After relocating to Hamburg in 2003, Nneka has been working closely with the hip hop beatmaker DJ Farhot. As a young singer she first gained public attention in 2004 while performing as an opening act for dancehall reggae star Sean Paul at Hamburg Stadtpark. After much acclaim, Nneka released her debut EP The Uncomfortable Truth with the music label Yo Mama's Recording Company after which she performed on her first tour with Patrice, playing shows in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
She finished recording her first album in the autumn of 2005. Entitled Victim of Truth. Garnering rave reviews from the media, the UK's Sunday Times later declared it “the year’s most criminally overlooked album”, comparing it favourably to 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill'.
In February 2008, she released her second album, No Longer at Ease. The title of the album is taken from a novel of the same name by Chinua Achebe and reflects the lyrical content of the record. Most of the songs are political, talking about the plight of the Niger Delta and the corruption in Nneka’s homeland. “No Longer at Ease” combines the political and the personal in “a winning mix of soul, hip-hop an reggae”. The lead single from it, "Heartbeat", became her first song to break into the German Top 50.
In November 2009, Nneka staged her first concert tour of the United States where she performed shows in New York City, Vienna (Washington DC), Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Furthermore she was a special guest on The Roots Jam session. Her first US release Concrete Jungle was set for 2 February 2010.
Nneka recorded her last album Soul Is Heavy in Nigeria. She also co-founded a charity foundation called the "ROPE foundation" with Genda, Ahmed Nyei from Sierra Leone. She has worked extensively in charity and arts with the foundation in Sierra Leone. Nneka has also worked with Reebok and her track "Shinning" topped global charts in 2013.
Stay
Nneka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Freedom is helpless, cos I’m captured within myself
It is all in my mind, the illusion, that your presence don’t count
But it is a lie
Please stay
Please stay
Please stay
I enter the dark, approach the silence
I have given and so I am empty
Can’t keep the tears from my eyes
You don’t know what I feel
You don’t know what I feel, what I feel, captive
The loneliness inside of me
because I fell for you, you left me
This world that I love and hate so much
this life in which I have lost and I gained as such
The music the fame, the evil the shame
the changes, the results, the aggression the insults
Still I wait I try to exercise the patience
And yet delayed I pray for you to see my conscience
who would be there, if you left me Lord
I believe in your words cos your first and my last
say it is a trial, say it is a test
I need to understand to overcome the rest
got too many rivers to cross, to many things to see
so much pain to bear this misery
Oh Lord, oh Savior, let me drown in your love
Please stay
Please stay
The lyrics to Nneka's song Stay is a reflection of the internal struggle that the singer is facing. The state of madness that she finds herself in is a metaphor for the confusion and mixed emotions that she is experiencing. Freedom is helpless because she is captured within herself, implying that it is her own thoughts and feelings that are keeping her captive. The illusion that your presence does not count is a lie because she is actually dependent on the presence of the person she is addressing.
The chorus of the song is a plea for the person to not leave, to stay with her. The singer is begging the person not to abandon her in her state of loneliness and emptiness. She has given so much that she is now empty, and the tears she cannot keep from her eyes is an indication of her pain and vulnerability. The singer is emphasizing that the person does not know what she feels, suggesting that her pain is going unnoticed.
The second verse of the song further explores the singer's internal conflict. She is haunted by loneliness and the emptiness she feels because the person she loves has left her. She describes her love and hate for the world, and the various emotions that she is experiencing. Despite everything she is facing, the singer is waiting and exercising patience for the person to return. She prays for understanding and to overcome the trials and tests she is facing.
Line by Line Meaning
The state of madness, is where I find myself
I feel crazy, like I can't control my thoughts or emotions.
Freedom is helpless, cos I’m captured within myself
I feel trapped by my own thoughts and can't find a way out.
It is all in my mind, the illusion, that your presence don’t count
I am convincing myself that your presence doesn't matter, but deep down I know it's not true.
But it is a lie
I am lying to myself about how I feel.
