Track 8: Raison d’Etre (“Reason to Be”)/Chasing Ghosts ft. Jason Ntaro & Body of Brian
As we progress further through 1Key’s eclectic album, the tone shifts once again. 1Key’s eighth track – Raison d’Etre/Chasing Ghosts – was inspired by the soulful, folky quality of Ben Harper’s single Please me like you want to (2011). The music opens with the comforting sounds of an acoustic guitar and the passionate voice of Body of Brian, who sings his verse in English.
“In a consumerist society even the dream is for sale
What’s the right choice between passion and employment?” (Translated from French to English)
1Key was excited to collaborate with his favourite Ugandan poet for this track. Jason Ntaro shares 1Key’s concerns with the ever-demanding nature of capitalism. In verse 3 he tells us:
“Now I’m convinced that I’m working hard
But hard enough is not even hard enough
And so I sit, watch my shrivelled shadows and laugh
And fall willingly into this crack…”
Like 1Key, Jason Ntaro feels burdened by the repetitive emptiness of a life chasing money, rather than a life enriched by authenticity and meaning.
In May 2016, 1Key quit his job in advertising to pursue a full time career as an artist. As a fierce promoter of Kigali’s live music scene – which is severely under-funded – 1Key has been organising a series of live shows: the #expericment. The first show saw the evolution of the storyteller. As one fan tweeted: “[1Key] Came in like a slave and left like a rock star…” Indeed, it is beautiful watching 1Key evolve as an artist, among his family and his friends – and with a fast-growing audience beyond that. The second show was simpler: a band, a stool and a storyteller, with 1Key using this self-made-platform to invite other storytellers (singers, spoken word poets and comedians) to the stage. 1Key oozes stage presence and his third show in the series – which he called “Sexpericment” – playfully explored gender themes and sexuality.

In order to meet the financial demands of a live show, 1Key regularly appeals to his fans on social media sites, encouraging them to buy his album, and to purchase show tickets using mobile money. In January 2016, 1Key released The Free Song, with Don Nova, J Dub, Sickspits, Natacha, Arafat, and Khalil. (Prod. Jay P) 1Key’s opening line is unambiguous:
“I’m an artist, art is what I practice/If it’s free how do I eat? How do I survive?”

1Key’s perseverance in appealing for investors, and also for more creative spaces – there is still no national theatre in Rwanda – is relentless. In a recent blog post, he wrote:
“Special thanks to everyone who went out of their way to buy tickets with mobile money for the first time. Someone had said, “Rwandans don’t believe in pre-sales unless you are Stromae and they all don’t have Mobile money.” True! One fact though: About 60 Rwandans and non-Rwandans bought their tickets with Mobile Money (mostly pre-ordered) then skipped the Champions League final to attend the #expericment.”
Once again, 1Key proves himself a pioneer!
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Song lyrics and translations
Raison d’Etre (“Reason to Be”)/Chasing Ghosts ft. Jason Ntaro & Body of Brian [Track 8 on Entre 2 album]
Prod. Lo Rider (Kampala); English, French. |
|
[Verse 1: Body of Brian] | [Verse 1: Body of Brian] |
Wohhh! I’m losing myself | Wohhh! I’m losing myself |
It’s like I’m searching for something I don’t know | It’s like I’m searching for something I don’t know |
Could be the missing piece to my puzzled soul | Could be the missing piece to my puzzled soul |
My guts they tell me what I need is somewhere out there | My guts they tell me what I need is somewhere out there |
I have no clue where to look so I try everywhere | I have no clue where to look so I try everywhere |
It’s like whisky to an alcoholic, crack to a crackhead | It’s like whisky to an alcoholic, crack to a crackhead |
Except I’m missing something that I never had | Except I’m missing something that I never had |
— | — |
[Hook] | [Hook] |
Eric 1key: | Eric 1key: |
Je cours après le vent dans ma quête | I’m chasing the wind in my quest |
Chaque jour je cherche ma raison d’être | Each day I fabricate my reason to be |
La Terre tourne et le cycle se répète | The earth turns and the cycle repeats itself |
Body of Brian: | Body of Brian: |
I traded my soul for a few notes | I traded my soul for a few notes |
Now that it’s gone up in smoke | Now that it’s gone up in smoke |
What reason to live and die for? | What reason to live and die for? |
I feel like I’m chasing ghosts | I feel like I’m chasing ghosts |
Eric 1key: | Eric 1key: |
Je cours après le vent dans ma quête | I’m chasing the wind in my quest |
Chaque jour je cherche ma raison d’être | Each day I fabricate my reason to be |
La terre tourne et le cycle se répète | The earth turns and the cycle repeats itself |
— | — |
[Verse 2: Eric 1key] | [Verse 2: Eric 1key] |
L’argentne fait pas le bonheur, la pauvreté non plus | Money does not create happiness, poverty neither |
