Fela Kuti - I.T.T. ( International Thief Thief )
en hear de lyrics met uitleg
INTERNATIONAL THIEF THIEF
*[CHORUS] INTERNATIONAL THIEF THIEF (x3)
I.T.T
*[CHORUS] INTERNATIONAL THIEF THIEF – [AFTER EACH LINE]
International Thief
Oh
*(CHORUS) INTERNATIONAL THIEF THIEF (x2) [bass Guitar enters]
I.T.T.
*[CHORUS] INTERNATIONAL THIEF THIEF – [AFTER EACH LINE International rogue
Oh, eh
*(CHORUS) INTERNATIONAL THIEF THIEF (x2)
<<[Drums change]>>
Wella, wella, wella, wella, wella, wella, wella, wella, wella, wella, wella, wella, wella,
wella, wella, wella-- Ha (x2)
Wella,
wella, wella, wella,
Wella, wella, wella, wella, wella
Wella, wella, wella, wella, wella, wella
Wella, wella * [Rhythmic- improvise]
Wella, wella, wella, wella, wella
Wella, wella, wella, wella, wella, wella, wella, wella, wella, wella, wella, wella, wella,
wella, wella, wella---Ha - Yeh- Ch – Ch – Ch -Ch
Mother potjandriedubbeltjesers, Bastard Mother potjandriedubbeltjesers
*(CHORUS) YEAH –[AFTER EACH LINE]
We yab dem
Hurry up der
Say, “yeah”
Wella well, na true I want talk again o
*(CHORUS) WELL WELL – [AFTER EACH LINE]
Na true I want talk again o
If I dey lie o
Make Osiri punish me
Make Ifa dey punish me o
Make Edumare punish me o
Make the land dey punish me o
Make Edumare punish me o
I read ‘em for book ee-o
I see so myself ee-o (2x on the 3rd repetition)
Well-ee well-ee o
*(CHORUS/LEAD) WELL WELL-EH-EH-EH-EH-EH-EH-ELL- WELL WELL
Well-ee well-ee o
*(CHORUS/LEAD) WELL WELL-EH-EH-EH-EH-EH-EH-ELL- WELL WELL [REPEAT STANZA 3X]
Long time ago
Long, long time ago
*(CHORUS) LONG TIME AGO – [AFTER EACH LINE]
Long, long, long, long time ago
African man we no dey carry shit
We dey shit in-side big big hole
For Yourba-land na "Shalanga"
For Igbo-land na "Onunu-insi"
For Hausa-land na "Salunga"
For Ga-land na "Tiafi"
For Ashanti-land na “Yarni"
For Ethiopia-land na "Sagara-bet"
For Voodoo-land na “Cho-Cho”
For Bemba-land na “Chimbuzi”
For Tunga-land na “Echibuzi”
Long, long, long, long time ago
African man we no dey carry shit
We dey shit inside big big hole
Long, long, long, long time ago
Long, long, long, long time ago
Before them come for suss us away as slaves
During the time them come for suss us away as slaves
Na European man, na him dey carry shit
Na for them culture to carry shit
During the time dem come colonize us
Dem come teach us to carry shit
Long, long, long, long time ago
African man weh no dey carry shit
Na European man teach us to carry shit
Many foreign companies dey Africa carry all our money go
*(CHORUS) SAY AM, SAY AM –[AFTER EACH LINE]
Many foreign companies dey Africa carry all our money go
Dem go write big English for newspaper, Dabaru we Africans
Dem go write big English for newspaper, Dabaru we Africans
I read about one of them inside book like that- Them call him name na I.T.T
I read about one of them inside book like that- Them call him name na I.T.T
Them go dey cause confusion
*(CHORUS) CONFUSION
Cause corruption
*(CHORUS) CORRUPTION
Cause oppression
* (CHORUS) OPPRESSION
Cause inflation
*(CHORUS) INFLATION
Dem go dey,
Cause oppression
*(CHORUS) OPPRESSION
Cause confusion
*(CHORUS) CONFUSION
Cause corruption
*(CHORUS) CORRUPTION
Cause inflation
*(CHORUS) INFLATION
Cause oppression
* (CHORUS) OPPRESSION
Cause confusion
*(CHORUS) CONFUSION
Cause inflation
*(CHORUS) INFLATION
Cause oppression
*(CHORUS) OPPRESSION
Oppression, Opression, Inflation, Corruption, Opression, Inflation----
Dem get one style wey dem dey use
Dem go pick one African-i man
A man with low mentality
Them go give am million naira breads
To become of high position here
Him go bribe some thousand naira bread
To become one useless-i chief
Like rat dey do, dem go,
Dey do from
Corner corner pass-ee, pass-ee
Under, under pass-ee, pass-ee
Inside-ee, Inside-ee pass-ee, pass-ee
In-ee, in-ee, pass-ee, pass-ee
Out-ee, out-ee, pass-ee, pass-ee
Peep-peep, peep-peep, pass-ee pass-ee
In-ee, in-ee, pass-ee, pass-ee
Corner corner, pass-ee, pass-ee
Under, under, pass-ee, pass-ee
Inside-ee, Inside-ee, pass-ee, pass-ee
Over world, pass-ee, pass-ee
Corner corner, pass-ee, pass-ee
Under, under, pass-ee, pass-ee
Inside- inside
Then he gradually, gradually, gradually, gradually (2x)
Them go be:
Friend friend to journalist
Friend to friend to Commissioner
Friend friend to Permanent Secretary
Friend to friend to Minister
Friend to friend to Head of State
Then start start to steal money
Start start them corruption
Start start them inflation
Start start them oppression
Start start them confusion
Start start them oppression
Start start to steal money
Start start to steal money
Like Obasanjo and Abiola
*(CHORUS) INTERNATIONAL THIEF THIEF –[AFTER EACH LINE]
I.T.T
International rogue
International thief
We fight them,
Well well
*(CHORUS) WELL WELL - [AFTER EACH LINE]
Wella wella
We don tire
to carry
anymore of
them shit
**[repeat indefinitely, add next stanza occasionally]
INTERNATIONAL THIEF THIEF (explanation)
* Uses abbreviation of “International Telephone & Telegraph” to attack all foreign companies for stealing from Africa, and for turning Africans into human-waste carriers [agbepo]. Derides stupid Africans who are put into power as puppets of the companies. Tricked & used by these companies, they become equally greedy & ruthless.
“I still want to speak the truth. If I lie, may I be punished by Edumare (a Yoruba god), Osiris, the Ifa (Nigeria gods), & the land itself. I have read about it read it in books, I have seen it personally.
Europeans came & forced their ways on Africa. Long ago, Africans didn't carry shit, we shat in a big hole (as evidenced by words for this hole in many African tribal languages-Yoruba, Igbo, Haussa, Ashanti …). When the Europeans came to colonialise us, it was part of their culture to carry shit & taught us Africans to do it, too. They have turned us into agbepo, waste carriers (the lowest members of society).
Foreign companies confuse & trick Africans by manipulating (English) words in the newpaper. They subvert & control Africa using the same method: they find a stupid, greedy, & dishonest African, pay him a thousand Naira (Nigerian money), he bribes others to become a chief, but who acts in European interests. Like a rat, creeps here and there, gaining power by befriending journalists, religious leaders, & government officials.
Once in power, he begins embezzling, inflation, confusion, oppression...
Two examples of this are Obasanjo (Head of the military) and Abiola (CEO of International Telephone & Telegraph) . We must fight them. We refuse to carry their shit any longer.
