The group was formed by songwriter/keyboardist Jerry Dammers, with Terry Hall (vocals), Lynval Golding (guitar, vocals) and a rhythm section featuring Horace Panter (bass) and John Bradbury (drums; born 16 February 1953, died 28 December 2015). The band wore mod-style 1960s period "rude boy" outfits (pork pie hats, mohair suits, and loafers). In 1980, their song "Too Much Too Young", the lead track on their The Special AKA Live! EP, reached number one in the UK. In 1981, the unemployment-themed single "Ghost Town" also hit number one in the UK Singles Chart. After seven consecutive UK Top 10 singles between 1979 and 1981, the band broke up in 1984. A version of the band reformed from 1994-2001. In 2008, the band reformed again and, in2009, embarked on a 30th anniversary tour. In 2010, they toured America and Europe. In 2011 they again touring the UK.
In 1979, their debut LP hit the shelves and quickly soared into the UK Top Five. The album was produced by Elvis Costello and was released under founding member, Jerry Dammer's record label 2 Tone Records.
Following the success of their debut album, Specials, their second and final album, More Specials was released. This expanded the group's 2 tone sound to include lounge music and other influences.
After two albums and a string of very successful singles the band called it quits in 1984. The bands members moved onto their other musical projects. In 1994 they toured with the original line-up without Terry Hall and Jerry Dammers. Roddy sang Terry's parts. The line-up changed in 1996. The band split again in 2001.
In 2008, The Specials officially announced that they would reform and embark on a 30th Anniversary Tour in 2009. The founding member, Jerry Dammers was not part of the reformed Specials and relationships between him and the rest of the band have remained sore, particularly on Dammers' side of things.
In January 2013, the Specials announced the departure of Neville Staple. In February 2014 it was revealed that another original member, Roddy Radiation, had left the reformed group. In spite of this, the Specials played an extensive tour in the autumn of 2014 with Steve Cradock as lead guitarist.
On 19th December 2022 it was announced that Terry Hall had passed away after a short illness. He was 63.
www.thespecials.com
Man At C&A
The Specials Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La mer nous donne du poisson
Y’a qu’à danser
Les femmes nous donnent des enfants
Y’a qu’à danser
Étoiles nous guident dans l’océan
Y’a qu’à danser
Et regarder passer le temps
Sur une île du Pacifique
La nuit leur donna deux enfants
Un curieux et un sympathique
Qui écoutait passer le temps
Le premier toujours en retard
L’autre debout tous les matins
Le premier apprit la guitare
L’autre étudia politicien
L’inspiré resto au village
Y devint simple musicien
Le pressé partit en voyage
Pour se faire oublier des siens
L’a étudié 10 ans l’université
L’a étudié comment on manage les gens
L’a étudié comment marche la planche à billets
L’a fait un petit coup d’Etat, monter son p’tit gouvernement
Y’a qu’à danser
La mer nous donne du poisson
Y’a qu’à danser
Les femmes nous donnent des enfants
Y’a qu’à danser
La canne à sucre nous fait le rhum
Y’a qu’à danser
Et regarder passer le temps
Sur une île des tropiques
Un jour déboula les gendarmes
Pour nous dire d’un air tragique
Dégagez moi toutes ces cabanes
Faut pas faire chier gendarme
Faut nous laisser danser
Faut pas faire chier gendarme
Ça c’est la plage où on est né
Le gendarme il voulait rien savoir
L’a appliqué le règlement
Il a sorti son arme
Dézingué la moitié des gens
Y’a qu’à chanter y’a qu’à danser
Y’a plus personne pour danser
Y’a qu’à jouer y’a qu’à aimer
Y’a plus personne pour aimer
Le fréro le musicien
Sachant son frère politicien
Au bureau de ce dernier
Se rendit d’un pas décidé
Le pressé que deviens-tu?
Sais tu qu’au village on nous tue?
Qu’on fout le feu à nos cabanes
Qu’on nous empêche de vivre nus
Mon fréro mon fréro
Comprend de par ma position
Mon fréro mon fréro
Je suis chez des institutions
Et vois-tu cher ami
Si les gens savaient d’où je viens
Bien vois-tu cher ami
Je ne serais plus politicien
C’est pourquoi cher monsieur
J’ai donné l’ordre d’évacuer
Sans attendre dans la nuit
Les gens de l’île ou je suis né
Mon fréro dit le musicien
Tu t’es perdu dans tes papiers
Toi qui n’a jamais su nager
Tes yeux semblent s’emplir de larmes
Je m’en vais laisser te noyer
Sur une île du Pacifique
La mort reprit les deux enfants
L’un heureux de sa musique
L’autre rongé par ses tourments
Y’a qu’à danser
La mer nous donne du poisson
Y’a qu’à danser
Les femmes nous donnent des enfants
Y’a qu’à danser
Étoiles nous guident dans l’Océan
Y’a qu’à danser
Et regarder passer le temps.
The Specials' song "Man At C&A" tells the story of two brothers born on a Pacific island. One of them is a musician who stays on the island and becomes a simple musician, while the other studies at university and becomes a politician, eventually returning to the island to run a small government through a coup. The song is a commentary on the way that life can ultimately end in disappointment and tragedy despite the best intentions and hopes of individuals.
