Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti (15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997 … Read Full Bio ↴Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti (15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997 ), known professionally as Fela Kuti, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, or simply Fela, was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, political maverick & leader of Fela Ransome Kuti & Africa 70.
HMV Magazine ranked him as #46 on a list of the 100 most influential musicians of the 20th century.
The musical style performed by Fela Kuti is called Afrobeat, which is essentially a fusion of jazz, funk, highlife, and traditional Yoruban chants and rhythms. It is characterized by having African-style percussion, vocals, and musical structure, along with jazzy, funky horn sections. The endless groove is also used, in which a base rhythm of drums, shekere, muted guitar, and bass guitar are repeated throughout the song. His band was notable for featuring two baritone saxophones, whereas most groups using this instrument only use one. This is a common technique in African and African-influenced musical styles, and can be seen in funk and hip-hop. Some elements often present in Fela's music are the call-and-response within the chorus and figurative but simple lyrics. Fela's songs were almost always over 10 minutes in length, some reaching the 20- or even 30-minute marks, while some unreleased tracks would last up to 45 minutes when performed live. This was one of many reasons that his music never reached a substantial degree of popularity outside of Africa. His songs were mostly sung in Nigerian pidgin, although he also performed a few songs in the Yoruba language. Fela's main instruments were the saxophone and the keyboards, but he also played the trumpet, guitar, and took the occasional drum solo. Fela refused to perform songs again after he had already recorded them, which also hindered his popularity outside Africa. Fela was known for his showmanship, and his concerts were often quite outlandish and wild. He referred to his stage act as the Underground Spiritual Game.
Fela was born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria, to a middle-class family. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was a feminist activist in the anti-colonial movement and his father, Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, a Protestant minister and school Principal, was the first president of the Nigerian Union of Teachers. His brothers, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti and Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti,both medical doctors, are both well known in Nigeria.
Fela was sent to London in 1958 to study medicine but decided to study music instead at the Trinity College of Music. While there, he formed the band Koola Lobitos, playing a style of music that he would later call Afrobeat. The style was a fusion of American Jazz, psychedelic rock, and Funk with West African Highlife. In 1961, Fela married his first wife, Remilekun (Remi) Taylor, with whom he would have three children (Femi, Yeni, and Sola). In 1963, Fela moved back to Nigeria, re-formed Koola Lobitos and trained as a radio producer for the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. In 1969, Fela took the band to the United States. While there, Fela discovered the Black power movement through Sandra Smith (now Isidore)—a partisan of the Black Panther Party—which would heavily influence his music and political views and renamed the band Nigeria ’70. Soon, the Immigration and Naturalization Service was tipped off by a promoter that Fela and his band were in the US without work permits. The band then performed a quick recording session in Los Angeles that would later be released as The '69 Los Angeles Sessions.
Fela and his band, renamed Africa '70, returned to Nigeria. He then formed the Kalakuta Republic, a commune, a recording studio, and a home for many connected to the band that he later declared independent from the Nigerian state. Fela set up a nightclub in the Empire Hotel, named the Afro-Spot and then the Afrika Shrine, where he performed regularly. Fela also changed his middle name to Anikulapo (meaning "he who carries death in his pouch"), stating that his original middle name of Ransome was a slave name. The recordings continued, and the music became more politically motivated. Fela's music became very popular among the Nigerian public and Africans in general. In fact, he made the decision to sing in Pidgin English so that his music could be enjoyed by individuals all over Africa, where the local languages spoken are very diverse and numerous. As popular as Fela's music had become in Nigeria and elsewhere, it was also very unpopular with the ruling government, and raids on the Kalakuta Republic were frequent. In 1974 the police arrived with a search warrant and a cannabis joint, which they had intended to plant on Fela. He became wise to this and swallowed the joint. In response, the police took him into custody and waited to examine his feces. Fela enlisted the help of his prison mates and gave the police someone else's feces, and Fela was freed. He then recounted this tale in his release Expensive Shit (now released together with "He Miss Road" as Expensive Shit/He Miss Road).
