Words and Music composed, written and arranged by Olusegun Akinlolu. No part of these lyrics should be shared in any form or any public space without giving credit to the writer. All rights reserved. © & ℗ 2021 EniObanke
English translations of Yoruba lyrics are in italics under each verse.
1. IWURE
Sebi gbogbo eda lo nf’alafia
Gbogbo eda lo nfe’losiwaju
Ani gbogbo eda lo nfe’dunnu o
Ise owo won ni o je
Sebi gbogbo eda lo nfe’dera o
Gbogbo eda lo nfe ilera
Ani gbogbo eda lo nfe’tunu o
Ise owo won ni o je
(Every human being desires good health
Everyone desires progress
Everyone desires happiness
But the works of their hands won’t allow it
Everyone desires well-being
Everyone desires sound health
Everyone desires comfort
But the works of their hands won’t allow it)
Ojo gbogbo lo dara f’onisuru
Igba gbogbo lo l’ayo fun asooto
Oun gbogbo lo derun f’afenifere
Osi o ni ba o n’ile yi o
Ofo o ni se o, ma wi pe, “Ase!”
B’a ti wi beeni yio ri
(Every day is a good one for those who are patient
Every season brings joy to the truthful
Everything is smooth for the well-wisher
Lack or loss shall not be your lot in this land
Just keep saying, “Ase!”
And so shall it be)
2. EEFO EGBE
Egbe aladun lo mi pe wa, wa ka lo
Egbe onire lo mi pe wa, wa ka lo
(The Society of Sweetness calls to us, let us go
The Society of Goodness calls to us, let us go)
Igbimo Egbe a mu’re wo’lu
Igbimo Egbe oninure
Igbimo Egbe atunluto
Abanise k’ola ko le dun
Igbimo Egbe a mu’re wo’lu
Igbimo Egbe oninure
Igbimo Egbe atunluto
Abanise k’ola ko le to
(The council that brings goodness into the city
The council of the large-hearted
The council sworn to bring reform to society
Those who strive for a good future)
Ke s’omode pel’agbagba
Okunrin ilu oninure
Ke s’awon odo ireti ola
Awon omo ola, omo ogbon
Ke somode pel’agbagba
Obinrin ilu oninure
Ke s’awon odo ireti ola
Awon omo ola, omo ogbon
(Call upon the young and the old
All the men and women with good hearts
Call upon the youth, our hope of future glory
The children of honour and wisdom)
3. AGBO ORE
Eni to duro, ma duro lele
Eni joko, ma joko tetere
Bo s’agbo ore, ife ma lo pe wa wa
Ta’lo nse’re aladun - egbe awa ma lo d’ode
Ta’lo nse’re idunnu
Orin t’o nfun ni l’ayo o
Ilu t’o npe’lu se’jo
(You standing there, don’t stand too tight
You sitting, don’t get complacent
Come into the circle of friends
Love brought us here
And who’s making the sweet, joyful music
That calls us strongly to the dance-floor?
Our band is here again)
Wole o, wole wa
Turaka k’o mu ’ronu sonu
Wole o pelu awon ore
Ife ma lo pe wa wa
(Come in, come on in
Relax and let go of your worries
Come in along with friends
Love brought us here)
Wo mi o, wo e,
Ijo oni ma tun yato
Pel’awon egbe onidera
Ife ma lo pe wa wa
(Look at me, look at you!
