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.

Takin' It Up
Mano Negra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

PART 1 SHE'S GOIN' BETTER
Dum Dummy Laurie felt so unecessary
One day she got hot with a cople of Shots
NOW LAURIE'S TAKIN IT UP!
Dum Dummy Laurie met lumpy loony lovie
gooe's 'bout love 'tween a big duck
& a little buttercup!
NOW LAURIE'S TAKIN' IT UP!

PART 2 SHE'S GOIN' DOWN!
Lovie was crazy maybe was a stoolie
(They takin' it up)
One day he been shot down by the dock
(Now Laurie's breakin'it up)
Dum Dummy Laurie felt so unecessary
(She's breakin it up!)
Turntricks on the dock, drinkin' a lot
(She's breakin it up!)

Dum Dummy Laurie little Buttercup
(She's breakin it up!)

Overall Meaning

The song "Takin' It Up" by Mano Negra is a story about Laurie, a woman who starts off feeling unimportant and unnecessary but then becomes more confident and takes control of her life. In the first part of the song, Laurie goes from being a "dum dummy" to taking shots and getting hot. She then meets someone named Lumpy Loony Lovie who talks about love between a big duck and a little buttercup. This experience makes Laurie feel even more empowered, and she is now "takin' it up."

However, in the second part of the song, the tone changes. Lovie is described as crazy and possibly a stoolie, and one day he is shot down by the dock. Laurie, who had been feeling good about herself, now feels unnecessary again and resorts to turning tricks on the dock and drinking a lot. The lyrics show Laurie's struggle to maintain her confidence in the face of adversity.

Overall, the song can be interpreted as a commentary on the ups and downs of life and how one's circumstances can quickly change. It also touches on themes of empowerment, self-worth, and coping with difficult situations.

Line by Line Meaning

Dum Dummy Laurie felt so unecessary
Laurie felt like her life was unimportant.

One day she got hot with a cople of Shots
One day, Laurie got drunk and started feeling better.

NOW LAURIE'S TAKIN IT UP!
Now Laurie is taking control of her life and making positive changes.

Dum Dummy Laurie met lumpy loony lovie
Laurie met a strange and unstable man named Lovie.

gooe's 'bout love 'tween a big duck
Lovie talked about love between unlikely partners.

& a little buttercup!
Laurie was compared to a delicate flower by Lovie.

Lovie was crazy maybe was a stoolie
Lovie was possibly insane or a snitch.

(They takin' it up)
Lovie and his associates were participating in illegal activities.

One day he been shot down by the dock
One day, Lovie was shot and killed by the docks.

(Now Laurie's breakin'it up)
After Lovie's death, Laurie started to rebel against their former lifestyle.

Turntricks on the dock, drinkin' a lot
Laurie used to engage in prostitution and heavy drinking by the docks.