Please stay
I am begging for you to not leave me alone with my thoughts.
I enter the dark, approach the silence
I feel like I am entering a place of sadness and emptiness.
I have given and so I am empty
I have given everything I have to offer and feel like I have nothing left inside.
Can’t keep the tears from my eyes
I am crying and can't stop the tears from falling.
You don’t know what I feel
You don't understand the pain and sadness I am experiencing.
You don’t know what I feel, what I feel, captive
I feel stuck and trapped in my emotions and thoughts.
The loneliness inside of me
I feel incredibly alone and isolated in my pain.
because I fell for you, you left me
I am hurting because I fell in love with you and you left me.
This world that I love and hate so much
I have conflicting feelings about the world and my place in it.
this life in which I have lost and I gained as such
My life has had ups and downs, successes and failures.
The music the fame, the evil the shame
There are good and bad parts of fame and success, and I am experiencing both.
the changes, the results, the aggression the insults
I am dealing with the consequences of my choices and the negativity directed towards me.
Still I wait I try to exercise the patience
I am waiting and trying to be patient even though it's difficult.
And yet delayed I pray for you to see my conscience
I am praying for you to understand my feelings and be there for me.
who would be there, if you left me Lord
I am afraid of being alone if you leave me.
I believe in your words cos your first and my last
I have faith in God and trust in his guidance.
say it is a trial, say it is a test
I am trying to understand this pain as a test from God.
I need to understand to overcome the rest
I want to understand my pain so that I can move past it.
got too many rivers to cross, to many things to see
I have many challenges and tasks to overcome in my life.
so much pain to bear this misery
I am struggling with so much pain and misery.
Oh Lord, oh Savior, let me drown in your love
I am turning to God for comfort and love.
Please stay
I am begging for you to not leave me alone in my pain.
Please stay
I need you to stay with me and support me through this difficult time.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Farhad Samadzada, Nneka Lucia Egbuna
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AnsuOrhyme
Lyrics;
The state of madness, is where I find myself
Freedom is helpless, cos I’m captured within myself
It is all in my mind, the illusion, that your presence don’t count
But it is a lie
Please stay
Please stay
Please stay
I am begging you to say
I enter the dark, approach the silence
I have given and so I am empty
Can’t keep the tears from my eyes
You don’t know what I feel
You don’t know what I feel, what I feel, captive
The loneliness inside of me
because I fell for you, you left me
This world that I love and hate so much
this life in which I have lost and I gained as such
The music the fame, the evil the shame
the changes, the results, the aggression the insults
Still I wait I try to exercise the patience
And yet delayed I pray for you to see my conscience
who would be there, if you left me Lord
I believe in your words cos your first and my last
say it is a trial, say it is a test
I need to understand to overcome the rest
got too many rivers to cross, to many things to see
so much pain to bear this misery
Oh Lord, oh Savior, let me drown in your love
Please stay
Please stay
@Nachwochs
"I enter the dark, approached the silence, I've given so I'm empty. Can't keep the tears from my eyes, you don't know what I feel." Nneka <3
@kareybriarlee3732
Creation comes from birth of roots keep them extending till you regain worth love is bottomless it's ever expanding go get dressed new dandy
@michelperon7071
Comme toujours, elle est juste fantastique !!!
Nneka je t'adooore !
@nubiannitengale
I love how our Nneka is so soulful and outside the box.thanks for giving us such beautiful and engaging songs.
@unijaner
Just discovered her today and cannot get enough! I am on the 8th video now! Wow. Very diverse musically , soulful, undefinable really. Just GREAT!
@PeterJPickles
she is great, when you find Nneka, its a revelation :)
@jaypas1724
WORK DONE
@jeweldraco
Respect, really a fantastic Video for this great true Song ✨ best wishes for the future, may be light & Love alltimes with you 🕊️🍀
@djdvin6694
Jah blessed you with so much talent!!! Daaamn!
@laminebamby9264
This IS musique.✌️👽👽👽👽👽👽👽