Today’s dance is something else
Here in the community of harmony
Love brought us here)
4. AGOGO AYO
E l’agogo ayo pe ‘dera de
Pe ‘tunu wo’le pel’ayo
A dupe l’owo ori
E l’agogo ihinrere pe ‘dunnu de
Pe ‘dera wo’le pel’ayo
A dupe l’owo ori
E ko’ra jo ore, se’un t’o ye ka se
Alabukun l’egbe awa o
A dupe l’owo ori
(Play the bells,
Announce the arrival of peace, comfort and joy
Play the bells, spread the good news
Announce the coming of happiness and calm
Come together friends
Let us do what we must do
Our is a blessed community
We should be thankful)
For everyday we’re getting stronger
Everyday we’re moving closer
For every moment full of joy
Every moment full of beauty
For every way we’re getting better
Every way we’re reaching deeper
For every moment full of glory
Every moment full of wonder
5. A O DIDE
Alagbara nwuga ko se ’fura
O l’oun l’oga igba
A f’owo ola gba ni te’yoku mo’le
Ko ma s’eni t’o to fo’hun
Alagbara nko ni l’aya je
O l’oun l’oga asiko
Ika elenu eewo af’oro fa’ni l’eti ya
Ko ma s’eni t’o je fo’hun
Alakori o mo wipe a o dide o
Wipe a o dide pelu igboya
Wipe a o dide po l’ai ro ti’bi
Ojo de tan t’a o dide o
(The powerful one boasts that he is the master of seasons
Tramples upon the weak and destroys all in his path
And no one dares speak out
The mighty one sows fear in all hearts
Claims to be the master of time
Foul-mouthed wicked soul with deafening words
And no one dares speak out
The fool doesn’t realize that we shall rise up
We shall rise together in unity without fear
One day soon, we shall rise)
Egba merinla l’ounje owuro
Iko mejila ni t’osan o
Eni t’o kan lo mo ko ni se’ru e mo
Ipasan elerujeje
Ni’le won ti ko ni l’oro lo
L’odo a o ri’bi so’ro
Agba nd’orikodo nro’nu o
Ko ma s’eni t’o je fo’hun
(Fourteen lashes for breakfast,
Twelve head raps for lunch
Only those who’ve felt it know it
Terrible, horrible punishment
Our homes have been stripped of wealth
And we dare not speak even outdoors
The old ones hang their heads in deep thought
No one dares speak out)
K’onikaluku gbe’ra ni’le
Oni l’ojo itusile
A fe ko’re jade, itura ma de o
Ona la, ka ye wa toro
(Let everyone get ready,
The day of liberation is here
We are stepping out into freedom, good tidings
May the path open and our lives be renewed)
6. ESE ODO
Ohun meji l’o mo, oo mo t’eni t’o mo mejila
Ohun merin l’o mo, oo mo t’eni to mo merinla
O wa nke “wo wo wo”, o mi ke “wiriwiri warawara”
O nro pi pi pi, o mi dun huruhara harahuru
Ki l’o nbe l’oko o t’akinkanju o ri ri
Kini nbo l’aginju t’ode agba o i rin kan
Bo ba ke “wo wo”, ode a dake pinpin
Bo ba bu rara, agba a mura ija sile
Bo ba yi’ra pada, ode a t’agbara se
Bo ba wa d’omi, ipade d’ese odo
(You know of two things, can’t compare to those who know twelve
You know of four, can’t compare to those who know fourteen
But here you go making loud noises…
What’s there in the forest that the brave hunter hasn’t encountered?
If it makes noise, the hunter stays quiet and still
If it lets out a roar, the hunter gets ready for battle
If it changes form, the hunter arms himself anew
Should it turn into water, then we’ll meet at the river bank)
7. OWO WA
O mi be’ju ironu wo mi, eyi koja owe o
Seb’eni a wi fun k’oba je o gbo, iyen l’abo alakori
L’ai te’ti s’ogbon ipile, a o ti’ka ete ba’nu po l’ojo kan o
O pe mo ti nba o so, ijo wo lo ma gbo ore o?
T’a ba fe k’o dara fun wa, k’ojo ola ye wa o
Sebi l’owo wa lo wa, owo wa l’o wa eni’re
Ni’jo a ti nba’ra pade ni mo ti nsi o ni’ye yi o
O f’aake ko’ri ko’ti ikun oju mi nfa roro o
T’a ba fe k’o dara fun wa, ki’le aye wa ko dun k’ale
(I see you casting a doleful look my way
But I haven’t anything to say that I haven’t said already
Regret results when we shun traditional wisdom
When will you learn to listen?
If we really want reform, a good future
It’s all in our hands, right in our hands
And I keep saying this every time we meet
But you refuse to listen and break my heart
If we want growth and development, it’s in our hands)
Oju orun ma su dede ara gbola ajanilaya
T’a ba le yi’wa pada ona atunse a la gerere
A o t’omo s’ona iye, eemo o se ni wo’le wa ba ni l’osan gangan
O wa nwo mi pakopako, emi lo a fe ntun ma wi?
