In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
To ba b'oni sakara pade
Pasan to ma fi na e oje l'o nje
Kini won se npe o
Shakara oloje ni
Shakara oloje ni
Shakara oloje ni o
We get the Shakara man
We get the Shakara woman
Shakara man, him go say
"I go beat you, I go nearly kill you"
Na Shakara, I go beat you
You go be like you get accident
Na Shakara
You no know me, na Shakara
Wait make I commot my dress
Na Shakara
You see, even if you do nothing
Na Shakara oloje
We get a song for that
We dey sing am like this, we go say
Ah, ah, ah ni, ah ni, ah ni
Ma kan na e, ma kan na e pa
Iwo ke, oti mo mi ni
To ba to ko duro de mi o
Duro de mi ki'nbo so mi
Wa je baba nla iya iro ni o ko le ja
Oje lo nyo, kini won se npe o
Shakara oloje ni
Shakara oloje ni o
The Shakara woman
Tell am say, "My dear I like you"
She go say, "You like who?, who you like?"
Commot jare, look at this man
Why you come from self?
Non be me and you, no touch me o
Ah, you see, she wan do
Na Shakara
We dey call am Shakara oloje
We get a song for that
We sing am like this, we go sing
Ah, ah, ah ni, ah ni, ah ni
To ba f'owo kan mi
To ba f'owo kan mi
Jowo fi mi sile, tabi ki lo nse e
O m'egbe ni, nibo loti jawa
Nibo loti jawa
Nibo loti jawa to lokun lorun
Emi pelu re ko
Ah ah, Iro ni o, o fe se o oje lon'yo
Kini won se npe o
Shakara oloje ni
Shakara oloje ni o
Pasan to ma fi na e oje l'o nje
Kini won se npe o
Shakara oloje ni
Shakara oloje ni
Shakara oloje ni o
We get the Shakara man
We get the Shakara woman
Shakara man, him go say
"I go beat you, I go nearly kill you"
Na Shakara, I go beat you
You go be like you get accident
Na Shakara
You no know me, na Shakara
Wait make I commot my dress
Na Shakara
You see, even if you do nothing
Na Shakara oloje
We get a song for that
We dey sing am like this, we go say
Ah, ah, ah ni, ah ni, ah ni
Ma kan na e, ma kan na e pa
Iwo ke, oti mo mi ni
To ba to ko duro de mi o
Duro de mi ki'nbo so mi
Wa je baba nla iya iro ni o ko le ja
Oje lo nyo, kini won se npe o
Shakara oloje ni
Shakara oloje ni o
The Shakara woman
Tell am say, "My dear I like you"
She go say, "You like who?, who you like?"
Commot jare, look at this man
Why you come from self?
Non be me and you, no touch me o
Ah, you see, she wan do
Na Shakara
We dey call am Shakara oloje
We get a song for that
We sing am like this, we go sing
Ah, ah, ah ni, ah ni, ah ni
To ba f'owo kan mi
To ba f'owo kan mi
Jowo fi mi sile, tabi ki lo nse e
O m'egbe ni, nibo loti jawa
Nibo loti jawa
Nibo loti jawa to lokun lorun
Emi pelu re ko
Ah ah, Iro ni o, o fe se o oje lon'yo
Kini won se npe o
Shakara oloje ni
Shakara oloje ni o
Lyrics submitted by Anarchitect, edited by Dekiru
SHAKARA OLOJE Lyrics as written by Kuti Fela Anikulapo
Lyrics © F.K.O. Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG VM MUSIC FRANCE
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.