Music as we all know is sung with melodic lyrics intertwined between beats and rhythm. No song on earth is released without at least two lines of lyrics except it’s just an instrumental playlist released by a music producer or a DJ.
That being established, we have lyrics and melodies which are particular to some regions, for example in Nigeria, we have Afrobeat or Afro-infused genre of music, in USA, the Hip-Hop and R&B are more vibrant and used as their popular source of music, in various European countries, the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) radiates more energy to the type of music produced.
With these common and popular genres of music come the stereotypical or well used (sometimes, overy used) lyrics attached to the songs. But sometimes, this musicians just choose to utter some complete intangible and incomprehensible words on their song, yes, it might give off vibes, but that does not take away the fact that those lyrics have little to no meaning or sense attached and relating to them.
In this write-up, we are focusing mainly on those WTF moments we notice when we hear some of our Nigerian songs, we can not obviously cover everything but we have chosen some for your enjoyment. With the use of memes and gifs, we tackle the meaning behind these lyrics.
DISCLAIMER: THIS ARTICLE IS MAINLY WRITTEN FOR FUN AND COMEDIC PURPOSE, NO DISRESPECT OR HARM IS MEANT TO THE ARTISTE WHOSE SONG IS MENTIONED.
• Tekno on “Wash”:
Lyrics excerpt:
I will take you to church
Forget e illuminati illuminati
If you like karate
I will teach you mathematics
Hum . . . How does karate and mathematics relate my guy? Or there’s something our teachers did not want us to know?
• Iyanya on “Gift”:
Lyrics excerpt:
Baby let's get naughty
Make we solve mathematics
I know you like chemistry
We go scatter the couch
From the couch to the bed
From the bed to the bedroom
Make some sweet movies for jacuzzi
Safe to say, both Iyanya and Tekno attended the same maths class because that can only be the explanation for these lyrics. He even went further to say “from the bed to the bedroom”, how is that even possible man?!
• Wizkid on “In My Bed”:
Lyrics excerpt:
Oh girl I can't explain it
Your body so insane
Oh girl I can't replace you
Balogun eleniyan
Wizkid eleniyan
Ogunmola eleniyan
Question: How do you go from wooing a girl, to mentioning all the “eleniyan” you are associated with, like it will make her say yes to your advances. I guess it’s just Wizkid though or the money, because as they say it, in this life, have money.
• Davido on “FIA”:
Lyrics excerpt:
Shukura ki lo k'osi o (eh)
Shuku shaker, aya shoemaker o (yeh)
Caroline save your drama
I don't need it for Soap Opera
Hola hola Mr. Olopa
I'm not here to cause wahala
Hello diva, save your drama
You don't need me in your Soap Opera
Before I even try to annotate this lyric, permit me to shout SHEKPE!!! Because that’s my mood right now after seeing this lyric; too many things going on all at once. From “Shukura” to her husband the “shoemaker” to “Caroline” and her “drama” to “Mr. Olopa” and back to a supposed “diva” and a “Soap Opera”. Now like I said earlier, translate the Yourba word shekpe to English and you will soon find out that the highlighted lyrics quite share a resemblance to it.
• Rema on “Lady”:
Lyrics excerpt:
Because the way that you shake your ukwu
My baby you must concur
Oya make you shakiti your bobo
Oya rokpoto make you no give me okpolo
Achukwuleke make you give me kpalansi
Scatter your baka
Oya I must to be your lover
Oya rikpata rikpata you too dey shakara
I guess Rema speak Chinese as his main language, because what in the name of William Shakespeare did he utter willfully under no duress? It hath be the scalding and feverish weather conditions of Nigeria (I guess that is what Shakespeare would have said).
• Yemi Alade on “Pose”:
Lyrics excerpt:
Giving you my ganlala
Give it to me one time, rock me the baddest wen come from Ghana
Girl I no go tire, shocking you in the wire
Me you feel alright, even if you no like okada
Oya pose
What the heck is “ganlala” and the meaning behind the rest of these lyrics. I bet if Rema was Chinese, then Yemi Alade must be his distant Asian neighbour from India because those words can not have English meanings whatsoever.
• Speed Darlington on “Cash & Carry”:
Lyrics excerpt:
Mans don't dance, I take steps, ground dey shake
F--k ouuta here, afo anu, you are not a shark
More like a geisha not a Japanese b--ch
I am a master, bangdadadang dadadang-da-dang
In broda shaggi’s voice ‘leemao’. That’s the only definition I have for this lyric. Everything from the artiste to the producer to the song itself to the lyrics, is all wrong. Enough said.
That will do for now as there are millions of references we can consider but time will not permit. Which do you consider the most incomprehensible and non correlated lyrics on the list?