(The darkening sky portends danger
But if we can retrace our steps and change our ways
The road to reform will open up wide
Chaos ensues when you don’t properly guide the youth
Giving me strange looks, what else do you expect from me?)
8. GUOGUO
Bi’gba ba mi dun
Oun gbogbo a da bi ere
Gbogbo aye a ma yin o
Won a ma pon e le l’otun l’osi
Bi’gba ba yi pere
Gbogbo ile a wa pa lolo
Won a ma ki ni l’atookan
Owo epo ni won nba ni la
Sebi ile wura nd’ahoro
Owo ohun ko ma ra ti ’gbeyin
E w’awon ore ana npa guoguo
Won a ni, “Mo ri o na, mo nbo, mo ri o na”
(When things are going well
Everything seems easy, good fun
And folks will be hailing you right and left
But should things go downhill,
The whole house goes dead
Folks will now keep their distance
They’re only good for the good times
Well, even a house of gold can become empty
And all this money can’t buy off one’s end
Now erstwhile friends go by sheepishly
Saying, “See you soon, see you soon”)
K’ale k’o le dun
L’a se nji l’owuro s’ise
Eni aye kan k’o lo jeje
K’a ma fi t’eni p’ola o
Ko s’oun ta o ri ri
A ti r’omo alade t’o nd’eru
A de ti r’eni t’on ro pin t’o nd’oloro
Ka ma f’aigbon jin s’ogbun
(We work hard for the sake our late years
So, let those in power tread carefully
That we may not use our today to destroy tomorrow
There’s nothing new under the sun
We’ve seen royal scions become slaves
And we’ve seen paupers become wealthy
May lack of wisdom not lead us into a deep dark pit)
9. ITANA ODEDE
Ni’bi won gbe nse’un t’o ye k’a se l’aye o
Ni’bi won gbe nse’un to dara, ore
Ni’bi won gbe nse’re aladun
Ni’bi won gbe ns’ajoyo terintoyaya
EniObanke - seb’awon lo l’ere oni
EniObanke - itana odede, seb’awon lo nse’jo
EniObanke - itasan oorun, seb’oun l’oga okunkun
EniObanke - atonisona, ore ka lo ka jo de’be
(Wherever they’re celebrating life
Wherever they are doing good things
Wherever there is sweet music
Wherever happy folks are making merry
EniObanke - the one you call upon
EniObanke - lamp in the passage, dance-maker
EniObanke - the rays of the sun, conqueror of darkness
EniObanke - the guide, let’s go there friends)
Ke s’omode pelu odo, ewe ati majesin
Ke s’okunrin pel’obinrin, agbagba ilu
Ke s’eni ti nbe l’oko t’o ns’ise k’o le da
Ke s’eni to re ti o l’agbara mo
(Call upon the youth, the children, toddlers
Call to the men and women, all the elders
Call to all those working hard for a bright future
Call upon all those who are weary, devoid of energy)
Ma gb’ese lokankan o, ni mejimeji
A ti bo’ri ofo ati ’banuje
Maa mi bo wun o o
A ni boo fe d’okoto
Gbogbo wa l’a wa ni’be
L’agbo onidera, gbogbo wa l’a wa ni’be po
(Go on, one step or two at a time
We have overcome all sorrow and loss
Just be there vibing if that’s what you want
We are all present here, all of us
In this gathering of harmony)
10. IKORE
E ma wole, e ku abo, e ma rora ore ara
K’oju wa ma ri’re ati idunnu
K’owo wa ma ko’re ayo
K’eti wa ma gbo’royin aladun
K’ile wa ma ro f’ayo
(Welcome everyone, we greet you all
May our eyes be blessed with rich sights
May our hands harvest joy
May our ears be blessed with sweet news
May our homes resound with joy)
There is a season to be out in the fields
Many months of back-breaking labour
There is another season for bountiful harvest
And that is why we are gathered to celebrate
Father was the knower who taught us everything
Mother was the pillar who gave us strength
All hands to the plough, we weathered many storms
And that is why we are happy to celebrate
The drums are resounding, voices raised in song
Young maidens clapping wiggling waists
I have only eyes for you my sweet darling
You glow so bright in the moonlight
Eni t’o nbo l’okere a ki yin
Eni ti nbe ni’joko a ki yin
Odomode pel’agbagba a ki yin
Iya egbe, baba eto, a ki yin
A ku ijo, a ku ayo, a ki yin
Terinterin peloyaya la ki yin
Eni s’ise ye k’o gbadun, a ki yin
