Refrain: I speak
You hear
When you speak
I understand
Oro wa ti year, idea lo ju
If I fire and you dodge, I don’t care
Na the beginning of craze be that
If I fire and you laugh, I don’t care
Na the beginning of craze be that
Fela: You see, that is the trouble I have with my country
So until somebody speaks English
Lagbaja: Mi o mo fun won o
Fela: That he speaks well?
Lagbaja: En
Fela: Eee, have you listened to deep Ibo people?
Lagbaja: Them not dey listen, hee, colo people? Un un un
Fela: My brother have you listened to deep Yoruba people talk?
Lagbaja: O ti o, them not appreciate our language now
Fela: Talk philosophy
Lagbaja: Unnnn
Fela: Deep meanings
Lagbaja: Ijinle
Fela: Deep meanings
Lagbaja: Owe nla nla
Fela: That the meanings don’t even exist in English?
Lagbaja: Oh yes. O ya take oyinbo translate: “O nyi’mu si mi”
Fela: Ahenn
Lagbaja: “O nmo mi loju”
Fela: tThat’s what I’m saying
Lagbaja: E kaabo na welcome, but wetin be: “Ekuule o”
Fela: (laughs) yes. So what are we talking? English is not expression, please
Lagbaja: Mba mba, lai lai
Fela: Expression is in Yoruba
Lagbaja: Our own language gangan
Fela: Expression is in all language all over Nigeria
Lagbaja: Enn
Fela: English? English? No, no, no. English is not expression, please
Lagbaja: If you no gree, oya translate “E kuule o”
Fela: English is not expression
Refrain: I speak
You hear …
When you speak
I understand
Fela: I don’t care
Oro wa ti year, idea lo ju
If I fire and you dodge, I don’t care
Na the beginning of craze be that
If I fire and you laugh, I don’t care
Na the beginning of craze be that
That is the beginning of craze
Bridge: No’ dey fear to express yourself
Tabon men
Gbo gbo gbosa
Kolori gb’ori
Gbo gbo gbosa
O ya je e tabon
Gbo gbo gbosa
English not get expression like your mother tongue
Not dey fear to talk am
Refrain: If I fire and you dodge, I don’t care ...
Fela: Expression is in all languages all over Nigeria
English?
English?
No no no
English is not expresiion, please
English is not expression
Fela: (Coughs) Look
Lagbaja: Sorry
Fela: Go to the village gangan gangan where they born you
Go and talk English (Laughs, coughs)
Lagbaja: S’oo loo gbede?
Fela: Now now, spirit will catch you
You will see yourself
Lagbaja: I sabi one big, man o
Fela: He is a big man?
Lagbaja: Yes big man
Say make him pickin not talk our language
Say na vernacular
Fela: Eee
Lagbaja: En
Fela: He is talking rubbish
Lagbaja: Him mother tongue, na him dey call vernacular o
Fela: He should be hung at kiri kiri
Lagbaja: How many oyinbo savvy your tongue the way you savvy oyinbo?
Fela: A hen
Lagbaja: Other nations dey talk them own …
Fela: Other nations, Europe to Japan, to London to America …
Lagbaja: Yes now …
Fela: France …
Lagbaja: All of them dey …
Fela: Let me finish
Lagbaja: Ah, All of …
Fela: Make I finish now
Lagbaja: Err, sorry baba
Fela: Emm, in Berlin, Moscow, South America, Spain and Portugal …
Lagbaja: Langauage dey communication, talk make I understand, o tan
Fela: Finish
Refrain: I speak
You hear
When you speak
I understand
Oro wa ti year, idea lo ju
If I fire and you dodge, I don’t care
Na the beginning of craze be that
If I fire and you laugh, I don’t care
Na the beginning of craze be that
Bridge: Not dey fear to express yourself
Tabon men
Gbo, gbo, gbosa
Kolori gbo’ri
Gbo, gbo, gbosa
Oya ju’kan si mi
Gbo, gbo, gbosa
Ki njukan si e
Gbo, gbo, gbosa
Are your hear me?
Gbo, gbo, gbosa
Idea is need
Gbo, gbo, gbosa
Bo wu e ko tabon
(Fela: I don’t care)
gbo, gbo, gbosa
English not get expression like your mother tongue
Talk make I understand
O tan.
