Fela Kuti - Vernacular lyrics

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.