Ko ni re wa Egbe Aladun, a ki yin
Gbogbo ilu a ku ayo, a ki yin
Ijo oni ma tun yato, a ki yin
(We greet you all -
All those who are just coming in,
All those already seated
All the elders and youth, the mothers and fathers
We welcome you all with smiles…)
11. ORISIMETA
Orisimeta eda laa pade arinrinajo
Orisimeta eda laa kan l’ode aye eni’re
Eni ti o gbe ni soke, iyen a tan bi ojo tuntun
Eni ti o b’eni kedun kii jina si’bi ofo
Eni ti o loso idena, iyen ki ma i f’oju han ni
K’inu re ma so e eni’re
K’owo e ma ri’re ati ibukun
Kori e gbe e de bi ayo, ni baba wi
Ase gun!
(There are three kinds of folks you’ll meet on your journey
Three types of people you’ll meet in this world:
The ones who’ll promote you will shine bright as day
The experts in mourning are never far from sad events
Those who will set dangerous traps won’t show their faces
May your kind heart guide you
May your hands be enriched with blessings
May your spirit lead you to joy
That’s what the old man said, and so shall it be!)
Orisimeta eda laa pade arinrinajo
Orisimeta eda laa kan l’ode aye eni’re
Eni ti o gbe ni pon s’eyin g’oke laikun lai s’awawi
Eni ti o ko ni l’ese bi itakun arapalakiri
Eni ti o wo ni s’ogbun ijogbo, agbara olorikunkun
(There are three kinds of folks you’ll meet on your journey
Three types of people you’ll meet in this world:
The ones who’ll lift you up without grumbling
Those who will be impediments, crawling forest undergrowth
Those who’ll drag you down a dark hole like a stubborn flood
May your kind heart guide you
May your hands be enriched with blessings
May your spirit lead you to joy
That’s what the old man said, and so shall it be!)
Orisimeta eda laa pade arinrinajo
Orisimeta eda laa kan l’ode aye eni’re
Eni ti o ba ni so’ro tutu, a fi’nu han ni
Eni ti o to ni s’ona iya, oun ke a gba ’bomiran
Eni ti o ba ni se po, a gb’eyin se yeye eni
(There are three kinds of folks you’ll meet on your journey
Three types of people you’ll meet in this world:
The ones who’ll speak gently and share honest thoughts
Those who’ll point you towards hardship while they take another way
Those who be chummy with you but laugh at you behind
May your kind heart guide you
May your hands be enriched with blessings
May your spirit lead you to joy
That’s what the old man said, and so shall it be!)
12. RIDDLE
Ore wo mi titi o ni nwa ba’un de’gbe
Se’mi ti ngo ni’bon, ti ngo l’ofa
Mo l’o dara, iwo sa ma lo niwaju, mo nbo l’eyin re
Ore wo mi titi o ni nwa ka lo d’egbe
Se’mi ti ngo ni’da, ti ngo l’obe
Mo l’o dara, iwo sa ma lo niwaju,
K’o bo sinu igbo, mo nbo l’eyin re
(My pal asks me to go hunting with him
Despite knowing that I possess neither gun nor arrow
Neither sword nor knife
I said: fine, you go on in front, enter the wild
I’ll be right there behind you)
You’re looking for salvation where there is no contrition
Reaching for hope you didn’t sow
The answer is a riddle and there is no solution
The more you find out, the less you know
Ore wo mi titi o ni nwa ka lo d’omuwe
Se’mi ti ngo l’apa, ti ngo l’ese
Mo l’o dara, iwo sa ma lo niwaju
K’o be lu’do, mo nbo l’eyin re
(My pal asks me to come swimming with him
Even though he knows I possess neither arms nor legs
I said: fine, you go on in front, jump in the water
I’ll be right there behind you)
You’re looking for compassion where there is no reflection
Reaching for faith you didn’t grow
The answer is a riddle and there is no solution
The more you find out the less you know
Ore wo mi titi o ni nwa ba’un s’oro isiti
Se’mi l’omo agba ti mo pe n’ile ogbon
Mo l’o dara, o se nso’ro gidi ni
Tetisile k’o gbo
(My pal comes to me seeking counsel
Says he knows I am a scion of the wise
I said: cool, now we’re getting somewhere
Listen to what I’ve got for you)
Seb’owo genge eyi ti i siwaju ijo
Oun lo d’ifa ’fomo Akin
To d’omi ’re siwaju, ko le te’le idera
S’o gbo, ore mi s’o gbo?
