Onyeabor's songs are often heavily rhythmic and synthesized, occasionally epic in scope, with lyrics decrying war and sung by both Onyeabor himself and female backing vocalists. In recent years a number of his songs have appeared on various compilations, most often his biggest hit, "Better Change Your Mind", which has appeared on Africa 100, World Psychedelic Classics 3: Love's a Real Thing - The Funky Fuzzy Sounds of West Africa, and Nigeria 70: The Definitive Story of 1970's Funky Lagos, through labels such as Luaka Bop.
Some biographies claim that he studied cinematography in Russia, returning to Nigeria in the 1970s to start his own Wilfilms music label and to set up a recording and production studio. He was later crowned a High Chief in Enugu, where he still lives as a businessman working on government contracts and running his own flour mill. According to the Luaka Bop record label, Onyeabor "self-released eight albums between 1977 and 1985 and then became a born-again Christian, refusing to ever speak about himself or his music again." The label reports that through attempting to speak with Onyeabor himself, and by talking to people who seem to have firsthand knowledge, it has been trying to construct an accurate biography of him for the past 18 months, without success.
In 2014, the music website Noisey, affiliated to Vice magazine, released a 31-minute documentary entitled Fantastic Man that documents Onyeabor's history and legacy as well as Noisey's attempt to track him down for an interview. 2014 also saw a touring supergroup called the Atomic Bomb! Band come together to play Onyeabor's music at a series of concerts and festivals around the world. The group includes David Byrne (of Talking Heads) and Money Mark (of the Beastie Boys).
In December 2014, William Onyeabor made his first radio appearance on the Lauren Laverne Show on BBC 6 Music, where he stated "I only create music that will help the world," whilst also admitting that he has never played live, and announcing that he had plans to release new material.
William Onyeabor died aged 72, peacefully, on January 16, 2017.
Atomic Bomb
Luaka Bop World Psychedelic Classics 5: Who is William Onyeabor?
When the Going is Smooth & Good
William Onyeabor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
C'mon!
Verse 1
When the going is smooth and good
Many, many people will be your friend
When the going is smooth and good
Many, many people will be your friend
But when the going becomes tough
Many of your friends will run away
Hook
C'mon!
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher (x6)
Verse 2
When the going is smooth and good
Many, many people will be your friend
William Onyeabor's "When the Going is Smooth & Good" is a commentary on human nature and how it changes depending on circumstances. The song talks about how when things are going well in life, people flock around you to share in your good fortune. This is illustrated in the first verse when Onyeabor sings, "When the going is smooth and good, many, many people will be your friend". However, he quickly warns us that when things become tough, people tend to abandon you. In the next line, he sings, "But when the going becomes tough, many of your friends will run away".
The song implies that people are inherently selfish and opportunistic. They look to be around you when things are good mainly to benefit themselves. This is because humans naturally gravitate towards people with good fortune as it increases their chances of riding on that wave of success. However, when you are faced with adversity, people tend to shy away from you because they do not want to be associated with failure. The song, therefore, serves as a poignant reminder to be aware of who your true friends are and to value them above all else.
Line by Line Meaning
When the going is smooth and good
When things are easy and going well for you
Many, many people will be your friend
You will have many people who claim to be your friend and support you
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
Expressing excitement or enthusiasm about this idea
But when the going becomes tough
However, when things get difficult and challenging
Many of your friends will run away
Many of those same people who were your friend only while things were easy will abandon you when faced with hardship
C'mon!
An exclamation that encourages action or movement
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher (x6)
An exclamation that signifies a desire for progress, improvement, or success
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: WILLIAM ONYEABOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nyxtolatis
C'mon!
[Verse 1]
When the going is smooth and good
Many, many people will be your friend
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
When the going is smooth and good
Many, many people will be your friend
But when the going becomes tough
Many of your friends will run away
[Hook]
C'mon!
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
[Verse 2]
When the going is smooth and good
Many, many people will be your friend
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
When the going is smooth and good
Many, many people will be your friend
But when the going becomes tough
Many, many of them will run away
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
But when the going becomes tough
Many, many of them will disappear
(That's bad, very, very bad)
And that is what I mean
And that is what I am saying
When the going is good
You will have many friends
But when the going is tough
Most of them will disappear
And they never come back
When they come back
They have come back to help in knocking you
Down, down, down, down
(That's bad, very, very bad)
And that is what I'm saying
And that is what I mean
When the going is good
You will have many friends
They will call you many names
They will say they love you
They will say they need you
And will say you are great
And so on and so forth
But when the going is tough
Most of them will disappear
And they never come back
When they come back
They have come back to help in knocking you
Down, down, down, down
(That's bad, very, very bad)
When the going is good
You should keep your good friends
And when the going is bad
You should keep your good friends
And don't try to help in knocking your good friends
Down, down, down, down
[Hook]
C'mon!
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
[Instrumental Break]
[Hook]
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
[Verse 3]
When the going is smooth and good
Many, many people will be your friend
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
When the going is smooth and good
Many, many people will be your friend
But when the going becomes tough
Many of your friends will run away
(That's bad, very, very bad)
And that is what I mean
And that is what I am saying
When the going is good
You will have many friends
But when the going is tough
Most of them will disappear
And they never come back
When they come back
They have come back to help in knocking you
Down, down, down, down
(That's bad, very, very bad)
And that is what I mean
And that is what I am saying
When the going is good
You will have many friends
They will call you many names
They will say they love you
They will say they need you
And will say you are great
And so on and so forth
But when the going is tough
Most of them will disappear
And they never come back
When they come back
They have come back to help in knocking you
Down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down
(That's bad, very, very bad)
When the going is good
You should keep your good friends
And when the going is bad
You should keep your good friends
Don't try to help in knocking your good friends
Down, down, down, down
[Hook]
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
@AbigailAdeyemo-lh8wv
This song had great meaning to me, My mum gave me this record as a birthday gift 37 year ago and it working for me as I grow.
"love you mum"
@brendanpower2296
RIP Mr Onyeabor. Ahead of his time and unmistakably original.
@bobmeme2510
no
@chimannadi4550
Brendan Power oh no legend
@BlendworthPH
Will said! Very much so ahead of his time.
@kanukingsley
I actually searched for this song for a whole 5 years and today being the 31st March 2019 the Search is over, what a great song and meaningful lyrics, I was thinking it was sang by a white man untill today, what a great day for me🙏
@chakra2380
Rest easy weary traveller. You're home now.
@Outlander0995
Dood! We listening this at excavation) Super positive stuff!
@onayimi_a
Congrats on finding the song. I remember it from when I was a kid.
@caerfaimama
It's lovely to find supportive comments on here 🤗