Certainement parce que le bonheur existe depuis des lustres bien avant les thunes | Certainly because happiness existed way long before “money” |
No money, no life mais la maille n’offre pas l’immortalité | No money, no life but then money doesn’t make you immortal |
No pain, no gain alors on souffre puis on die pour le blé | No pain, no gain so we suffer and die for money |
C’est pas l’amour du beurre qui nous motive à gagner le pain | It’s not the love of “butter” that pushes us to get “bread” |
Mais surtout la peur de ne pas en avoir au réveil le matin | But the fear of not having “butter” in the morning when we wake up |
Le pognon est une drogue, impossible de rester lucide | Money is a drug, it’s impossible to be lucid |
On en devient accro et son manque peut résulter en suicide | We all get hooked on it and its absence can lead to suicide |
Société de consommateurs, le rêve est commercial | In a consumerist society even the dream is for sale |
Entre la passion et l’emploi, c’est quoi le bon choix? | What’s the right choice between passion and employment? |
L’artiste se dit heureux malgré sa vie de sutures | So artists convince themselves they are happy, despite their miserable lives |
L’employé est malheureux car s’il bosse dur | And the employed are unhappy because when they work hard |
C’est juste pour payer ses factures | It’s only so they can pay their bills |
Moi qui n’ai jamais voulu vendre mon art | I never really wanted to sell my art |
J’ai vendu quelques grammes de mon âme | But I sold grams of my soul |
En mettant ma plume au service du capitalisme | When I put my pen at the service of capitalism |
Pour un peu de fric, j’ai perdu l’équilibre | For little money, I lost balance |
Deux poids deux mesures | Making the choice will never be fair and balanced |
— | — |
[Hook] | [Hook] |
Eric 1key: | Eric 1key: |
Je cours après le vent dans ma quête | I’m chasing the wind in my quest |
Chaque jour je cherche ma raison d’être | Each day I fabricate my reason to be |
La Terre tourne et le cycle se répète | The earth turns and the cycle repeats itself |
Body of Brian: | Body of Brian: |
I traded my soul for a few notes | I traded my soul for a few notes |
Now that it’s gone up in smoke | Now that it’s gone up in smoke |
What reason to live and die for? | What reason to live and die for? |
I feel like I’m chasing ghosts | I feel like I’m chasing ghosts |
Eric 1key: | Eric 1key: |
Je cours après le vent dans ma quête | I’m chasing the wind in my quest |
Chaque jour je cherche ma raison d’être | Each day I fabricate my reason to be |
La Terre tourne et le cycle se répète | The earth turns and the cycle repeats itself |
— | — |
[Verse 3: Jason Ntaro] | [Verse 3: Jason Ntaro] |
Chasing gold but no goal, so chasing ghosts | Chasing gold but no goal, so chasing ghosts |
Wasting life growing old | Wasting life growing old |
This is not the story that I was told by those of old | This is not the story that I was told by those of old |
Now I’m convinced that I’m working hard | Now I’m convinced that I’m working hard |
But hard enough is not even hard enough | But hard enough is not even hard enough |
And so I sit, watch my shriveled shadows and laugh | And so I sit, watch my shriveled shadows and laugh |
And fall willingly into this crack | And fall willingly into this crack |
So, I sell out | So, I sell out |
I sell my soul as I sweat and toil | I sell my soul as I sweat and toil |
Constantly planting crops in hard barren soil | Constantly planting crops in hard barren soil |
But I stress and I boil | But I stress and I boil |
In this system I am the clown | In this system I am the clown |
And now… | And now… |
Heavy this load, I try to cope | Heavy this load, I try to cope |
This tug and war has a slippery rope | This tug and war has a slippery rope |
Complacency replaces me | Complacency replaces me |
Ignorance embraces me | Ignorance embraces me |
My shadows stare into my periphery | My shadows stare into my periphery |
And I realize that I am empty | And I realize that I am empty |
— | — |
[Hook] | [Hook] |
Eric 1key: | Eric 1key: |
Je cours après le vent dans ma quête | I’m chasing the wind in my quest |
Chaque jour je cherche ma raison d’être | Each day I fabricate my reason to be |
La Terre tourne et le cycle se répète | The earth turns and the cycle repeats itself |
Body of Brian: | Body of Brian: |
I traded my soul for a few notes | I traded my soul for a few notes |
Now that it’s gone up in smoke | Now that it’s gone up in smoke |
What reason to live and die for? | What reason to live and die for? |
I feel like I’m chasing ghosts | I feel like I’m chasing ghosts |
Eric 1key: | Eric 1key: |
Je cours après le vent dans ma quête | I’m chasing the wind in my quest |
Chaque jour je cherche ma raison d’être | Each day I fabricate my reason to be |
La Terre tourne et le cycle se répète | The earth turns and the cycle repeats itself |
Brian Corpus: | Body of Brian: |
Mmmm feel like I’m chasing ghosts | Mmmm feel like I’m chasing ghosts |