13. OMONIYUN
Owo mi osi, owo mi otun
Owo mi mejeji ma fi gb’omo jo o
Omo ni gbe ni, omo ni pe ni l’oja aye
Omoniyun omonide omoniwura
Omo l’aworan ere o
Omo ni wo’le de ni, omo ni pe ni l’oja aye
Omoniyun omonide omoniwura
Omo l’aworan ere o
B’o ti’nu mi wa, ma yo sese
Bi a fun mi to, inu mi a dun geere
Omoniyun omonide omoniwura
Sebi ka ti r’omo ke ni
B’o se l’okunrin ma yo si
B’o se l’obinrin, ayo repete
Omoniyun omonide omoniwura
Sebi ka ti ri’kan ke ni
(With my right hand, my left
With both hands shall I rock children
A child is a priceless treasure
Whether it comes from my womb
Or is given to me to nurture
I’ll be happy to have one to take care of
Whether male or female
My joy shall know no bounds
As long as I have one to take care of)
14. FESTIVAL
Full Instrumental
15. RHYTHMRIDER
Clouds of the north,
Winds of the south
I hear you’re looking for me
Well, I’m here, I’m here
Fairy of the woods
King of all the kooks
I hear you’re looking for me
Well, I’m here, I’m here
I’m right here in the centre-light
Dancing till the morning light
I’m here swaying with the beat
Feeling good is such a treat
Right here, there’s no better way
Looking to a bright new day
I’m here flying like a bird
On the wings of a music god
Mimic of the sea
Rumble in a cup of tea
I hear you’re looking for me
Well, I’m here, I’m here
Ghost of the closet
Phantom of the moment
I hear you’re looking for me
Well, I’m here, I’m here…
16. ARE YOU READY?
Well, I could sing you a song
About a land where nothing works
And the youth are asleep or watching porn on TV
I could take you around on the rough, bumpy road
Paved with the blood of innocents
Where light never shines on truth
Some wait for a deliverer, some cry for deliverance
Some just rape the motherland openly without remorse
And the day grows into night, weeks into years
Hope is shattered and the union is fragile and worn
For the little ones looking up
And the ones unborn who’ll be here very soon
Can we wake up from our slumber
Purge our minds of bigotry
Turn our backs on corruption and fix the house?
We can knock it down, rebuild it, we can grind it to dust
Or we can go our separate ways and fight new wars
The sunrise of pain must not set in sorrow
Say what you must, do what you should
Be the change you wish to see
Tomorrow is another day to rise and lift your voice
To reform! To rebirth! To truth and justice!
Are you ready?
17. WHEN WILL YOU BE READY?
I think we all know this ain’t working
Hasn’t worked from the start
Too many years of horrors, so many dreams wasted
So many lives destroyed
And hope doesn’t live here anymore
So when will you be ready?
When will you be ready to face the truth?
When will you be ready to stand for justice?
When will you be ready?
When will you be ready?
Is it when your Pastor says?
Or when your Imam commands?
Is it when your Influencers decide?
Or do you have a mind of your own?
Can’t you see the time is here
To step away from hypocrisy
Stop the rot and all the backwardness?
Why delay? The job’s got to be done
When will you be ready?
