is filled with thoughts and emotions that are hard to understand or control, making me feel hopeless or lost.
So you came little Babe
But then you appeared, and things changed.
And you turned on the lights
You brought light into my life by showing me things I had never seen before.
You saw monsters they made you cry
You saw the hidden parts of me that make me feel bad, and it made you upset.
You blew the lights and hide
You got scared and ran away, leaving me in the dark again.
My hearts is...
My heart is still in the same place as before.
Now Baby won't you come back
I want you to come back and show me the light again.
Baby won't you come back
Please come back to me, I need you.
Won't you come back again
I want you to keep bringing hope and joy into my life.
She told me just before she's gone
You left me and said some hurtful things.
That I'm a sucker I'm a punk
You called me names and insulted me.
I'm violent everytime I'm drunk
You pointed out a problem I have with drinking and getting angry.
She just can't stand a Wino Man
You can't be with me if I keep drinking like this.
Had a dream last nigth
I had a dream recently that felt very real to me.
it was so bright
In the dream, there was a lot of light and positivity.
You! or was it Mr Hide?
I saw you in the dream, but I couldn't tell if it was really you or some other version of myself.
That's when the moon felt down, right up from the sky...
Suddenly, something very unexpected and impossible happened in the dream.
And broke my heart into pieces
This event in the dream caused me a great deal of emotional pain and turmoil.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Buzzotronic
Mano Negra...one of a kind band forever in my musical heart...I can simply say thank you for all the musical pleasure you gave me thru' the years <3
Andra Jacques
Love this song!
Pansoul
One of their best song.
ULISES ARRIAGA GOMEZ
Chula la mano negra jamás habrá otra
Justine MERAT
Tellement bien cet album
Isaac David
Brilliant!!!!
Emil Ivanov
Punk"s not dead
:D
titigwen
que de souvenir............................................... intemporelle
Alex Gonzalez
Que dice en español xfa