Fela Anikulapo-Kuti Would Have Been 79 Years Old Today. Post Your Favourite Fela Lyrics And Quotes Here.
I'll go first.
From "Overtake Don Overtake Overtake" (ODOO)
My friend wan come buy fan Him dey sweat when him dey sleep for room Him dey for level of 03 The fan na seventy-five naira
My friend him dey for low salary Him dey try to save and save and save Every time he nearly buy the fan Government go add ten naira more Every time he nearly buy the fan Government go start one activity Till the fan reach two hundred naira My friend nearly die, he never die
My friend he no wan die Die-die no dey for him dictionary For where? Huh... Him dey try to save and save again Him save for one year and six months
Inside cupboard Under pillow Under, under cooking pot Inside socks Under carpet Him dey on his way to buy the fan When alarm come blow
Wiiiiiaaaaaaaa!
Government announce second tier Everything come tear to pieces Everything come expensive Even water become expensive
Second bass, jare... pop!
Fan don become seven hundred naira Me and my friend start to look ourselves He remain small make my friend dey cry Na laugh laugh he catch monkey Na now he come understand him life Enjoyment can never come him way Na now him life dey go reverse In Africa, him fatherland One more time..
Chorus
I get my money Plan my plan finish Start to go for market Start to go for shopping Before I reach market nko o? Government show don enter My plan don spoil o Government show don enter My plan don spoil o
Overtake don overtake overtake Heiya Overtake don overtake overtake
Our government go sell us away Selling the continent to make us slaves again
Dem come go Europe, white man wey dey for west, bring am come-o Bringing the religion Christianity to go chop us away Dem go Arabia, white man wey dey for east, Bring am come-o Bringing the religion Islam to dey chop us away
Islam and Christianity bring wars to Africa To this-e continent In the center of the world Dem go bring confusion To the center of the world Wetin dis government dey do no be for talk Na for cry-o Time don reach for us to call alhajis so . . .
I don travel many places This the first time I don hear about. I never hear "alhaji" as title Only in the country Nigeria You hear somebody be alhaji "Alhaji so-so-and-so . . ." We cannot talk about what these governments do-we can only cry
CHORUS:
Ye, ye, ye (imitation of crying sound)
Brothers, come and hear this one: "Alhaji" na Arabic language The meaning of "alhaji" na "stranger" .
(Fela) I Alhaji Umaru Dikko (Response) Stranger Umaru Dikko!
This na revelation Revelation of our ancestors Offender must point at himself. This na revelation Revelation of our ancestors Offender must point at himself. Brothers and sisters hear me
Mothers and fathers hear me! Na stranger dey rule our country!
(Response) For inside police For inside air force For inside navy For inside government
Many leaders as you see dem Na different disguise dem dey oh Animal in human skin Animal e put u tie oh Animal e wear agbada Animal e put u suit u
These disguising leaders oh, na wah for dem Dem hold meeting everywhere, dem reach America
These disguising leaders oh, na wah for dem Dem hold meeting everywhere, dem reach America
Dem call the place United Nations Hear oh another animal talk Wetin united inside United Nations? Who & who unite for United Nations? No be there Thatcher & Argentina dey No be there Reagan & Libya dey Israel versus Lebanon Iran oh versus Iraq-i East West Block versus West Block East No be there dem dey oh United Nations Dis "united" United Nations One veto vote is equal to 92...or more, or more What kind sense be dat, na animal sense
Dem go hold meeting oh, Dem go start yap human beings Animal talk don start again Dash dem human rights
Dem go hold meeting oh, Dem go start yap human beings Animal talk don start again Dash dem human rights Give dem human rights
How animal go know say dem no born me as slave? How animal go know say slave trade don pass?
And, they wan dash us human rights Animal must talk to human beings Give dem human rights
I beg e oh, make you hear me well-u well I beg e oh, make you hear me very well Human rights na my property So therefore, you can't dash me my property Human rights na my property Dey wan dash us human rights
Some people say why I dey talk like dis No be talk like dis dem take to carry me go prison ee-oh" No be me dey talk, na Prime Minister Botha dey talk ee-oh No be me dey talk, na Prime Minister Botha dey talk ee-oh
Him say, this uprising will bring out the beast in us This uprising will bring out the beast in us
Him say, this uprising will bring out the beast in us This uprising will bring out the beast in us
Ke ji keke My argument
Botha na friend to Thatcher & Reagan Botha na friend to some other leaders too And together dem wan dash us human rights Animal wan dash us human rights Animal can't dash me human rights Animal can't dash us human rights
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti - Beast Of No Nation live at the Zenith in Paris in 1984.
I love... 'water no get enemy Omi o lo ta o, water no get enemy
Who no dey drink water? Nobody.
I love I.T.T
[Chorus] International Thief Thief!
I.T.T. International thief I.T.T. International rogue
Well, well... Ha! Well, well... Ha!
Motherfuckers, bastard motherfuckers We yab dem, yeah Hurry up there Say "yeah"
[Chorus] Well well!
Well well, na true I want talk again o Na true I want talk again o If I dey lie o Make Osiris punish me Make Ifa dey punish me o Make Edumare punish me o Make the land dey punish me o Make Edumare punish me o
I read dem for book ee-o I see so myself ee-o Well-ee well-ee o Well well... well well!