18. TO BE FREE
Everybody wants to be free
Free like the birds perching high up in the tree
Everybody wants to be free
Oh, like the wind blowing there and everywhere
But can we break the chains of chauvinism
Can we turn away those selfish thoughts
Can we stand up for justice in every way and everywhere?
Everybody wants to be free
Free like a river rolling down to the sea
Everybody wants to be free
Oh, like the sun burning bright through the day
But can we break our bonds with bigotry
Can we still the greed in our hearts
Can we be real every moment and face the truth in every way?
There’s a way to be
In peace like brothers and sisters
Where truth and just walk hand in hand
Like true lovers
19. ENCRYPTED
Now here we are in the house of deception
Waiting for our turn in glory
“In due course”, they say
Any dissent is a cause for deception
Play the game or you’ll be sorry
Cast out with the dreamers
Just follow, follow, follow the mark
Follow, follow, follow the colours
Follow, follow, follow the banner
It may be embroidered
It may be engraved
It may be encrypted
But it’s got your number
Shed your pride you’re in the house of deception
Everyone here has the same name
Clones of the master
Those who can’t be melted in the illusion
Will be the ones to take the blame
Shut out with the dreamers
20. COME THE MOMENT
Some will never hear the call
Till it’s too late for them
And they will blame you for not speaking loud
They will never hear the sound
Until the light is gone
And the darkness descends upon them
Come the moment come the man
Here’s the root of lasting peace
Come to justice, come to truth
Here is where we ought to be
For the worker in the field
We’re the profit of your pain
To the mothers of the land
We’re the voices of your rage
For the stream we sailed the sea
For the molehill we climbed the mountain
For the people and those to come in time
We set wisdom in stone
21. GUINEAMAN
The words have been written oh Lord of Letters
On stone and water, in sacred places
The sins of the night now revealed in light
And the feeling grows
The word has been sent out oh Lord of Letter
For freedom, justice, true liberation
Voices are calling for restitution
And the feeling grows
Light your candle, burn a fire
For the stolen child of the way
Lift your candle, raise it higher
For the forgotten who slept in the sea
And the number grows
Ah-one, ah-two, ah-one hundred
ah-two, ah-three, four hundred strong
Bring more, more, fold them in there
Watch the numbers grow
Count your mirrors, your silk dresses
Check your money it’s all in there
There’s no tomorrow, only the moment
Sell your soul and rejoice in your reflection
As the numbers grow
The guineaman is waiting for us, waiting
Go tell the man we’re ready to sail to pain
The guineaman is swaying, dancing on the water
As the numbers grow
22. DRIFT ON
I’ll give you the answers if you really wish to know
The head is rotten, the body is spoilt
The holy man is a liar and there is no lady of virtue
Your songs are empty, and the people hunger for lies
They want lies in the morning
Deception in the evening
They just can’t get enough, it’s just the way we roll
They lament of poverty and pain in their lives
But their minds are bent
And their hearts are full of hate
I’ll give you the answers if you really wish to know
Without love there’s no truth
No truth, and no justice
A land with no justice cannot be alive
Like a body with no soul, we just drift on and on
23. DELIGHT
Delight to see you every night in my dreams
Every hour spent with you, oh so joyous!
Lover, love has pulled us together
Let’s hold on until the break of day
I’d like to see us walk the streets of glory
All the visions we had, in reality
Lover, lover, before our time is over
We shall see the dawn of true liberation
Delight to see you first thing in the morning
Every moment we share, oh so precious!
Lover, love has brought us together
So we’ll ring the bell of hope
In your eyes I see the things you don’t say
I know you still believe even when you’re weary
Lover, lover, the storm will soon be over
And we’ll see the light of true emancipation
They say we’re nobodies - sons of nobodies
And our plans will never come to much
But, while they slumber
We’ll be getting stronger
They say we’re nobodies - daughters of nobodies
But we’ve got the answer to the riddle
For while they’re scampering
We’ll be re-arranging
24. THE EYE
Oh, torrid feeling!
Got me choking on words
I know you know the way I feel inside
Bet you do, bet you do!
Oh, horrid feeling!
Got me swallowing bile
Well you know the way I feel alright
You walked the road long before
Well go on, tell me, tell me
Say I should have known it would end this way
Go on, laugh at me all you want
I know I should have known
If I had the eye
Oh, good graces!
