Femi was born in London on 16 June 1962 and grew up in the former Nigerian capital Lagos.
Like his father, Femi has shown a strong commitment to social and political causes throughout his career, but he differs in his religious views.
In 2001, Femi collaborated with a number of US musicians such as Common, Mos Def, and Jaguar Wright, on his Fight to Win album. This album was widely regarded as the most influential Neo-Afrobeat album of the early 21st century.
Sorry Sorry
Femi Kuti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If my eyes no decieve me
and na true be things my ears dey hear
politicians and soldiers make e meeting
Our country dem wan repair
dem dey make like say
dem know o know
say na dem a spoil our country so
na so my people dey follow o o
i sorry sorry o, i sorry for Nigeria,
i sorry sorry o, i sorry for Africa
sorry sorry o
i sorry sorry o, i sorry for Nigeria,
i sorry sorry o, i sorry for Africa
sorry sorry o
As we [never get decided]...
Look my friends
dem no like to hear word
na to dey follow follow, follow dem enemies
like zombie, dem dey go dey march dey go
dey fight for other people
wey spoil Nigeria so
these politicians and soldiers
dem be one and the same
no one different [from] the other
my people no wan know
but with kind of leaders
Africa no get hope
Africans will suffer
till the suffer reach our bone
i sorry sorry o, i sorry for Nigeria,
i sorry sorry o, e gba mi o
sorry sorry o
i sorry sorry o, i sorry for Nigeria,
i sorry sorry o, i sorry for Africa
i sorry sorry o, e gba mi o
In the lyrics of Femi Kuti's song "Sorry Sorry," he expresses his sorrow for his home country Nigeria and the state of Africa as a whole. The opening lines of the song suggest that Femi is hearing rumors of meetings taking place between politicians and soldiers in an attempt to repair the country. He seems skeptical about their intentions, suggesting that they are responsible for the country's troubles to begin with. The lines "dem dey dabaru am dey o" suggest that they are just making things worse.
Femi's sorrow for Africa is apparent in the chorus, "i sorry sorry o, i sorry for Nigeria, i sorry sorry o, i sorry for Africa, sorry sorry o." He repeats this several times throughout the song, emphasizing the deep disappointment he feels for the current state of affairs. The line "Africans will suffer, till the suffer reach our bone" indicates that the suffering of the people has reached levels beyond comprehension.
Femi goes on to criticize the people themselves, suggesting that they have become like zombies, blindly following their enemies. He indicates that politicians and soldiers are essentially the same, all contributing to the suffering of the people. He ends with the lines "with kind of leaders, Africa no get hope," emphasizing that the leadership is the root of the continent's problems.
Overall, Femi Kuti's "Sorry Sorry" is a powerful condemnation of the state of affairs in Africa, specifically Nigeria. It highlights the political corruption and lack of leadership that have contributed to the suffering of the people.
Line by Line Meaning
If my eyes no decieve me
If I am not mistaken
and na true be things my ears dey hear
and what I hear is actually true
politicians and soldiers make e meeting
Politicians and soldiers are having a meeting
Our country dem wan repair
They want to fix our country
dem dey make like say
They pretend
dem know o know
They don't actually know
say na dem a spoil our country so
that they are the ones ruining our country
as dem dey dabaru am dey o
As they are messing it up
na so my people dey follow o o
That's how my people follow them blindly
i sorry sorry o, i sorry for Nigeria,
I am very sorry for Nigeria
i sorry sorry o, i sorry for Africa
I am very sorry for Africa
As we [never get decided]...
As we never make up our minds
Look my friends
Listen, my friends
dem no like to hear word
They don't like to listen
na to dey follow follow, follow dem enemies
Instead they follow their enemies blindly
like zombie, dem dey go dey march dey go
Like zombies, they keep marching
dey fight for other people
They fight for others
wey spoil Nigeria so
Who have also ruined Nigeria
these politicians and soldiers
These politicians and soldiers
dem be one and the same
are one and the same
no one different [from] the other
No one is different from the other
my people no wan know
My people don't want to know
but with kind of leaders
But with these kinds of leaders
Africa no get hope
Africa has no hope
Africans will suffer
Africans will continue to suffer
till the suffer reach our bone
Until the suffering becomes unbearable
i sorry sorry o, i sorry for Nigeria,
I am very sorry for Nigeria
i sorry sorry o, e gba mi o
I am very sorry, forgive me
i sorry sorry o
I am very sorry
i sorry sorry o, i sorry for Nigeria,
I am very sorry for Nigeria
i sorry sorry o, i sorry for Africa
I am very sorry for Africa
i sorry sorry o, e gba mi o
I am very sorry, forgive me
Contributed by Declan E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@aloziechristian6639
If you still listen to this monster hit in 2023,raise your hands up.
@tawandamatambanadzo4303
Africa is blessed with great talent, can’t imagine this song was sang more than 10 years ago. As a Zimbabwean, his message is clear, palatable and relevant today
@zakariase4267
😊
@zakariase4267
😊😊
@zakariase4267
😊
@vwededuke5267
Nigeria 2023 election brought me here 😥
@isholaowolabi1382
The Grammy ignored this truthful, well composed, evergreen song and lyrics, sorry sorry..Sir Femi Kuti keep shining and stay blessed,you're JUSTIFIED.
@peterdarrylslaughter7390
I stopped watching that %%$$ years ago .
@theirishromeo8719
I'm from Ireland..love this tune..god bless you Nigeria!
@dj_indica
God bless you too❤️