In 1977 Fela and the Afrika ’70 released the hit album Zombie, a scathing attack on Nigerian soldiers using the zombie metaphor to describe the methods of the Nigerian military. The album was a smash hit with the people and infuriated the government, setting off a vicious attack against the Kalakuta Republic, during which one thousand soldiers attacked the commune. Fela was severely beaten, and his elderly mother was thrown from a window, causing fatal injuries. The Kalakuta Republic was burned, and Fela's studio, instruments, and master tapes were destroyed. Fela claimed that he would have been killed if it were not for the intervention of a commanding officer as he was being beaten. Fela's response to the attack was to deliver his mother's coffin to the main army barrack in Lagos and write two songs, "Coffin for Head of State" and "Unknown Soldier," referencing the official inquiry that claimed the commune had been destroyed by an unknown soldier.
Fela and his band then took residence in Crossroads Hotel as the Shrine had been destroyed along with his commune. In 1978 Fela married 27 women, many of whom were his dancers, composers, and singers to mark the anniversary of the attack on the Kalakuta Republic. Later, he was to adopt a rotation system of keeping only twelve simultaneous wives. The year was also marked by two notorious concerts, the first in Accra in which riots broke out during the song "Zombie," which led to Fela being banned from entering Ghana. The second was at the Berlin Jazz Festival after which most of Fela's musicians deserted him, due to rumors that Fela was planning to use the entirety of the proceeds to fund his presidential campaign.
Despite the massive setbacks, Fela was determined to come back. He formed his own political party, which he called 'Movement of the People'. In 1979 he put himself forward for President in Nigeria's first elections for more than a decade but his candidature was refused. At this time, Fela created a new band called Egypt 80 and continued to record albums and tour the country. He further infuriated the political establishment by dropping the names of ITT vice-president Moshood Abiola and then General Olusegun Obasanjo at the end of a hot-selling 25-minute political screed titled "I. T. T. (International Thief Thief)."
In 1984, he was again attacked by the Military government, who jailed him on a dubious charge of currency smuggling. His case was taken up by several human-rights groups, and after 20 months, he was released from prison by General Ibrahim Babangida. On his release he divorced his 12 remaining wives, saying that "marriage brings jealousy and selfishness." Once again, Fela continued to release albums with Egypt 80, made a number of successful tours of the United States and Europe and also continued to be politically active. In 1986, Fela performed in Giants Stadium in New Jersey as part of the Amnesty International Conspiracy of Hope concert, sharing the bill with Bono, Carlos Santana, and the Neville Brothers. In 1989, Fela & Egypt 80 released the anti-apartheid "Beasts of No Nation" album that depicts on its cover U.S. President Ronald Reagan, UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and South African Prime Minister P.W. Botha with fangs dripping blood.
His album output slowed in the 1990s, and eventually he stopped releasing albums altogether. The battle against military corruption in Nigeria was taking its toll, especially during the rise of dictator Sani Abacha. Rumors were also spreading that he was suffering from an illness for which he was refusing treatment. On 3 August 1997, Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, already a prominent AIDS activist and former Minister of Health, stunned the nation by announcing his younger brother's death a day earlier from Kaposi's sarcoma brought on by AIDS. (Their younger brother Beko was in jail at this time at the hand of Abacha for political activity). More than a million people attended Fela's funeral at the site of the old Shrine compound. A new Africa Shrine has opened since Fela's death in a different section of Lagos under the supervision of his son Femi Kuti.
HMV Magazine ranked him as #46 on a list of the 100 most influential musicians of the 20th century.
The musical style performed by Fela Kuti is called Afrobeat, which is essentially a fusion of jazz, funk, highlife, and traditional Yoruban chants and rhythms. It is characterized by having African-style percussion, vocals, and musical structure, along with jazzy, funky horn sections. The endless groove is also used, in which a base rhythm of drums, shekere, muted guitar, and bass guitar are repeated throughout the song. His band was notable for featuring two baritone saxophones, whereas most groups using this instrument only use one. This is a common technique in African and African-influenced musical styles, and can be seen in funk and hip-hop. Some elements often present in Fela's music are the call-and-response within the chorus and figurative but simple lyrics. Fela's songs were almost always over 10 minutes in length, some reaching the 20- or even 30-minute marks, while some unreleased tracks would last up to 45 minutes when performed live. This was one of many reasons that his music never reached a substantial degree of popularity outside of Africa. His songs were mostly sung in Nigerian pidgin, although he also performed a few songs in the Yoruba language. Fela's main instruments were the saxophone and the keyboards, but he also played the trumpet, guitar, and took the occasional drum solo. Fela refused to perform songs again after he had already recorded them, which also hindered his popularity outside Africa. Fela was known for his showmanship, and his concerts were often quite outlandish and wild. He referred to his stage act as the Underground Spiritual Game.
Fela was born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria, to a middle-class family. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was a feminist activist in the anti-colonial movement and his father, Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, a Protestant minister and school Principal, was the first president of the Nigerian Union of Teachers. His brothers, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti and Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti,both medical doctors, are both well known in Nigeria.
Fela was sent to London in 1958 to study medicine but decided to study music instead at the Trinity College of Music. While there, he formed the band Koola Lobitos, playing a style of music that he would later call Afrobeat. The style was a fusion of American Jazz, psychedelic rock, and Funk with West African Highlife. In 1961, Fela married his first wife, Remilekun (Remi) Taylor, with whom he would have three children (Femi, Yeni, and Sola). In 1963, Fela moved back to Nigeria, re-formed Koola Lobitos and trained as a radio producer for the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. In 1969, Fela took the band to the United States. While there, Fela discovered the Black power movement through Sandra Smith (now Isidore)—a partisan of the Black Panther Party—which would heavily influence his music and political views and renamed the band Nigeria ’70. Soon, the Immigration and Naturalization Service was tipped off by a promoter that Fela and his band were in the US without work permits. The band then performed a quick recording session in Los Angeles that would later be released as The '69 Los Angeles Sessions.
Fela and his band, renamed Africa '70, returned to Nigeria. He then formed the Kalakuta Republic, a commune, a recording studio, and a home for many connected to the band that he later declared independent from the Nigerian state. Fela set up a nightclub in the Empire Hotel, named the Afro-Spot and then the Afrika Shrine, where he performed regularly. Fela also changed his middle name to Anikulapo (meaning "he who carries death in his pouch"), stating that his original middle name of Ransome was a slave name. The recordings continued, and the music became more politically motivated. Fela's music became very popular among the Nigerian public and Africans in general. In fact, he made the decision to sing in Pidgin English so that his music could be enjoyed by individuals all over Africa, where the local languages spoken are very diverse and numerous. As popular as Fela's music had become in Nigeria and elsewhere, it was also very unpopular with the ruling government, and raids on the Kalakuta Republic were frequent. In 1974 the police arrived with a search warrant and a cannabis joint, which they had intended to plant on Fela. He became wise to this and swallowed the joint. In response, the police took him into custody and waited to examine his feces. Fela enlisted the help of his prison mates and gave the police someone else's feces, and Fela was freed. He then recounted this tale in his release Expensive Shit (now released together with "He Miss Road" as Expensive Shit/He Miss Road).
In 1977 Fela and the Afrika ’70 released the hit album Zombie, a scathing attack on Nigerian soldiers using the zombie metaphor to describe the methods of the Nigerian military. The album was a smash hit with the people and infuriated the government, setting off a vicious attack against the Kalakuta Republic, during which one thousand soldiers attacked the commune. Fela was severely beaten, and his elderly mother was thrown from a window, causing fatal injuries. The Kalakuta Republic was burned, and Fela's studio, instruments, and master tapes were destroyed. Fela claimed that he would have been killed if it were not for the intervention of a commanding officer as he was being beaten. Fela's response to the attack was to deliver his mother's coffin to the main army barrack in Lagos and write two songs, "Coffin for Head of State" and "Unknown Soldier," referencing the official inquiry that claimed the commune had been destroyed by an unknown soldier.
