Effortlessly combining folk, reggae, soul and blues, the singer/songwriter/guitarist , Patrice, exploded onto the music scene with his phenomenal testimonial debut Lions E.P in 1999 aged just 18. With the deep lyrical content and social conscience resonating within his work, Patrice alludes to his late father (a Sierra Leonian political activist and poet) and Bob Marley as the greatest influences on his music. Lions, with its tales of love and social rhetoric coupled with raw acoustic production, perfectly showcased Patrices distinctive fusion of lyrics, sounds and genres. After supporting Lauryn Hill on her much acclaimed Miseducation of Tour, Patrice released his critically acclaimed first album Ancient Spirits in 2000 (European sales in excess of 150,000)
Since 2001, Patrice has toured relentlessly and wooed audiences at gigs across Europe, USA and Africa. Whether solo, acoustic or with his band Shashamani, a big combination of humour, B-boy stage antics, and incredible musicianship have thus far made Patrices live shows a highlight of his career. Five years on, his reputation has been cemented with show stopping headline performances alongside Youssouf N'Dour in Senegal, Manu Chao and Damon Albarn at The Festival In The Desert and the Tamika Reggae Awards in New York amongst many others.
His second largely self produced album How Do You Call It (released in Europe September 2002) saw Patrice evolving his sound with a rich melange of Hip Hop, Soul and Reggae which underpinned twelve well crafted songs. Recorded over a two-month period in Jamaica and with 3 tracks produced in London with Cameron McVey, Massive Attack, Youssouf N'Dour, Andu Baraganescu and Neneh Cherry, How Do You Call It further cemented his unique niche in todays diverse musical landscape. The LP also spawned the Pan European hit Sunshine.
Nile, Patrice's third and most current album (named after the river Nile, representing Life in the African continent) is truly a bold undertaking and can be described as a work of astounding maturity, sincerity and sensitivity. Whether rocking to the amped guitar, explosive drums and African percussion behind Africanize Dem or soaking up the beautiful rendition of the obscure Wailers track It Hurts To Be Alone it's clear that experimentation has lent his work an undeniable urgency and freshness. The present single Soulstorm has provided Patrice with another European hit. The majority of 2005 was spent performing to sell out audiences throughout Europe which included his first headlined show for all the UK fans at The Borderline, in London, and perhaps the pinnacle of his career so far, playing in front of the 6,000 fans who filled out the Zenith in Paris. In the summer of 2006 Patrice released a live DVD which gives the audience an exclusive look at how Nile was recorded, rehearsed and performed throughout the world.
Dove Of Peace
Patrice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Raising Sodom and Gomorrah but what about tomorrow /
Hey Mr. President you never present no evidence /
When it is fully evident that your habit needs betterment /
Yes I know who you are but could you please breathe in this bag /
And now let me see how straight a line you walk /
How come you slur your speech like your words are out of reach /
You say the people shall not kill /
When you have blood on your hands /
You say the people shall not steal /
When you just take what you can /
Why can't you keep it real /
Why can't you just come straight /
I wonder how you sleep /
Or if one day you will break /
Chorus :
We've got to reach up as high as we can reach /
Teach those with guns the power of speech /
Remove our bullets from the breach /
And feather a nest for the dove of peace /
Gather the nest it's in our own interest /
Tell me who wants to see that (the) red button being pressed /
See there's war in the east and there's war in the west /
They say god bless us they're saying god bless U.S /
Why not invest the same amount of interest /
In some other places where the oil doesn't rest /
All people are blessed and this life is a test /
I make just one request let us clean up this mess /
Chorus
Is it drug that we take the doctrines in our head /
I know we're not like that I know we're not all bad /
We like to see children play see them o.k /
Whatever happens why take that away /
Chorus
The song "Dove of Peace" by Patrice speaks to the detriment of war and the need for peace. The lyrics condemn the actions of those who initiate war without reason, questioning their justifications and motives. The first verse specifically addresses the President and his role in the conflict, asking him to question why he has blood on his hands while telling people not to kill. It is apparent that the singer believes those in power are hypocritical and that their actions are contradictory with their words.
The chorus of the song promotes a message of hope, urging people to reach out to those with guns and teach them the power of speech, emphasizing the importance of diplomacy over violence. The lyrics state that we need to "feather a nest for the dove of peace" indicating the possibility of a future without war. The second verse highlights the importance of addressing issues of war and violence, questioning why we don't invest in places where there isn't oil, but where people could benefit from aid. The final lines of the song ask why we take away the opportunity for children to play and be happy, emphasizing the impact war has on innocent lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Excuse me sir, you have a licence for that war
Questioning the legality and ethics of engaging in war without proper justification
Raising Sodom and Gomorrah but what about tomorrow
Critiquing decisions being made without consideration for long-term consequences
Hey Mr. President you never present no evidence
Challenging the lack of transparency and accountability in leadership
When it is fully evident that your habit needs betterment
Suggesting that even leaders can improve themselves and their decision-making abilities
Yes I know who you are but could you please breathe in this bag
Mockingly suggesting that a leader may need to take a moment to calm down and think clearly
And now let me see how straight a line you walk
Calling for consistency in actions and words
How come you slur your speech like your words are out of reach
Observing a possible lack of clarity or conviction in a leader's communication
See people like you just don't practise what they preach
Pointing out the hypocrisy of not following through on stated beliefs and values
You say the people shall not kill
Criticizing leaders who espouse nonviolence while engaging in or promoting war
When you have blood on your hands
Accusing leaders of being complicit in violent actions
You say the people shall not steal
Calling out leaders who claim to be against theft but engage in exploitation or corruption
When you just take what you can
Accusing leaders of being greedy and selfish
Why can't you keep it real
Asking leaders to be honest and genuine
Why can't you just come straight
Asking leaders to be direct and transparent in their actions and communication
I wonder how you sleep
Questioning the conscience and moral compass of leaders who act in harmful ways
Or if one day you will break
Questioning if leaders will eventually face consequences for their actions
We've got to reach up as high as we can reach
Encouraging people to aspire to greater heights and aim for positive change
Teach those with guns the power of speech
Advocating for nonviolence and peaceful conflict resolution
Remove our bullets from the breach
Calling for disarmament and de-escalation of violence
And feather a nest for the dove of peace
Metaphorically creating a safe and harmonious environment for peace to flourish
Gather the nest it's in our own interest
Highlighting that peace benefits everyone and is worth working towards
Tell me who wants to see that (the) red button being pressed
Expressing the fear and dread of nuclear war and its catastrophic consequences
See there's war in the east and there's war in the west
Noting the prevalence and tragedy of wars happening across the world
They say god bless us they're saying god bless U.S
Critiquing the use of religion as a justification for war and political agendas
Why not invest the same amount of interest
Suggesting that resources and attention should be directed towards promoting peace rather than war
In some other places where the oil doesn't rest
Critiquing the economic and political interests that often drive war and conflict
All people are blessed and this life is a test
Emphasizing the importance of valuing all human life and recognizing the challenge of living in a complicated world
I make just one request let us clean up this mess
Advocating for collective effort to solve problems and make the world a better place
Is it drug that we take the doctrines in our head
Questioning the influence of ideologies and beliefs that may be harmful or misguided
I know we're not like that I know we're not all bad
Emphasizing that people are capable of positive change and are not inherently evil
We like to see children play see them o.k
Highlighting the joy and beauty of childhood innocence and well-being
Whatever happens why take that away
Expressing the senselessness of allowing violence and conflict to harm innocent children
Contributed by Connor F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dougalito
Beautiful tune. Hope you include it in your show tonight (Summer Vibration 2019). I played the bass on this recording and look forward to seeing and hearing it performed live. Go Patrice, bless👍
Sylvie Schmitz
A wonderful song of peace and love
Sandy 1970 It’s your Lifetime
💖👍🏼
wisky delta
wie die zeit vergeht ...
Ursula Bornhauser
one of my favorite tune dat.................blessup patriche. a so we fe live........................jah works
martin andrew guevara
AwWwWwWwWw
martin andrew guevara
All day supermarket got scared