Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manu_Chao
Discography
Clandestino (1998)
Próxima Estación: Esperanza (2001)
Radio Bemba Sound System (2002)
Sibérie m'était contéee (2004)
La Radiolina (2007)
Baionarena (2008)
King of the bongo
Manu Chao Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Deep down in the jungle I started bangin' my first bongo
Every monkey'd like to be in my place instead of me
'Cause I'm the king of bongo, baby I'm the king of bongo bong
I went to the big town where there is a lot of sound
From the jungle to the city looking for a bigger crown
So I play my boogie for the people of big city
I'm the "king of the bongo, king of the bongo bong"
Hear me when I come, baby
"King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong"
Nobody'd like to be in my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy when I'm bangin' on my boogie
I'm a king without a crown, hanging loose in a big town
But I'm the king of bongo, baby I'm the king of bongo bong
"King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong"
Hear me when I come, baby
"King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong"
Hear me when I come
They say that I'm a clown, making too much dirty sound
They say there is no place for little monkey in this town
Nobody'd like to be in my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy when I'm bangin' on my boogie
I'm the "king of the bongo, king of the bongo bong"
Hear me when I come, baby
"King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong"
Hear me when I come
Bangin' on my bongo all that swing belongs to me
I'm so happy there's nobody in my place instead of me
I'm a king without a crown, hanging loose in a big town
I'm the king of bongo, baby I'm the king of bongo bong
"King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong"
Hear me when I come, baby
"King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong"
Hear me when I come
Mama was queen of the mambo, Papa was king of the Congo
Deep down in the jungle I started bangin' my first bongo
Every monkey'd like to be in my place instead of me
'Cause I'm the king of bongo, baby I'm the king of bongo bong
Hear me when I come
Hear me when I come, baby
"King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong"
Hear me when I come
"King of the Bongo" is a song by French musician Manu Chao. The song tells the story of a character who is the offspring of a queen of the mambo and a king of the Congo. He starts playing his first bongo deep in the jungle and develops a passion for music. He then travels to the big city to look for a bigger crown, where he tries to play his boogie for the people in the city but they don't go crazy for it. Even though some people say he's a clown making too much dirty sound, he knows that there's nobody in his place instead of him because he's the king of bongo, baby, the king of bongo bong.
The song is a critique of society's tendency to dismiss those who are different and don't fit into the established norms. Manu Chao uses the character of the king of bongo to represent this idea. The character is different from others, but he embraces his uniqueness and continues to play his music despite society's dismissal of it.
Line by Line Meaning
Mama was queen of the mambo, Papa was king of the Congo
My parents were well-known for their talent and influence in the music scene
Deep down in the jungle I started bangin' my first bongo
I discovered my own musical talent at a young age in my homeland, in the heart of nature
Every monkey'd like to be in my place instead of me
My music has become so renowned that even animals want to have the same level of success as me
'Cause I'm the king of bongo, baby I'm the king of bongo bong
I have become a figurehead of the music I play and am recognized as one of the most noteworthy performers of my genre
I went to the big town where there is a lot of sound
I moved to a bustling city in search of wider audiences and more recognition for my work
From the jungle to the city looking for a bigger crown
I am leaving behind my roots in pursuit of even greater fame and glory
So I play my boogie for the people of big city
I put on performances for the metropolitan audiences showcasing my signature sound
But they don't go crazy when I'm bangin' on my boogie
Despite my efforts, they don't seem to appreciate my style of music as much as I had hoped
Nobody'd like to be in my place instead of me
Without the support of my new city, nobody envies my position as a struggling musician
I'm a king without a crown, hanging loose in a big town
Despite my impressive origins and talent, I am currently just another musician struggling to find success in a crowded marketplace
They say that I'm a clown, making too much dirty sound
Critics have dismissed my music as unprofessional, excessively noisy, or gimmicky
They say there is no place for little monkey in this town
They think I am merely a novelty act, and do not see any room for my style of music in their city
Bangin' on my bongo all that swing belongs to me
Despite their criticisms, I refuse to change my unique sound and continue to play the music I love
I'm so happy there's nobody in my place instead of me
Despite my struggles, I am content with my lot and would not want anyone else to take my place
Hear me when I come
My music deserves attention and recognition, and I am demanding the respect I deserve
Hear me when I come, baby
I am motivated to succeed and leave my mark on the music industry
Contributed by Lily G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@cesaralfonsoespinosabolano6827
Mama was queen of the mambo
Papa was king of the Congo
Deep down in a jungle
I started banging my first bongo
