Jean moved to Brooklyn, New York when he was nine, then to Northern New Jersey, where he began playing the guitar and studying jazz in his high school. In 1987, Jean, his friend (so close they told people they were cousins growing up) Prakazrel Michel (Pras) and his classmate, Lauryn Hill, formed a group called the Tranzlator Crew before becoming The Fugees. Wyclef worked as a cabdriver.
Recently he has been finding success as a collaborator - with his turn on Shakira's 2006 track 'Hips Don't Lie' hitting number one in many countries around the world.
In August of 2010, Jean announced his intent to seek the presidency of Haiti. This move came after his increasingly-high profile humanitarian work in the wake of the earthquake that devastated that nation.
Intro
Wyclef Jean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gone to November
A lot of things have changed man
The whole world is in panic mode
Come on, chill out Angie
Let daddy finish writing
The lyrics in Wyclef Jean's Intro are a reflection on the state of the education system in many neighborhoods in America, particularly in underprivileged areas where metal detectors often greet students before their teachers do. The song opens with the singer feeling a sense of deja vu as he finds himself back in homeroom, back in the classroom, and back in the mourning time that characterizes many hoods. It is clear that the mourning is not simply a time of grieving but a time of danger with blood vessels bursting more than gushers do. The taste of sweet survival is a sharp contrast to the taste of peace that just tastes like denial.
Wyclef Jean goes on to explain that the first lesson in class is not just about the cap and gown or physically walking across the stage to receive a degree. It is about something deeper, the mind, the body, the pen and the page. This suggests that the education system is failing many young people and that there are other paths to success that do not require formal education. Although the lyrics are quite critical of the system, the message that anyone can succeed with determination and the right tools is a powerful and uplifting one.
Line by Line Meaning
Damn this is deja-vu
I feel like I've been here before
Homeroom, I'm back in school
I'm back in school, reminiscing about homeroom period
Good morning, class, good morning, class, class
Greeting the students for a new school day
Its mourning time, good, 'cause in many hoods
Where clavicles caress many hoods
Metal detectors greet us before our teachers do
It's a good morning, but in many neighborhoods, violence is common and metal detectors are necessary for safety
Class, its mourning time, because blood vessels burst more than gushers do
And sweet be the taste of survival, when peace just tastes like denial
The reality is that violence is so prevalent that it has become the norm, and survival is applauded, even though it's not true peace
What I mean is, every class must begin after twelve
So there won't be any more mourning, good
Starting school later in the day would mean fewer violent incidents in the morning
God wears a hood in this testament
Heaven be the hood in this testament
God and heaven are present in these violent neighborhoods
The first lesson is: class, you don't need a cap and gown to walk across the stage
All you need is a mind, a body, a pen, and a page (page, page)
Education is a key to success, not only through formal graduation but also through personal growth and development
Ayo, thats all good, but, how much you growin' the weed?
Jokingly asking about the marijuana growing business, but also highlighting the harsh reality of some inner-city neighborhoods
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Antonio Jesus Cabrera Gutierrez, Jaime Gandia Quesada, Jose Marin Torres, Juan Carlos Gomez Parrilla
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind