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.

The Fool
Mano Negra Lyrics

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Senor

Gather around me buddies and lift your glasses high
And drink to the crazy fool who told his baby goodbye
And it's too late he found he loves her so much he wants to die

And he loves her
And he loves her so

And he wonders why he let her go
'Cause she found a new loving buddy
I say, he's a lucky guy

Yes, I'm, I'm that crazy fool who told my baby goodbye

And I love her
And I wonder

And I love her

And I love her so
And I wonder why I let her go

Overall Meaning

The Fool by Mano Negra is a classic song about heartbreak and regret. The lyrics paint a picture of a man who has realized that he has made a terrible mistake by breaking up with the woman he loves, as he reflects on his actions and muses on why he let her go. The song offers a somber and introspective look at heartbreak, the kind of pain that comes from losing something that was once cherished and valued. The refrain "And I love her, and I wonder why I let her go" expresses the central theme of the song, which is the idea that something that was once taken for granted can easily slip away and leave you with nothing but regret.

The song is an emotional one and resonates with anyone who has ever experienced the pain of heartbreak. The beauty of the lyrics lies in their simplicity and their ability to capture the essence of this complex emotion. The melancholy melody of the song also adds to its poignancy, enhancing the feeling of loss and sorrow that the lyrics evoke.

Line by Line Meaning

Gather around me buddies and lift your glasses high
Come close to me friends, let's raise our glasses in celebration

And drink to the crazy fool who told his baby goodbye
Let's toast to the foolish man who separated from his lover

And it's too late he found he loves her so much he wants to die
Now it's too late, he discovered his intense love for her, to the point of death

And he loves her
He deeply loves her

And he loves her so
He loves her to a great extent

And he wonders why he let her go
He questions himself on why he made the mistake of letting her leave

'Cause she found a new loving buddy
She found another man to love

I say, he's a lucky guy
He is fortunate to have her

Yes, I'm, I'm that crazy fool who told my baby goodbye
The previous lines referred to the artist himself, he is the foolish man who pushed his lover away

And I wonder
He ponders over his mistake

And I love her
He loves her deeply

And I love her so
His love for her is profound

And I wonder why I let her go
Again, he questions himself on why he let her leave

Contributed by Zachary H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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