Have ears cannot hear
Think they know but so far behind
And nothing works here anymore
Oh, poor souls!
How I try to raise your cloud
Wasted words and energy
Y’keep on going from bad to worse
25. THE VERY BEST
You probably thought I forgot
When I didn’t say a word the other night
I was waiting for the morning sun
Just to sing you this song
How I wish you beautiful stories
I wish you a wonderful life
You mean much more than you know
And I hope this makes you smile
And I wish you joy and laughter
I wish you magical moments
I wish you love that never cloys
Yes, I wish you strength to go on
I wish you dreams that come true
And I wish you the very best of you, my love
You probably thought I forgot
When I didn’t join the crowd
I was waiting for the perfect chance
Just to sing you this song
How I wish you delightful stories
I wish you a colourful life
You mean much more than the day
And I hope this makes you smile
26. COME BY
I don’t wanna know where you’ve been
Where you took our little dream
I just wanna see you a-glowing
Smiling bright, full of pride
Here in the place you’ve always reigned
Come by queen, take my world
I just wanna keep on moving on
I just wanna keep on building hope
Right here, babe, in the eye of love
Can you feel it?
I don’t wanna hear what they say
When they gather up in that alley
Some of them holding the tail
But in their minds think it’s the head
Perfect cloud and sumptuous rain
Walk in queen, you’ve got my vote
Yeah, we’ve been here before
Errors that we made, shackles on the feet
Just like a volcano ready for the burst
I think you understand…
I don’t wanna be on that road
Going nowhere very fast
Take some time to hear the wind
Whistling wildly past my door
It’s a peaceful rage
Come right through queen of my world
27. DOORWAYS AND SHADOWS
Three-legged horse in the clouds
Gold dust in the shadows
There’s a rainbow in the doorway
Countless stars in the ceiling
It’s the way you love me
Something about the way you love me
Oh, I love the way you love me
How I love the way you love me babe!
Feels like we’ve been here forever
Feels like it’s only been a minute
Feels like we could be eternally aloft
Light and bright in the moment
There were circles, a garden in the centre
There were raindrops hung up in the air
And they were so close to the mother of the angels
Tiny voices singing, “Do you want more?”
28. TRY YORUBA
If you have things to say
That are stuck in your throat
Spit it out then - try Yoruba
Gbogbo ona lona,
Eniburuku ti lekun ayo, o gbagbe ferese idunnu
Ona la!
(Every way is a road
The evil one shuts the door to joy
Forgetting there is a window of happiness
Open up, road!)
If your lover is making waves
Looks like trouble on the way
Don’t wanna be lonely so quickly again
Well then, try Yoruba
Abefe mi, olojuede, eyifunjowo, aponbepore
T’o si mo bi mo se feran re to, ha ha, r’erin joo
(My beautiful, endearing and charming darling
You do know how much I adore you
Come, give us a smile!)
If you get stuck in a dark place
And you need to let them know who’s boss
No need for guns, no need for clubs, no need for knives, just try Yoruba
E je kori gbogbo wa pe, ab’e mo bi mo se je ni?
Ti mo ba se ewa fun e!
(Listen, we all better have your heads properly screwed on
Don’t you know who I am?
If I should!)
If you get to the crossroads finally
But they say your sacrifice "don’t cut it"
Don’t fall to pieces man
Hold your arms up, let the words spill
Try Yoruba
Oluwa mi ero, Oluwa mi ero
Epo re, eja re, owo mi re kiki efun,
Oluwa mi ero
(Mercy, my lord, mercy
Here are all the offerings you demanded
Mercy, my lord!)
And the day The Reaper comes
Says it’s your turn to make the trip
There’s a way to say you’re not ready
Try Yoruba
Bi a ba ni a m’oni, ola laa mu
Ng’e se tan, ani ng’e se tan, mo ni ng’e se tan!
(In reaching for today, you will only grab tomorrow
I’m not ready, I’m not ready, I say!)
If all you know is one word,
If all you know is only a phrase
Let it out, let if flow
Try Yoruba
Not just a language,
It’s a safe password,
It’s a super duper code
Try Yoruba