Smith made his recorded debut in 1994 as part of IQ Procedure through Suburban Base’s short-lived hip hop imprint Bluntly Speaking Vinyl. He debuted as Roots Manuva the same year on Blak Twang's "Queen’s Head” single, before releasing his own single, “Next Type of Motion” the following year. 1996 saw the release of his collaborations with Skitz (“Where My Mind Is At”/”Blessed Be the Manner”). The release of “Feva” followed in 1997; this was also the year that saw the first releases from Big Dada, a collaboration between Coldcut’s Ninja Tune label and hip hop journalist Will Ashon.
Releasing for Coldcut's renowned experimental/hip-hop label Ninja Tune in 1998, some of his music may be seen as a predecessor of grime. The following year he released his fearsome debut album, “Brand New Second Hand”. Manuva was rewarded for his breakthrough with a MOBO as Best Hip Hop Act that year. He has also relesed 2001's “Run Come Save Me”, followed the next year by “Dub Come Save Me” in, which features dub remixes of five songs from the previous album alongside new work. This was followed up with the release of “Awfully Deep” in 2005 and “Alternately Deep” in 2006.
The lyrics of his songs are usually known to take a distinctly British edge, with many critics highlighting his references of eating cheese on toast and drinking bitter as examples of this. His warm and easily recognizable voice can be heard on many songs he performed with other artists such as Chali 2na (of Jurassic 5 & Ozomatli), DJ Shadow, U.N.K.L.E., Nightmares on Wax, The Cinematic Orchestra, Beth Orton and Leftfield. He also made an appearance on the Gorillaz album, Demon Days, lending his distinctive vocals to the track, "All Alone".
A Haunting
Roots Manuva Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rebel eye with fortitude
Come see the dude exude
The rudiment cement baptism
No arguments 'cause I know the blokes who terminate
They do it for the joy they don't need no papes
While I count the shillings
To drill out the laws till the nonsense pauses
Down for the essence of rebel-eye causes
With synchronisity, goat-skin paraphrase
Mystic maze of sonic mathematics
The acrobatics on a tightrope
That near broke the spine
Time for time, line for line
Random as the windchime
Deep sublime
Risen above
Written in dub
Dubwise
Pomme-frites or French fries
International passion of whom?
New life in the womb
Have you ever known a haunting of this kind?
From to and fro, the railroad of one's mind
Have you ever known a haunting of this kind?
From to and fro, the railroad of one's mind
When I hold my pen
Done told my pen
Talk the talk of the lion's den
Come again
Come see me, in the clouds
Singing it loud, saying it proud
This title survival go back back the Bible
With some old thing, new thing, a you-and-a-who? thing
You don't want none
But you might get it
Jump right down and watch the man who met it
Holy thing, slowly hymn from thingamy
Don't you start kidding me
We'se deadly serious
Nobody want to share with us
Have you ever known a haunting of this kind?
From to and fro, the railroad of one's mind
Have you ever known a haunting of this kind?
From to and fro, the railroad of one's mind
I'm lost
I'm lost
In the stream of so-called
Consciousness
The random thought
The random splurge
That upsurges through the centre
Of the mind's inner page
The rage inside
The rage inside
The stage inside
The eye of the tigger
That turns to tiger
In the song "A Haunting," Roots Manuva describes a haunting that is not paranormal or supernatural, but instead a haunting of one's own mind. The lyrics describe the struggle with one's own thoughts and the random bursts of consciousness that occur. The opening lines "Rebel eye with fortitude, come see the dude exude" introduce the theme of rebellion - not against external forces, but against oneself.
Manuva sprinkles references to various philosophical and spiritual concepts throughout the song. For instance, he references the "lion's den" and "going back to the Bible," suggesting a connection to Christianity. When he sings "Mystic maze of sonic mathematics," he's tapping into the idea of music as a universal language that transcends words.
Overall, Manuva seems to be grappling with existential questions and searching for meaning amidst the chaos of life. The haunting he describes is not one of fear, but rather of curiosity and a desire to understand the self.
