Kele Okereke released his first solo album, titled The Boxer on 21 June 2010, through Wichita / Polydor in the UK and Europe and Glassnote Records for the rest of the world. The album was released under the name Kele, dropping his surname. Okereke explained the album title, saying "as a boxer, you have to rely on nobody else but yourself to achieve what it is you want to achieve. Even though you take hits, you have to keep focus on your priorities and keep going. I thought that was an inspiring image". The first single from the album Tenderoni was released on 14 June 2010.
Okereke sees the 'Kele' brand as a way for him to embrace his interest in dance music. "I've been into clubbing for years. I've said from the beginning I'm into dance, it gets me excited and I think this record is going to go some way to prove that to people, hopefully." - Kele Okereke
In September 2011 it was announced that Kele would be releasing a follow up to The Boxer; an EP titled The Hunter.
On 23 July 2014 Kele announced his second solo album, entitled Trick, to be released on his own label Lilac Records via Kobalt Label Services on 13 October 2014.
He released his third album Fatherland on 6 October 2017 under his full name Kele Okereke. The album features the singles Streets Been Talking and Grounds For Resentment feat. Olly Alexander. Fatherland also features the duet Versions of Us with Grammy-winning English singer and songwriter Corinne Bailey Rea
In January 2019, Leave to Remain a new musical written by Okereke and Matt Jones debuted in London. Announced in September 2018, the musical about an interracial gay couple was preceded by the single Not the Drugs Talking which showed a move back towards beats following the more acoustic Fatherland. Telling a love story through the Prism of Brexit, the new show is accompanied by a tie-in album of new songs. Speaking about the subject matter and his feelings on the UK in 2019, Okereke claimed that “It’s not a time that I’ve been proud to be British. It’s an ugly time”.
www.iamkele.com
A Day of National Shame
Kele Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Under the Nationality Act of 1948, they arrived here as British citizens
It is inhumane and cruel for so many of that Windrush generation
To have suffered so long in this condition
And for the Secretary of State only to have made a statement today on this issue
Can she tell the House how many have been detained as prisoners in their own country?
Can she tell the House how many have been denied health under the National Health Service?
How many have denied pensions?
This is a day of national shame, and it has come about because of a hostile environment policy
That was begun under her, Prime Minister
Let's call it as it is!
If you lay down with dogs, you get fleas!
And that is what has happened with this far-right rhetoric in this country!
The lyrics to Kele's song "A Day of National Shame" address the mistreatment and injustice experienced by the Windrush generation in the UK. The Windrush generation refers to individuals who immigrated to the UK from Caribbean countries between 1948 and 1971, under the Nationality Act of 1948.
The lyrics describe how the Windrush generation arrived in the country as British citizens but have faced inhumane treatment and suffered for a long time in unjust conditions. The singer criticizes the Secretary of State for only addressing the issue today and questions the extent of the harm caused. They ask how many of the Windrush generation have been detained as prisoners in their own country, denied access to healthcare under the National Health Service, denied pensions, or lost their jobs.
The singer labels the situation as a day of national shame, attributing it to a hostile environment policy that was initiated by the current Prime Minister. They further denounce the government's adoption of far-right rhetoric and compare it to lying down with dogs and getting fleas, highlighting the consequences of aligning with such beliefs.
Overall, the lyrics serve as a passionate critique of the mistreatment and neglect suffered by the Windrush generation and call for accountability from the government.
Line by Line Meaning
When my parents and their generation arrived in this country
At the time when my parents and others of their generation immigrated to this nation
Under the Nationality Act of 1948, they arrived here as British citizens
According to the provisions of the Nationality Act of 1948, they came as British subjects
It is inhumane and cruel for so many of that Windrush generation
It is deeply unkind and heartless to subject a significant number of individuals from the Windrush generation
To have suffered so long in this condition
To have endured such prolonged hardship and adversity
And for the Secretary of State only to have made a statement today on this issue
Furthermore, it is both disappointing and inadequate for the Secretary of State to address this matter solely through a statement made today
Can she tell the House how many have been detained as prisoners in their own country?
Can she inform the parliamentary assembly about the number of individuals who have been unlawfully detained within their own nation?
Can she tell the House how many have been denied health under the National Health Service?
Can she disclose to the legislative body the quantity of people who have been unjustly deprived of healthcare services offered by the National Health Service?
How many have denied pensions?
What is the count of those who have been unfairly denied their entitled pensions?
How many have lost their job?
And how many individuals have experienced job loss?
This is a day of national shame, and it has come about because of a hostile environment policy
Today marks a day when our nation feels great disgrace, predominantly due to the implementation of an inhospitable policy
That was begun under her, Prime Minister
This policy was initiated under the leadership of the current Prime Minister
Let's call it as it is!
Let us candidly address this issue for what it truly is!
If you lay down with dogs, you get fleas!
It is an undeniable fact that associating with undesirable elements will result in negative consequences
And that is what has happened with this far-right rhetoric in this country!
And that is precisely what has occurred as a consequence of the prevalence of extremist right-wing ideologies within our nation!
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Rowland Kelechukwu Okereke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind