la malegria de manu

i've been listening to a lot of Manu Chao recently... it's beautiful stuff, really. and to be listening the melody of the spanish language again is really magical. many of his songs are very political in nature, but that kind of utopian, idealistic political that we activists love to maintain. he's coined the word "malegria," which he describes as being 'a kind of sadness you can only fight with laughter. a painful happiness.' this is how we deal with life, isnt it? by laughing through the pain... by wiping away the tears, getting back up onto our feet, putting that smile back on and going out there to serve & to make the world a better place

solo voy con mi pena
sola va mi condena
correr es mi destino
para burlar la ley
perdido en el corazon
de la grande babylon
me dicen el clandestino
por no llevar papel
pa una ciudad del norte
yo me fui a trabajar
mi vida la deje
entre ceuta y gibraltar
soy una raya en el mar
fantasma en la ciudad
mi vida va prohibida
dice la autoridad

-Manu