Fela and his band then took residence in Crossroads Hotel as the Shrine had been destroyed along with his commune. In 1978 Fela married 27 women, many of whom were his dancers, composers, and singers to mark the anniversary of the attack on the Kalakuta Republic. Later, he was to adopt a rotation system of keeping only twelve simultaneous wives. The year was also marked by two notorious concerts, the first in Accra in which riots broke out during the song "Zombie," which led to Fela being banned from entering Ghana. The second was at the Berlin Jazz Festival after which most of Fela's musicians deserted him, due to rumors that Fela was planning to use the entirety of the proceeds to fund his presidential campaign.
Despite the massive setbacks, Fela was determined to come back. He formed his own political party, which he called 'Movement of the People'. In 1979 he put himself forward for President in Nigeria's first elections for more than a decade but his candidature was refused. At this time, Fela created a new band called Egypt 80 and continued to record albums and tour the country. He further infuriated the political establishment by dropping the names of ITT vice-president Moshood Abiola and then General Olusegun Obasanjo at the end of a hot-selling 25-minute political screed titled "I. T. T. (International Thief Thief)."
In 1984, he was again attacked by the Military government, who jailed him on a dubious charge of currency smuggling. His case was taken up by several human-rights groups, and after 20 months, he was released from prison by General Ibrahim Babangida. On his release he divorced his 12 remaining wives, saying that "marriage brings jealousy and selfishness." Once again, Fela continued to release albums with Egypt 80, made a number of successful tours of the United States and Europe and also continued to be politically active. In 1986, Fela performed in Giants Stadium in New Jersey as part of the Amnesty International Conspiracy of Hope concert, sharing the bill with Bono, Carlos Santana, and the Neville Brothers. In 1989, Fela & Egypt 80 released the anti-apartheid "Beasts of No Nation" album that depicts on its cover U.S. President Ronald Reagan, UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and South African Prime Minister P.W. Botha with fangs dripping blood.
His album output slowed in the 1990s, and eventually he stopped releasing albums altogether. The battle against military corruption in Nigeria was taking its toll, especially during the rise of dictator Sani Abacha. Rumors were also spreading that he was suffering from an illness for which he was refusing treatment. On 3 August 1997, Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, already a prominent AIDS activist and former Minister of Health, stunned the nation by announcing his younger brother's death a day earlier from Kaposi's sarcoma brought on by AIDS. (Their younger brother Beko was in jail at this time at the hand of Abacha for political activity). More than a million people attended Fela's funeral at the site of the old Shrine compound. A new Africa Shrine has opened since Fela's death in a different section of Lagos under the supervision of his son Femi Kuti.
O.D.O.O.
Fela Kuti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
Ah! I beg let us get down
Into another underground spiritual game
I beg, after my "pass o, pass o"
You go dey help me end am with "wen"
Because them go hear wen, yeah
Pass o, pass o, pass o, pass o
Wen
When they want to call, eh
When they want to call, eh
When they want to call Nigerian government
Them give am name, "Federal Military Government"
(Federal Military Government!)
For Libya dem give am name, "Liberation Council"
(Liberation Council!)
For Liberia dem give am name, "Redemption Council"
(Redemption Council!)
For Zaire dem give am name, "Revolutionary Council"
(Revolutionary Council!)
Them get different different names
For different different governments
But the correct name for them
Na "soldier go, soldier come"
Soldier go, soldier come
Soldier go, soldier come
Federal Military Government
Libya Liberation Council
Liberia Redemption Council
Zaire Revolutionary Council
Soldier go, soldier come
Soldier go, soldier come
When Obasanjo and Yar′Adua
Chop belly full and go
Them put civilian friends for there
Them shout, "Second republic!"
