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.

Madhouse
Mano Negra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My heart is like a big house
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 saw monsters they made you cry
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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Madhouse" by Mano Negra describe the singer's heart as a big house full of ghosts and rats, with no windows and darkness living inside. The arrival of a lover turns on the lights and reveals the monsters hiding in the darkness, which make the lover cry. The lover then blows out the lights and hides, leaving the singer alone with his heart full of monsters. The song continues with the singer asking the lover to come back and lamenting about his drunken behavior, which caused the lover to leave. The song ends with the singer having a dream about the lover, which is interrupted by the moon falling from the sky and breaking his heart into pieces.

The lyrics convey a sense of sadness and loneliness, with the house representing the singer's inner world and the monsters representing his fears and insecurities. The arrival of the lover brings light into the darkness, but also exposes the singer's vulnerabilities, which eventually drive the lover away. The dream at the end suggests that the singer still longs for the lover's presence, but the tragic ending implies that there may be no hope for reconciliation.

Line by Line Meaning

My heart is like a big house
My emotional state is complex and full of different elements.

Full of ghosts and rats
It's filled with things that are haunting and uncontrollable.

A house without a window
It's hard for me to see the outside world and experience joy.

And darkness livin' inside
My thoughts and feelings are heavy with negativity and sadness.

So you came little Babe
You arrived in my life and changed everything.

And you turned on the lights
You illuminated the darkness and guided me through the difficulties.

You saw monsters they made you cry
You witnessed some of the damage I had endured and were sad for me.

You blew the lights and hide
You turned off the lights and hid from my problems and emotions.

My heart is...
My emotional state is still struggling.

Now Baby won't you come back
Please return and help me through these experiences.

Baby won't you come back
I need your guidance and support.

Won't you come back again
I want your love and kindness back in my life.

She told me just before she's gone
Before leaving, she expressed her feelings to me.

That I'm a sucker I'm a punk
She thinks I'm weak and inferior.

I'm violent everytime I'm drunk
I become aggressive and reckless when drinking.

She just can't stand a Wino Man
She dislikes and can't tolerate someone who drinks too much.

Had a dream last night
I had an impactful dream.

It was so bright
The dream was vivid and uplifting.

You! or was it Mr Hide?
I'm unsure whether the dream involved you or my darker side.

That's when the moon felt down, right up from the sky...
Something significant and out of the ordinary occurred.

And broke my heart into pieces
It caused me emotional pain and sadness.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ANTOINE CHAO, DANIEL JAMET, JOSE MANUEL CHAO, OLIVIER DAHAN, SANTIAGO IGNACI CASARIEGO, THOMAS DARNAL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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