Every monkey like to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause I'm the king of Bongo, baby
I'm the king of Bongo Bong
I went to the big town
Where there is a lot of sound
From the jungle to the city
Looking for a bigger crown
So I play my Boogie
For the people of big city
But they don't go crazy
When I'm banging all my boogie
I'm the
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Nobody likes to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy
When I'm banging on my boogie
I'm a king without a crown
Hanging loose in a big town
But I'm the king of Bongo, baby
I'm the king of Bongo Bong
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Hear me when I come
They said that I'm a clown
Making too much dirty sound
They said there is no place
For little monkey in this town
Nobody liked to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy
When I'm banging on my boogie
I'm the
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Hear me when I come
Banging on my bongo
All that swing belongs to me
I'm so happy there's nobody
In my place instead of me
I'm a king without a crown
Hanging loose in a big town
I'm the king of Bongo, baby
I'm the king of Bongo Bong
King of the Bongo bong)
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the Bongo)
(King of the Bongo Bong)
Hear me when I come
Mama was queen of the mambo
Papa was king of the Congo
Deep down in a jungle
I started banging my first bongo
Every monkey like to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause I'm the king of Bongo, baby
I'm the king of Bongo Bong
Hear me when I come
Hear me when I come, baby
(King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong)
Hear me when I come
Je ne t'aime plus
Mon amour
Je ne t'aime plus
Tous les jours
Parfois j'aimerais mourir
Tellement j'ai voulu croire
Parfois j'aimerais mourir
Pour ne plus rien avoir
Parfois j'aimerais mourir
Pour plus jamais te voir
Je ne j'aime plus
Mon amour
Je ne t'aime plus
Tous les jours
Parfois j'aimerais mourir
Tellement Y'a plus d'espoir
Parfois j'aimerais mourir
Pour plus jamais te revoir
Parfois j'aimeris mourir
Pour ne plus rien savoir
Je ne t'aime plus
Mon amour
Je ne t'aime plus
Tous les jours...
@franktonio
Mama was queen of the mambo
Papa was king of the Congo
Deep down in the jungle
I started bangin' my first bongo
Every monkey like to be
In my place instead of me
'Cause I'm the king of bongo, baby
I'm the king of bongo bong
I went to the big town
Where there is a lot of sound
From the jungle to the city
Looking for a bigger crown
So I play my boogie
For the people of big city
But they don't go crazy
When I'm bangin' in my boogie
I'm the "king of the bongo, king of the bongo bong"
Hear me when I come, baby
King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong
Nobody like to be in my place instead of me
'Cause nobody go crazy when I'm bangin' on my boogie
I'm a king without a crown
Hanging loose in a big town
But I'm the king of bongo, baby
I'm the king of bongo bong
Hear me…
@CaminosYsenderos
Español;
Como este artista junta gente de todos lados, es impresionante. Al fin y cabo somos todos humanos, somos iguales no importa raza religión ni plata. Somos humanos y la gente que escucha a estos artistas mucho más.
English ;
How this artist gathers people from all over the place, it is impressive. At the end of the day we are all human, we are the same no matter race, religion or money. We are human and the people who listen to these artists much more.
français,
Comment cet artiste rassemble des gens de partout, c'est impressionnant. En fin de compte, nous sommes tous humains, nous sommes les mêmes, peu importe la race, la religion ou l'argent. Nous sommes humains et les gens qui écoutent ces artistes beaucoup plus.
Português;
Como esse artista reúne pessoas de todos os lugares, é impressionante. Afinal, somos todos humanos, somos os mesmos, não importa raça, religião ou dinheiro. Somos humanos e as pessoas que ouvem muito mais esses artistas.
@therugthug
Before my mom died we would all circle around her computer and dance to this song because we loved it so much, still hits :.(
@jacobbarbosarc27
Damn brother im so sorry to hear that man,rip to your mama bro 🙏💯😢
@anopinion3469
My mother just recently passed from ALS. I know exactly the feeling of music and memories! Sharing my love with you
@riccardomastellone8035
Stay strong bro ❤️❤️❤️
@bobbyfischer6149
......
@jeremiahmendez563
God is with you all that you have to do is too make your move
@user-ih7qv7zd9k
I was a little child, this was 2010s and our family traveled across country. We went to various places, and every time we were at highway, my parents used to turn on Manu Chao songs. I love that times, no school, no responsibility and no stress at all(
@tomaszolejnik3471
Za, śeee
@foodie_602
I was never born at 2010's😅
@luciefix2163
I've been diagnosed with schizophrenia two years ago. I thought it was normal for people to hear voices and see things that nobody else would see. I've entered hospital yesterday. I'm all alone in a room full of my thoughts. All I have is this song which reminds me of the new friends I made myself on the beach before I enter the hospital. They are everything I could have dreamt of. I know I'm not alone, and I know I have to go through this to get better. I don't care about how hard this can be, I only think about the final exit, where I'll be able to think by myself and enjoy life as it really is. :) I'm so grateful for this song to make me feel better. Please, don't stop listening to music. It is, according to me, the only way to feel surrounded. Life isn't easy, being seen as crazy isn't easy either. Sometimes you have to go through your worst phase to find your inner peace. Please don't give up. Let's try to enjoy life together.