Line by Line Meaning
Lord Gosh now
Introduction to the song
Rebel eye with fortitude
A bold and defiant outlook on life
Come see the dude exude
Witness the confidence and charisma he exhibits
The rudiment cement baptism
The basic foundation and principles that shape who he is
No arguments 'cause I know the blokes who terminate
I won't argue because I know the violent people who can end things
They do it for the joy they don't need no papes
They find pleasure in their violent actions and don't desire money
While I count the shillings
While I focus on making money
Best know there's many willing
There are many others who are also willing to pursue wealth
To drill out the laws till the nonsense pauses
To challenge and question societal norms until they make more sense
Down for the essence of rebel-eye causes
Committed to the spirit of rebellion and standing up for what is right
With synchronisity, goat-skin paraphrase
Utilizing synchronized rhythms and unique language to express oneself
Mystic maze of sonic mathematics
The complex and spiritual nature of music and sound
The acrobatics on a tightrope
The daring and skillful execution of one's craft or goals
That near broke the spine
That was incredibly challenging and difficult to achieve
Time for time, line for line
Taking things one step at a time and focusing on each individual challenge
Random as the windchime
As unpredictable as the sound of wind chimes
Deep sublime
Profound and transcendent
Risen above
Successfully surpassed obstacles and challenges
Written in dub
Written in the style of dub music, known for its emphasis on rhythm and bass
Dubwise
In the style of dub music
Pomme-frites or French fries
Referencing the choice between two different but similar options
International passion of whom?
Questioning the true motivations and intentions of those who claim to have an international passion
New life in the womb
A hopeful and optimistic outlook on the future
Have you ever known a haunting of this kind?
Asking if the listener has ever experienced a similarly powerful and unsettling feeling
From to and fro, the railroad of one's mind
The constant back-and-forth of thoughts and ideas in one's mind
When I hold my pen
When I am writing
Done told my pen
I have already expressed my thoughts through writing
Talk the talk of the lion's den
Speak with the authority and power of a lion in its territory
Come again
Encouraging the listener to come back and hear more
Come see me, in the clouds
Come and witness me at the height of my abilities and creativity
Singing it loud, saying it proud
Confidently expressing oneself and making one's voice heard
This title survival go back back the Bible
Using religious symbolism to emphasize the importance of survival
With some old thing, new thing, a you-and-a-who? thing
Using a mix of old and new ideas to create something unique
You don't want none
Warning others that they don't want to challenge or confront him
But you might get it
But if they do, they will face the consequences
Jump right down and watch the man who met it
Watch as he handles any challenge that comes his way
Holy thing, slowly hymn from thingamy
Utilizing religious imagery to describe the power of his music and words
Don't you start kidding me
Don't try to deceive or mock him
We'se deadly serious
He and his allies are determined and will not back down
Nobody want to share with us
People are hesitant to ally themselves with him and his cause
I'm lost
Feeling confused and aimless
In the stream of so-called
Reflecting on society's superficial and artificial nature
Consciousness
Awareness and perception
The random thought
Thoughts that cross one's mind without any clear or logical connection
The random splurge
A sudden, uncontrolled outburst of emotion or energy
That upsurges through the centre
That surges and rises up within one's being
Of the mind's inner page
Of the deepest parts of one's consciousness
The rage inside
The intense and overwhelming emotions within oneself
The stage inside
The inner turmoil and drama within oneself
The eye of the tigger
The fierce and intense focus of a tiger hunting its prey
That turns to tiger
That transforms into a fierce and powerful force
Writer(s): Ricky Ross, Lorraine Marie Mcintosh
Contributed by Henry N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sean Morris
I'm lost in the stream of so-called consciousness...
Alexandros M
Thanku for supporting my minor lisp getin serious so share with us sounds like share is serious with a lisp
Booniums
👌
Taxidermistification
what's he up to deez dayz?
Aeromatic
he released an album called "Bleeds" in 2015