The song is a complex narrative that explores themes such as power, identity, and fate. The two brothers represent different approaches to life: one seems content to live in the moment, while the other is driven to make changes in the world around him. Despite their differences, they both end up dying tragically, and the song suggests that their efforts were ultimately futile in the face of the forces of history and fate.
"Man At C&A" was released in 1980 by British ska band The Specials. The song largely flew under the radar upon its release, but has since become a cult classic for fans of British ska and punk. The song has been covered by a number of other bands over the years, and continues to be celebrated for its insight into the human condition and the complex ways in which people interact with each other and the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
Y’a qu’à danser
Life is for living, just dance through it
La mer nous donne du poisson
The ocean provides us with abundance
Les femmes nous donnent des enfants
Women provide us with the gift of life
Étoiles nous guident dans l’océan
The stars guide us through our journey
Et regarder passer le temps
And watch time pass by
Sur une île du Pacifique
On an island in the Pacific
La nuit leur donna deux enfants
The night gave them two sons
Un curieux et un sympathique
One curious and one friendly
Qui écoutait passer le temps
Who listened to time passing by
Le premier toujours en retard
The first son was always late
L’autre debout tous les matins
The other was up every morning
Le premier apprit la guitare
The first learned how to play the guitar
L’autre étudia politicien
The other studied politics
L’inspiré resto au village
The inspired one stayed in the village
Y devint simple musicien
He became a simple musician
Le pressé partit en voyage
The impatient one went on a journey
Pour se faire oublier des siens
To forget about his family
L’a étudié 10 ans l’université
He studied at university for 10 years
L’a étudié comment on manage les gens
He learned how to manage people
L’a étudié comment marche la planche à billets
He learned how the money system works
L’a fait un petit coup d’Etat, monter son p’tit gouvernement
He staged a small coup and formed his own government
La canne à sucre nous fait le rhum
Sugar cane makes us rum
Sur une île des tropiques
On an island in the tropics
Un jour déboula les gendarmes
One day the police arrived
Pour nous dire d’un air tragique
To tell us with a tragic expression
Dégagez moi toutes ces cabanes
Get rid of all these huts
Faut pas faire chier gendarme
Don't mess with the police
Ça c’est la plage où on est né
This is the beach where we were born
Le gendarme il voulait rien savoir
The police officer didn't want to know
L’a appliqué le règlement
He followed the rules
Il a sorti son arme
He pulled out his gun
Dézingué la moitié des gens
He shot half the people
Y’a plus personne pour danser
There's no one left to dance
Y’a qu’à jouer y’a qu’à aimer
Just play music and love
Y’a plus personne pour aimer
There's no one left to love
Le fréro le musicien
The musician brother
Sachant son frère politicien
Knowing his brother was a politician
Au bureau de ce dernier
He went to his brother's office
Se rendit d’un pas décidé
He went with a determined step
Le pressé que deviens-tu?
What happened to you, my impatient brother?
Sais tu qu’au village on nous tue?
Do you know they're killing us in the village?
Mon fréro mon fréro
My brother, my brother
Comprend de par ma position
Understand my position
Je suis chez des institutions
I am within the institution
Et vois-tu cher ami
And you see my friend
Si les gens savaient d’où je viens
If people knew where I came from
Bien vois-tu cher ami
Well, you see my friend
Je ne serais plus politicien
I wouldn't be a politician anymore
C’est pourquoi cher monsieur
That's why, dear sir
J’ai donné l’ordre d’évacuer
I ordered for people to evacuate
Sans attendre dans la nuit
Without waiting, in the night
Les gens de l’île ou je suis né
The people from the island where I was born
Tu t’es perdu dans tes papiers
You've lost yourself in paperwork
Toi qui n’a jamais su nager
You who never learned how to swim
Tes yeux semblent s’emplir de larmes
Your eyes seem to be filling with tears
Je m’en vais laisser te noyer
I'll let you drown
La mort reprit les deux enfants
Death took both sons
L’un heureux de sa musique
One happy with his music
L’autre rongé par ses tourments
The other eaten away by his troubles
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RAOUL BRETON EDITIONS, UN WEEK END A WALDEN, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT (FRANCE), MICHEL SANCHEZ MUSIC, BMG Rights Management
Written by: ERIC MOUQUET, MICHEL SANCHEZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thespecials
More music from The Specials: https://TheSpecials.lnk.to/Listen
@Paydro3345
R.I.P Terry Hall, your music will live on ❤🙏🏾🕊️
@raymondplanchette9673
A criminally neglected masterpiece of an album. The self-titled gets all the love, and I sympathize, but More Specials has always been my favorite.
@RobotSuperstar
One of their best songs
@TailedFeature
RIP Terry Hall.
@admiralbenbow5083
This cute little number is a masterpiece, in ANY genre. I have been around for a while and I have just over 15,000 files on my ipod. This makes my all time top 10 easily. It saunters in without a care in the world !!
@reggiejames7812
Their most underrated song
@Notherway203r6u3
They never get old do they 🔥
@keithfrance6191
The percussions on this track is Brill !
@maxsmart9116
@Chris Gavito probably brilliant