People wey no know dey happy
People wey know them dey look
Them baptize the civilian government
Them name am federal government
Me I know by their name
Me I call them "soldier put, soldier go"
Soldier go, soldier come
Soldier come, soldier go
Na so our lives for Africa dey roll
Since them say we get independence
The civilian government wey them dey
Na soldier dey protect them
When our lives roll small
He go go knock head for wall
When our lives roll small
He go go knock head for tree
When our lives roll small
He go go knock head for stone
When I see say our lives dey roll
Like one yeye ball
Wey one yeye wind
Dey blow from one yeye corner
I put my mouth for song
"Kalakuta Show"
Yeye rolling
Gaga gugu, gaga gugu
Woko woko, woko woko
Look the man he dey waka
Hungry dey run for him face
I put my mouth for song
"Mr. Follow Follow"
Yeye rolling
Mr. Follow Follow
Mr. Follow Follow, make you open eye
Mr. Follow Follow, make you open sense
I put my mouth for song
"Zombie o, Zombie"
Yeye rolling
Zombie o, zombie
Zombie no go go unless you tell am to go and stop
Attention, quick march, left turn
Right turn, about turn, quick march
Quick march, left turn, right turn
About turn, quick march, left turn
I put my mouth for song
"Shuffering and Shmiling"
Yeye rolling
Suffering and smiling
Every day my people dey inside bus
Forty-nine sitting, ninety-nine standing
Them dey faint, them dey wake like cock
Every day na the same thing
I put my mouth for song
"Unknown Soldier"
Yeye rolling
Unknown soldier
That my mama wey you kill
She is the only mother of Nigeria
Which kind injustice be this?
Wetin concern government inside?
If na unknown soldier
Them turn blue into red
Them turn pink into green
Soldier go, soldier come
Soldier come, soldier go
The reason suffer our suffer
He don dey show him face to us
When black man want to start business, na big wahala
Na big wahala, he go run orisirisi running
When he start the business nko? Another wahala
Another wahala, he go beg orisirisi begging
To settle wahala, na to start wahala again
To start wahala again you go fall orisirisi falling
And things don come change again
Soldier don put everybody for reverse
Na back the country take dey walk
Soldier don put everybody for reverse
Na back the country take dey walk
Soldier don put everybody for reverse
Ah, I beg, we wan change the mood of this music now
We wan inject second bass and the big conga drums
Oya, Pop
Na from back
If them wan to knock your head
Eh-eh, na from back o
If them wan to knock your head
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to run, be running
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to run, be running
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to beg, be begging
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to beg, be begging
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to fall, be falling
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to fall, be falling
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to get wahala
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to get wahala
I say, na from back o
If anybody wan to try to run forward
Soldier boots go kick am back
Eh-eh, na from back o
Ah! Oya, pass o and wen
Pass o, pass o, pass o, pass o
Wen
Ah! Oya, second bass... pop
My friend wan come buy fan
Him dey sweat for him dey sleep for room
Him dey fall level of tree
The fan na seventy-five naira
My friend him dey follow 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
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
Soldier go, soldier come
Soldier come, soldier go
Na so Africa man life dey be
Suffer don daburu him sense
When you wear police uniform
Na to collect money for road
Abi I lie?
When you wear police uniform
Na to collect money for road
I no dey lie!
Police station don turn to bank
D.P.O. na bank manager
Police station don turn to bank
I.G. na managing director
Na big e wahala for man to waka for road at anytime
So you see, my brothers
Overtake don overtake overtake, eh-yah
Overtake don overtake overtake, eh-yah
Overtake don overtake overtake!
Eh-yah
Eh-yah
Eh-yah
That my mama wey you kill
She is the only mother of Nigeria
Which kind injustice be this?
Wetin concern government inside?
If na unknown soldier
Them turn blue into red
Them turn pink into green
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
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
Overtake don overtake overtake
Ah! I beg let us get down
Into another underground spiritual game
I beg, after my "pass o, pass o"
You go dey help me end am with "wen"
Because them go hear wen, yeah
Pass o, pass o, pass o, pass o
Wen
When they want to call, eh
When they want to call, eh
When they want to call Nigerian government
Them give am name, "Federal Military Government"
(Federal Military Government!)
For Libya dem give am name, "Liberation Council"
(Liberation Council!)
For Liberia dem give am name, "Redemption Council"
(Redemption Council!)
For Zaire dem give am name, "Revolutionary Council"
(Revolutionary Council!)