[Chorus] Well well... well well!
Long time ago Long, long time ago
[Chorus] Long time ago!
Long, long, long, long time ago African man we no dey carry shit We dey shit inside big big hole For Yoruba-land na "Shalanga" For Igbo-land na "Onunu-insi" For Hausa-land na "Salga" For Gaa-land na "Tiafi" For Ashanti-land na "Yarni" For Ethiopia-land na "Sagara-be" For Kagyu-land na "Cho-Cho" For Bemba-land na "Chimbuzi" For Tunga-land na "Echibuzi" Long, long, long, long time ago African man we no dey carry shit We dey shit inside big big hole
[Chorus] Long time ago!
Long, long, long, long time ago Long, long, long, long time ago
Before them come force us away as slaves During the time them come force us away as slaves Na European man, na him dey carry shit Na for them culture to carry shit During the time them come colonize us Them come teach us to carry shit Long, long, long, long time ago African man we no dey carry shit Na European man teach us to carry shit
[Chorus] Say am, say am!
Many foreign companies dey Africa carry all our money go Many foreign companies dey Africa carry all our money go Them go write big English for newspaper, dabaru we Africans Them go write big English for newspaper, dabaru we Africans
I read about one of them inside book like that Them call him name na I.T.T. I read about one of them inside book like that Them call him name na I.T.T.
Them go dey cause confusion (Confusion!) Cause corruption (Corruption!) Cause oppression (Oppression!) Cause inflation (Inflation!)
Them get one style wey them dey use Them go pick one African man A man with low mentality Them go give am million naira breads To become of high position here Him go bribe some thousand naira bread To become one useless chief
Like rat they do them go do from Corner corner, pass-ee pass-ee Under under, pass-ee pass-ee Inside inside, pass-ee pass-ee In in, pass-ee pass-ee Out out, pass-ee pass-ee Peep peep, pass-ee pass-ee Up up, pass-ee pass-ee...
Then he gradually, gradually, gradually, gradually... Then he gradually, gradually, gradually, gradually...
Them go be: Friend friend to journalist Friend friend to Commissioner Friend friend to Permanent Secretary Friend friend to Minister Friend friend to Head of State
Then start start to steal money Start start them corruption Start start them inflation Start start them oppression Start start them confusion Start start them oppression Start start to steal money Start start to steal money
Like Obasanjo and Abiola
[Chorus] International Thief Thief!
I.T.T. International rogue International thief We go fight them, well well
[Chorus] Well well!
Well, well...
We don tire to carry anymore of them shit We don tire to carry anymore of them shit We don tire to carry anymore of them shit
Well, well...
[Chorus] International Thief Thief!
There can only be one Fela. Fela was like a prophet, a man who saw tomorrow. He saw what so many prophets could not see. Fela means every letter in the word 'Legend'.
This is from a funny interview that Fela had with May Ellen Ezekiel (MEE). It's a long time ago but I can still remember the funny part of the interview. I can't remember it word for word so I'll paraphrase.
Why are people surprised that students are joining campus cults? What do you expect them to do when you put them in a faculty. What did you call it again? fa-cult-y. Ehen!
Technology came from Africa. Do you know the meaning of technology in Yoruba? Te ki ina lo ji.
This is one time I would like to say a few things Men are born Kings are made Treaties are signed Wars are fought Every country has its own problems So has Nigeria so has Africa Let us bind our wounds and live together in peace Nigeria, one nation indivisible Long live Nigeria Viva Africa
The history of mankind Is full of obvious turning points and significant events Though tongue and tribe my differ We are all Nigerians We are all Africans War is not the answer It has never been the answer And it will never be the answer fighting amongst each other Let's live together in peace Nigeria one Nation Indivisible Long live Nigeria Viva Africa
Let's eat together like we used to eat Let's plan together like we used to plan Sing together like we used to sing Dance together like we used to dance United we stand, divided we fall You know what I mean I hope you do Let us bind our wounds and live together in peace Nigeria one nation indivisible Long live Nigeria Viva Africa
Brothers and Sisters in Africa Never should we learn to wage war against each other Let Nigeria be a lesson to all We have more to learn towards building then destroying Our people can't afford any more sufferings Let's join hands Africa We have nothing to lose But a lot to gain War is not the answer War has never been the answer And it will never be the answer Fighting amongst each other One nation indivisible Long live Nigeria Viva Africa
before African man we no dey carry sheet, we dey sheet for big big hole
na oyinbo teach us to dey carry sheet
for yorubaland na shalanga for igboland na unusi for Hausa land na salunga for Ashanti land na yanyi for Burundi land na sacrabet
accused wey enter road jam justice, e miss road, o yes
gorilla wey do mistake enter Lagos, e miss road o yes
them go dey friend friend with commissioner, friend friend with journalist, friend friend with head of state. obasanjo and Abiola international thief thief.
RIP Fela...truth is dead in Naija Obasanjo dey there, with big fat stomach Yar’Adua dey there, with neck like ostrich Which musician get liver to say that today?
Hbd Culled from beast of no nation. Na craze world we dey na craze world No be outside (jubrin) dey eh , na craze world Na craze man me dat animal in craze man skin e
Army arrangement When obasanjo and yaradua chop belle and go Dem put civilian govt der, dey say na second republic
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