Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Haïti, mon pays
Wounded mother I'll never see
Ma famille set me free
Throw my ashes into the sea
Mes cousins jamais nés
Hantent les nuits de Duvalier
Rien n'arrête nos esprits
Guns can't kill what soldiers can't see
In the forest we are hiding
Unmarked graves where flowers grow
Hear the soldiers angry yelling
In the river we will go
Tous les morts-nés forment une armée
Soon we will reclaim the earth
All the tears and all the bodies
Bring about our second birth
Haiti, never free
N'aie pas peur de sonner l'alarme
Tes enfants sont partis
In those days their blood was still warm
Wounded mother I'll never see
Ma famille set me free
Throw my ashes into the sea
Mes cousins jamais nés
Hantent les nuits de Duvalier
Rien n'arrête nos esprits
Guns can't kill what soldiers can't see
In the forest we are hiding
Unmarked graves where flowers grow
Hear the soldiers angry yelling
In the river we will go
Tous les morts-nés forment une armée
Soon we will reclaim the earth
All the tears and all the bodies
Bring about our second birth
Haiti, never free
N'aie pas peur de sonner l'alarme
Tes enfants sont partis
In those days their blood was still warm
Lyrics submitted by drinkmilk, edited by alex284, Leffe, twoplanets
Haïti Lyrics as written by Win Butler William Butler
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Translation aka does this help? : Haiti, my country, wounded mother I'll never see. My family set me free. Throw my ashes into the sea. My cousins, never born, haunt the nights of Duvalier. Nothing stops our spirits. Guns can't kill what soldiers can' t see. In the forest we are hiding, unmarked graves where flowers grow. Hear the soldiers angry yelling, in the river we will go. All the still-born children form an army, soon we will reclaim the earth. All the tears and all the bodies bring about our second birth. Haiti, never free, I'm (?) not afraid to sound alarm. Your children left, in those days their blood was still warm.
Sorry if I got some parts wrong.
I am a native puertorrican too! And I was happy to find out that Regine is a native from Haiti even though Haiti's situation can never be compared to that of our little island's, at least not in the present. Anyways, I can feel come of that Caribbean vibe in this song; although the melody is sad I can sense a little bit of cheerfulness through the melody.
Oh, also, incase you are wondering who Duvalier is, think of an opressive brutal dictator regime of Haiti and you'll get a good start.
Régine Chassagne's parents fled from Haiti in 1960, and this is her tribute to her country. Beautiful, especially the French. It really is. "All the tears and all the bodies bring about our second birth."
This album is gold.
The translation to the last verse goes like this: Haiti, never free, don't be affraid to sound the alarm your children are gone in those days their blood was still warm.
it fits because the cd is all about their lives, and questions and experiences, this was part of Régine Chassagne's life. <3
i_love_camp -- music is art, art is subjective..
Enjoy your trip.
"Well, I myself have been to Haiti and this song really only looks at the negatives! The people there are some of the nicest and happiest people you'll meet. I went down there last Apriul to help build a school and I'm going again this april!! Super excited!"
Perhaps if you had been there while the Duveliers were ruling and your family was hunted down and killed by their secret police, you would have somewhat more mixed feelings about Haiti.
Clearly, this is about all of the unborn children killed under Duvalier's regime hiding in the rivers and jungles of Haiti, in spirit form, waiting until they've absorbed enough souls to become allpowerful. At that point, they plan to arise as a vengeful army of undead Haitian children and conquer the earth.
I think the contrast between the mood of the music and the mood of the lyrics actually correspond with the country of Haiti itself. While it may seem like a peaceful tropical place, it's actually plagued with these deathly problems that are almost unexpected, or covered up by the characteristics of the land.
@Skyling this is from so long ago but rings true. I was there for months right after the 2010 earthquake. It has some of the most beautiful countryside. Mountains and trees with blue cloudy skies that you can easily see from some of the most economically devastated places on earth. We conducted a parachute supply drop that scattered along a mountain side in the darkness of night.. and it was like people came from all directions to see what the noise was. Out of the tree line, out of the pitch darkness of night, seemingly right out of the ground.