Them get different different names
For different different governments
But the correct name for them
Na "soldier go, soldier come"
Soldier go, soldier come
Soldier go, soldier come
Federal Military Government
Libya Liberation Council
Liberia Redemption Council
Zaire Revolutionary Council
Soldier go, soldier come
Soldier go, soldier come
When Obasanjo and Yar′Adua
Chop belly full and go
Them put civilian friends for there
Them shout, "Second republic!"
People wey no know dey happy
People wey know them dey look
Them baptize the civilian government
Them name am federal government
Me I know by their name
Me I call them "soldier put, soldier go"
Soldier go, soldier come
Soldier come, soldier go
Na so our lives for Africa dey roll
Since them say we get independence
The civilian government wey them dey
Na soldier dey protect them
When our lives roll small
He go go knock head for wall
When our lives roll small
He go go knock head for tree
When our lives roll small
He go go knock head for stone
When I see say our lives dey roll
Like one yeye ball
Wey one yeye wind
Dey blow from one yeye corner
I put my mouth for song
"Kalakuta Show"
Yeye rolling
Gaga gugu, gaga gugu
Woko woko, woko woko
Look the man he dey waka
Hungry dey run for him face
I put my mouth for song
"Mr. Follow Follow"
Yeye rolling
Mr. Follow Follow
Mr. Follow Follow, make you open eye
Mr. Follow Follow, make you open sense
I put my mouth for song
"Zombie o, Zombie"
Yeye rolling
Zombie o, zombie
Zombie no go go unless you tell am to go and stop
Attention, quick march, left turn
Right turn, about turn, quick march
Quick march, left turn, right turn
About turn, quick march, left turn
I put my mouth for song
"Shuffering and Shmiling"
Yeye rolling
Suffering and smiling
Every day my people dey inside bus
Forty-nine sitting, ninety-nine standing
Them dey faint, them dey wake like cock
Every day na the same thing
I put my mouth for song
"Unknown Soldier"
Yeye rolling
Unknown soldier
That my mama wey you kill
She is the only mother of Nigeria
Which kind injustice be this?
Wetin concern government inside?
If na unknown soldier
Them turn blue into red
Them turn pink into green
Soldier go, soldier come
Soldier come, soldier go
The reason suffer our suffer
He don dey show him face to us
When black man want to start business, na big wahala
Na big wahala, he go run orisirisi running
When he start the business nko? Another wahala
Another wahala, he go beg orisirisi begging
To settle wahala, na to start wahala again
To start wahala again you go fall orisirisi falling
And things don come change again
Soldier don put everybody for reverse
Na back the country take dey walk
Soldier don put everybody for reverse
Na back the country take dey walk
Soldier don put everybody for reverse
Ah, I beg, we wan change the mood of this music now
We wan inject second bass and the big conga drums
Oya, Pop
Na from back
If them wan to knock your head
Eh-eh, na from back o
If them wan to knock your head
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to run, be running
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to run, be running
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to beg, be begging
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to beg, be begging
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to fall, be falling
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to fall, be falling
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to get wahala
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to get wahala
I say, na from back o
If anybody wan to try to run forward
Soldier boots go kick am back
Eh-eh, na from back o
Ah! Oya, pass o and wen
Pass o, pass o, pass o, pass o
Wen
Ah! Oya, second bass... pop
My friend wan come buy fan
Him dey sweat for him dey sleep for room
Him dey fall level of tree
The fan na seventy-five naira
My friend him dey follow 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
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
Soldier go, soldier come
Soldier come, soldier go
Na so Africa man life dey be
Suffer don daburu him sense
When you wear police uniform
Na to collect money for road
Abi I lie?
When you wear police uniform
Na to collect money for road
I no dey lie!
Police station don turn to bank
D.P.O. na bank manager
Police station don turn to bank
I.G. na managing director
Na big e wahala for man to waka for road at anytime
So you see, my brothers
Overtake don overtake overtake, eh-yah
Overtake don overtake overtake, eh-yah
Overtake don overtake overtake!
Eh-yah
Eh-yah
Eh-yah
That my mama wey you kill
She is the only mother of Nigeria
Which kind injustice be this?
