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Look and Laugh by That’s the title of one of my favorite songs by Fela Ransome Kuti, which I listened to for the second time in two days yesterday, while working out at the gym. As much as I love Fela, I often…
December 23, 2004 1:10 PM
That’s the title of one of my favorite songs by Fela Ransome Kuti, which I listened to for the second time in two days yesterday, while working out at the gym.
As much as I love Fela, I often skip forward to the next song when he comes up on the IPod while I’m at the gym. The problem is that you know his song is going to last 15-20 minutes, and I’ve got my gym routine set up as an overall airing out session: good exercise, read something totally unrelated to work while I’m on the bike, and listen to as much good music as I can squeeze into a 45-60 minute session.
Look and Laugh, which I’d never listened to so carefully before, though, is remarkable in a number of ways. Fela plays really clever tricks with his pronunciation of words like “country” and “democracy,” partly in order to force them into his rhyme and time schemes, but also partly, I think, to subvert the terms themselves; to get us to question them.
The musicianship is excellent here, several steps above the normally hypnotic Fela horn choruses, which are already so effective as to cause you to discount them after repeated listenings.
Best, though, are the lyrics, which are incendiary, and vividly recall the sham democracy of the Shagari years. I’ve done my best with the transcript:
“Since long time I never write new ‘ting. Long time I never sing new song. Long time I never write new ‘ting. Long time I never sing new song.
Many of you go dey wonder why, your man never sing new song. Many of you go dey wonder why, your man never write new ting. My brother no be so da be say, da bi I won’t keep quiet. My brother no be say I no want write new song for you to make you to think I’m happy. What ‘ting ya dey do be say. What ting ya dey do be say. (Chorus: They looku and dey laughu)
I say what ‘ting ya dey do. Ah dey looku and dey laughu. I say what ‘ting ya dey do. Ah dey looku and dey laughu. Change this way, me and you. (Chorus: They looku and dey laughu.). Guns for this cunt-TE –ry (country). Now wish for me. They looku and dey laughu. What ting de no sing, about in this cunt-TE –ry (Chorus: They looku and dey laughu.) Sing sing sing. Till dem come. Come charge me. For armed robbery. I must-o looku and-o laugh-o. (Chorus: They looku and dey laughu.) A dey say make you bring your ears, near rap to me, and hear my experience, hear about (Chorus: They looku and dey laughu.) I say what ‘ting ya dey do, say. (Chorus: They looku and dey laughu.) Ah dey looku and dey laughu. I say what ‘ting ya dey do, say. (Chorus: They looku and dey laughu.) Ha ha ha ha he he he. Ha ha ha ha he he he. Ah shookudu, ah shookudu, (Chorus: Hey!) Ah shookudu. (Chorus: Hey! Hey!) Oooh.
Waiting man go do dey do one night Obasanjo pass guv’ment to Shagari-oh. Shagari do dey guv’ment regime four years – No head, No tail. Inside this no head no tail, same water no light till day. Shagari himself say the economy of de cunt-ery is collapsing. Then those old people with gap on eye, carrying walking stick come on to. With ah PPP, oh ye PPP, na say. All for 198-thuree (1983). (Chorus: They looku and dey laughu.) I must look and laugh-u. What ‘ting I no sing, about in this cunt-TE –ry. Sing sing sing. Till dem come. Come charge me, for armed robbery. I must-o looku and-o laugh-o. I must-o looku and-o laugh-o. I must-o looku and-o laugh-o. I must-o looku and-o laugh-o. Ha ha ha ha he he he. Ha ha ha ha he he he. Ah shookudu, ah shookudu, (Chorus: Hey!) Ah shookudu. (Chorus: Hey! Hey!) Oooh.
Contractor and minister commissioner make agreement to make road. All of us know how done government they take make road for year. Then the road starts, asphalt put, machines signs and stones. As the road starts, Shagari makes announcement, contractor self makes own. Contractor say as the economy done go things go cost, so road must stop. Government say no more money. Contractor go, government stay. Chey da one nourish to laugh-u. I must-o looku and-o laugh-o. (Chorus: Looku and ah laughu.) I must-o looku and-o laugh-o. (Chorus: Looku and ah laughu.) What ting ya no sing about in this cunt-ery. When dem come and burn my houses. All my property. Burn one of them-oh. Pity, pity me. Kill my Mama. I must-o looku and-o laugh-o. I must-o looku and-o laugh-o. What ‘ting Ah no sing, about in this cunt-ery? What ‘ting Ah no sing, about in this cunt-ery? Sing sing sing. Four years later. Till dem come, break break de house. De house I dey stay. Dey come beat beat me, till dey say I dey die. Till the ting say I done die. Then I get up. Them tie my hands. Dem tie my legs. Dem throw me inside police infront. I must-o looku and-o laugh-o. I must-o looku and-o laugh-o. Them come carry me go. Dem charge me for, charge for armed robbery. I must-o looku and-o laugh-o. I must-o looku and-o laugh-o. I must-o looku and-o laugh-o. I must-o looku and-o laugh-o. I must ha-ha-ha hey hey hey, Ah shookudu, ah shookudu, (Chorus: Hey!) Ah shookudu. (Chorus: Hey! Hey!) Oooh.
Look at our television and listen to our radio in Nigeria, the way dem do their nonsense finish. Newspaper self go join. My obie say too many oversea things in our home, too small. They way them do with our own smallThe way we do with our small self…. No plan, set, no ideas in sight, them dem dey go copy overseas, dey go. Government dis, guvment dat, in dey tights this and dungarees. Ahhh, looku loouku, laugh-u laugh-u. I no no what tin dem do inside. Looku loouku, laugh-u laugh-u
Police uniform come important. Nothing to do for this cunt-ery. Go to court in big a big English, and still dem do dey nonsense. Looku loouku, laugh-u laugh-u
Nigeria still dey he where dey. Poor man still plenty. looku loouku, Laugh-u laugh-u. Guvment people dey still enjoy dey, with police supporting. Looku loouku, laugh-u laugh-u. Nigeria still dey he where dey. Poor man still plenty. looku loouku, Laugh-u laugh-u.
I must look-u and laugh. I must look-u and laugh. I must look-u and laugh. I must look-u and laugh. I must look-u and laugh. I must look-u and laugh. I must look-u and laugh. I must look-u and laugh.
“
I’ve written at length about Fela in my book, having been privileged to see a show at the Shrine in Lagos. There is a brilliant reminiscence below from my colleague, Jogn Darnton, of the Times. There’s also an excerpt of an interview I found on the web.
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