zombie
The FELA! Band Lyrics


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Zombie o, zombie (Zombie o, zombie)
Zombie o, zombie (Zombie o, zombie)

Zombie no go go, unless you tell am to go (Zombie)
Zombie no go stop, unless you tell am to stop (Zombie)
Zombie no go turn, unless you tell am to turn (Zombie)
Zombie no go think, unless you tell am to think (Zombie)
Tell am to go straight
A joro, jara, joro
No break, no job, no sense
A joro, jara, joro
Tell am to go kill
A joro, jara, joro
No break, no job, no sense
A joro, jara, joro
Tell am to go quench
A joro, jara, joro
No break, no job, no sense
A joro, jara, joro

Go and kill! (Joro, jaro, joro)
Go and die! (Joro, jaro, joro)
Go and quench! (Joro, jaro, joro)
Put am for reverse! (Joro, jaro, joro)

Joro, jara, joro, zombie wey na one way
Joro, jara, joro, zombie wey na one way
Joro, jara, joro, zombie wey na one way

Joro, jara, joro

Attention! (Zombie)
Quick march!
Slow march! (Zombie)
Left turn!
Right turn! (Zombie)
About turn!
Double up! (Zombie)
Salute!
Open your hat! (Zombie)
Stand at ease!
Fall in! (Zombie)
Fall out!
Fall down! (Zombie)
Get ready!

Halt!

Order!





Dismiss!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song "Zombie" by The FELA! Band are a satirical commentary on the mindset of soldiers in Nigeria during the 1970s. The song depicts the military men as mindless zombies who are under the complete control of their superiors. The refrain of "Zombie o, zombie" emphasizes their brainwashed state, while the verses explain different commands that the zombies will follow without questioning.


The lyrics are structured in a call-and-response format, with the lead singer issuing commands and the backing vocals responding with "Joro, jara, joro", which is an African chant. The song continues with the lead singer instructing the zombies to kill, die, and quench, with the latter being a term for finishing something off. The repeated orders are meant to highlight the unquestioning obedience that is demanded of soldiers in the Nigerian military.


In summary, "Zombie" is a social commentary on the military dictatorship, which existed in Nigeria during the 1970s. Fela Kuti, the band's founder and the song's composer, was a political activist who used music as a vehicle for political and social change. This song, in particular, helped to spark a social revolution in Nigeria by highlighting the problems with the government's use of force to control the masses.


Line by Line Meaning

Zombie o, zombie (Zombie o, zombie)
The singer is addressing zombies and acknowledging their presence.


Zombie no go go, unless you tell am to go (Zombie)
Zombies have no will of their own and will only act on commands given to them.


Zombie no go stop, unless you tell am to stop (Zombie)
Zombies will continue to move in the direction they were initially given, unless instructed to stop.


Zombie no go turn, unless you tell am to turn (Zombie)
Zombies will not change directions unless explicitly commanded.


Zombie no go think, unless you tell am to think (Zombie)
Zombies can't think for themselves and will only take action based on commands given to them.


Tell am to go straight A joro, jara, joro No break, no job, no sense A joro, jara, joro Tell am to go kill A joro, jara, joro No break, no job, no sense A joro, jara, joro Tell am to go quench A joro, jara, joro No break, no job, no sense A joro, jara, joro
The singer (possibly a commander or overseer) is issuing commands to the zombies to keep moving straight, kill, and quench (i.e., satisfy their thirst for blood). The repetitive phrase 'A joro, jara, joro' is added to emphasize the lack of reason behind these actions, with no breaks or reasons given.


Go and kill! (Joro, jaro, joro) Go and die! (Joro, jaro, joro) Go and quench! (Joro, jaro, joro) Put am for reverse! (Joro, jaro, joro)
The commander is urging the zombies to continue killing, dying, and quenching their thirst for blood without any regard for life. The 'Put am for reverse!' command could be interpreted as commanding the zombies to reverse their action (i.e., to stop killing) or for the target (victim) to try to reverse their fate.


Joro, jara, joro, zombie wey na one way Joro, jara, joro, zombie wey na one way Joro, jara, joro, zombie wey na one way
This line emphasizes that the zombies are single-minded and will only act in one way, with no deviation from their programmed actions.


Attention! (Zombie) Quick march! Slow march! (Zombie) Left turn! Right turn! (Zombie) About turn! Double up! (Zombie) Salute! Open your hat! (Zombie) Stand at ease! Fall in! (Zombie) Fall out! Fall down! (Zombie) Get ready! Halt! Order! Dismiss!
The commander is issuing a series of military commands to the zombies, who will follow them exactly, like mindless soldiers. The commands don't necessarily lead to any particular action except following orders.




Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDRE OLAF KUNZE, CHRISTIAN HEINRICH, TILO HUSTAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@giovannidefelice130

Man do some research

military coup
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_coups_in_Nigeria#The_July_1966_coup

regime under:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakubu_Gowon

nigeria civil war:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_Civil_War

who's using violence?



All comments from YouTube:

@felakuti

Hello everyone, and thank you all for watching Fela's Zombie on the "Official Fela Youtube Channel". We seen the amount of love this song gets around the world, so from us "Thank you very much :D".We would love you to continue the Fela Express on this channel by subscribing here ► https://goo.gl/8Q1pVw Take care and everyone say "Yeah Yeah" (y)

@StreamingSunrise

the new guy at work introduced me to this. thank you, fela kuti!

@chrisgreene2405

You are a musical genius

@Horus-Lupercal

You two know Kuti passed away in '97 right?

@Emzdrav

YEAH YEAH!!!

@kartelmoneyvevo3395

Fela Kuti boss world

74 More Replies...

@ulorohgrace9585

Who’s listening in 2024!!! What a master piece. Can Nigeria be worse than it is now? 😢

@oluseyeajose-adeogun2642

I swear

@bolajiadebiyi3684

I was privileged to watch Fela perform this live. Fela was the most courageous Nigerian that ever lived.

@justhuman1722

U're so lucky ❤️😭🙇🏽‍♀️

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