Wetin concern government inside?
If na unknown soldier
Them turn blue into red
Them turn pink into green
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
The song "O.D.O.O." by Nigerian musician Fela Kuti is a political commentary about the African continent's post-colonial governments and the impact of military rule. In the beginning of the song, Kuti sets the scene of a person going to the market only to be interrupted by the government's interference, causing their plans to spoil. This is a metaphor for how corrupt governments often impede people's progress and ruin their plans. The chorus of the song, "Soldier go, soldier come," highlights the recurring theme of military rule in Africa and how it disrupts civilian life. Kuti also criticizes the governments' use of deception and propaganda by pointing out the various names given to different regimes, despite their inherent similarities. The lyrics "The reason suffer our suffer, He don dey show him face to us" suggest that the pain and suffering of the people is becoming more visible and that they are no longer willing to accept it silently.
Line by Line Meaning
I get my money
I have earned my money
Plan my plan finish
I have completed my plan
Start to go for market
I begin my journey to the market
Start to go for shopping
I begin my shopping trip
Before I reach market nko o?
But before I reach the market, what happens?
Government show don enter
The government officials have arrived
My plan don spoil o
My plan has been ruined
Overtake don overtake overtake
The act of overtaking has become repetitive and excessive
Writer(s): Fela Kuti
Contributed by Leah F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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@peterporkeresq.2817
[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
[Chorus]
Overtake don overtake overtake!
Ah! I beg let us get down
Into another underground spiritual game
I beg, after my "pass o, pass o"
You go dey help me end am with "wen"
Because them go hear wen, yeah!
Pass o, pass o, pass o, pass o...
[Chorus]
Wen!
When they want to call, eh
When they want to call, eh
When they want to call Nigerian government
Them give am name, "Federal Military Government"
(Federal Military Government!)
For Libya dem give am name, "Liberation Council"
(Liberation Council!)
For Liberia dem give am name, "Redemption Council"
(Redemption Council!)
For Zaire dem give am name, "Revolutionary Council"
(Revolutionary Council!)
Them get different different names
For different different governments
But the correct name for them
Na "soldier go, soldier come"
[Chorus]
Soldier go, soldier come!
Soldier go, soldier come
Federal Military Government
Libya Liberation Council
Liberia Redemption Council
Zaire Revolutionary Council
Soldier go, soldier come
Soldier go, soldier come
When Obasanjo and Yar'Adua
Chop belly full and go
Them put civilian friends for there
Them shout, "Second republic!"
People wey no know dey happy
People wey know them dey look
Them baptize the civilian government
Them name am federal government
Me I know by their name
Me I call them "soldier put, soldier go"
[Chorus]
Soldier go, soldier come!
Soldier come, soldier go!
Na so our lives for Africa dey roll
Since them say we get independence
The civilian government wey them dey
Na soldier dey protect them
When our lives roll small
He go go knock head for wall
When our lives roll small
He go go knock head for tree
When our lives roll small
He go go knock head for stone
When I see say our lives dey roll
Like one yeye ball
Wey one yeye wind
Dey blow from one yeye corner
I put my mouth for song:
"Kalakuta Show"
[Chorus]
Yeye rolling!
Gaga gugu, gaga gugu!
Woko woko, woko woko!
Look the man he dey waka
Hungry dey run for him face
I put my mouth for song:
"Mr. Follow Follow"
[Chorus]
Yeye rolling!
Mr. Follow Follow!
Mr. Follow Follow, make you open eye
Mr. Follow Follow, make you open sense
I put my mouth for song:
"Zombie o, Zombie"
[Chorus]
Yeye rolling!
Zombie o, zombie!
Zombie no go go unless you tell am to go and stop
Attention, quick march, left turn
Right turn, about turn, quick march
Quick march, left turn, right turn
About turn, quick march, left turn
I put my mouth for song:
"Shuffering and Shmiling"
[Chorus]
Yeye rolling!
Suffering and smiling!
Every day my people dey inside bus
Forty-nine sitting, ninety-nine standing
Them dey faint, them dey wake like cock
Every day na the same thing
I put my mouth for song:
"Unknown Soldier"
[Chorus]
Yeye rolling!
Unknown soldier!
That my mama wey you kill
She is the only mother of Nigeria
Which kind injustice be this?
Wetin concern government inside?
If na unknown soldier
Them turn blue into red
Them turn pink into green
[Chorus]
Soldier go, soldier come!
Soldier come, soldier go!
The reason suffer our suffer
He don dey show him face to us
When black man want to start business, na big wahala
Na big wahala, he go run orisirisi running
When he start the business nko? Another wahala
Another wahala, he go beg orisirisi begging
To settle wahala, na to start wahala again
To start wahala again you go fall orisirisi falling
And things don come change again
Soldier don put everybody for reverse
Na back the country take dey walk
Soldier don put everybody for reverse
Na back the country take dey walk
Soldier don put everybody for reverse
Ah, I beg, we wan change the mood of this music now
We wan inject second bass and the big conga drums
Oya! Pop!
[Chorus]
Na from back!
If them wan to knock your head
Eh-eh, na from back o
If them wan to knock your head
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to run, be running
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to run, be running
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to beg, be begging
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to beg, be begging
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to fall, be falling
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to fall, be falling
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to get wahala
Eh-eh, na from back o
If you wan to get wahala
I say, na from back o
If anybody wan to try to run forward
Soldier boots go kick am back
Eh-eh, na from back o
Ah! Oya, pass o and wen
Pass o, pass o, pass o, pass o...
[Chorus]
Wen!
Ah! Oya, second bass... pop!
My friend wan come buy fan
Him dey sweat for him dey sleep for room
Him dey fall level of tree
The fan na seventy-five naira
My friend him dey follow 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
[Fela vocalizes a police siren]
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]
Soldier go, soldier come!
Soldier come, soldier go!
Na so Africa man life dey be
Suffer don daburu him sense
When you wear police uniform
Na to collect money for road
Abi I lie?
When you wear police uniform
Na to collect money for road
I no dey lie!
Police station don turn to bank
D.P.O. na bank manager
Police station don turn to bank
I.G. na managing director
Na big e wahala for man to waka for road at anytime
So you see, my brothers
Overtake don overtake overtake, eh-yah
Overtake don overtake overtake, eh-yah
[Chorus]
Overtake don overtake overtake!
Eh-yah
Eh-yah
Eh-yah...
That my mama wey you kill
She is the only mother of Nigeria
Which kind injustice be this?
Wetin concern government inside?
If na unknown soldier
Them turn blue into red
Them turn pink into green
[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
[Chorus]
Overtake don overtake overtake!
@mrjay5806
My Best Fela piece ever! His lyrical commentary which is politically scathing of Nigerian governments is eerily prophetical. You will not hear a more authentic Nigerian musical arrangement than this...a salute to analogue technology in capturing sound, voices & nuance. This was Fela at his prime.
@paulcruz188
A lot of my favorite artists had to make room in my musical heart for this man and his bands. It's amazing how their music about overcoming struggles uplifts me. When I listen to them the term "intense resistance music festival" comes to mind. I transport myself to a pleasurable and endless festival of how fucked we've been as a people, but how we face oppression and life obstacles with grace. Philosophically and spiritually, it's just like the blues. It's a huge mixture of feelings that provides a lot of strength.
@salamiahmed-cc3yn
🎉🎉🎉🎉😅😅😅😅 3:53 3:55 3:56 3:57
@gabonthonerampa5748
Still Jammin to this in 2023 and beyond 🕺🏿🔥🙌🏿
@AAde-or3qz
I don't understand how a 32 minutes song feels so short. Incredible.
@erictalkington5674
Yeah! Beasts of No Nation is another one.
@byanymeansnecessary398
Tell me about it.
@za2206
Keeping Alabama away from microphone time, was a 70 year stsrt
@luthersempe3557
Yo it’s an awesome song🔥🔥🔥
@Esenabros
It keeps changing at intervals. It’s so dynamic. It’s like 10 track ep of 3 mins songs.😂