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.
Have You Seen It?
Patrice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Families sit around and air their feelings
At their tables
Taking daily sustinence
Watching tv spewing forward with the awful dealings
They caress us with their damning evidence
[Chorus]
Have you seen the news today
'Cause we best believe it
There must be another way
There is no mistaking
All the suffering we see there
Even though we fake it
Still deep inside we care
When I see the waring everywhere
Unfortunately
It makes me cry to be a world wide resident
It's their love of glory
And your lack of overstanding yeah
So please change your thinking there
Behind the president
[Chorus]
Why complain
You look OK
And you can pay it off
You're free of stains
Can get no blame
Till you have had enough
Move smooth these days
Your dollars pay
To cut the pain right out
Your groove it plays
The ghetto way
No you don?t have no doubt
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Patrice's song "Have You Seen It?" contain a powerful commentary on the state of the world's affairs, and the disconnect between what we see in the news and how we truly feel. The first verse describes families sitting around their tables, consuming daily sustenance, while simultaneously watching the news and being bombarded with "damning evidence". This is a reference to the negative news cycle and how often we are exposed to negativity and suffering. Despite the façade of indifference, the chorus reveals that deep inside we do care, and that there must be another way to deal with the problems we face as a society.
The second verse directly speaks to issues of war and the lack of understanding that leads to such conflicts. The line "It makes me cry to be a worldwide resident" is a powerful statement on how war affects us all, regardless of country or background. The verse ends with a reference to the power of those in charge, urging listeners to "change your thinking there / Behind the president". The final verse seems to criticize those who are complacent in the face of suffering, arguing that they will not take action until they themselves have had enough. The song concludes with a repetition of the chorus, urging listeners to continue paying attention to the suffering in the world and to believe that there is another way forward.
Line by Line Meaning
At their tables
Families gather around to have meals together
Families sit around and air their feelings
They share and express their emotions and thoughts with each other
Taking daily sustinence
Eating food to stay alive and healthy
Watching tv spewing forward with the awful dealings
Viewing news programs that show negative and disturbing events
They caress us with their damning evidence
The media bombards us with negative information and sensationalizes it
Tell me have you seen it
Asking if the listener has seen the current news
Have you seen the news today
Inquiring if the listener has watched the news recently
'Cause we best believe it
Because it is true
There must be another way
There must be a better solution
There is no mistaking
It is very clear and obvious
All the suffering we see there
The pain and despair that is portrayed in the news
Even though we fake it
Despite pretending not to care
Still deep inside we care
We actually do care at a subconscious level
When I see the waring everywhere
When I witness conflicts and violence in various places
Unfortunately
Regrettably
It makes me cry to be a world wide resident
It saddens me to be a citizen of this planet when I witness so much suffering
It's their love of glory
The desire for power and personal gain
And your lack of overstanding yeah
And your lack of understanding
So please change your thinking there
So please alter your perspective
Behind the president
The government is responsible for the current state of affairs
Why complain
What is the point of complaining
You look OK
You appear to be fine
And you can pay it off
You have the resources to ignore the problems
You're free of stains
You are not guilty of anything
Can get no blame
You cannot be held responsible
Till you have had enough
Until you reach a point where you can no longer tolerate it
Move smooth these days
Things are running smoothly currently
Your dollars pay
You are financing
To cut the pain right out
To eliminate any discomfort or suffering
Your groove it plays
Your lifestyle and way of living
The ghetto way
The way of life in less fortunate neighborhoods
No you don?t have no doubt
You have complete confidence in your situation
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CAMERON MCVEY, CAMERON ANDREW MCVEY, MATTHEW KENT, PATRICE BART-WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
CillBinton
great song