A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF 2BABA ‘E Be Like Say’ PLUS WHY VOTING IN NIGERIA SHOULD BE DONE WITH TEARS RATHER THAN SMILE

 

‘What Says the Songs’ unveils you to the pretext/message/idea behind every meaningful songs.

 

Below is a critical analysis of 2baba ‘E be Like Say’

            2BABA ‘E Be Like Say’(Lyrics)

            Intro…..

Oh my God
Ebe like say them want tell us wetin we never hear before
2Baba dey ya, plus Soul E Baba dey a
E no be small thing oh (4x)
I say e no be small thing
E no be small thing oh                                                                                6
                  verse 1

Looking back through all the years
That you and I have spent together
It seems like you've been playing me all the while
So many times, you asked to put the whole of my trust in you
So many times, you betrayed and played me for a fool
Why don't we work together so the future would be brighter
Cos, ebe like you and I
We dey need each other all the time
All the time
Another year has come
And now you want my trust once more
Oh no                                                                                                            18

Chorus
Ebe, like say you want me to tell me another story again oh
(ebe like say)
Ebe like say you want to act another movie again oh
(ebe like say)
Ebe like say you want to code another coding again oh
(ebe like say)
Ebe like say you want to dance
Galala, na di new dnace
Again ni o
You want to sing another song again
(ebe like say)
Ebe like say you want to code
You want to code                                                                                             32

verse 2
See, all I want to say is that
They don't really care about us
Because all they want to do is to get in touch with big bucks
Because they think the money gives them the power
But the power is nothing
If your people cannot get quality education
The power is nothing
If your people keep on dying of disease and starvation
The power is nothing
If your people have no peace (no peace)
The power is nothing
If your people cannot live in unity (yeah)
See, why do you keep deceiving the people, my brother, my sister
See, why do you make all this people to dey fight one another
Only God can judge you now (4x)
Another year has come
And now you want my vote once more
Oh no                                                                                                                    50

Chorus
Ebe, like say they want to tell me another story again oh
(ebe like say)
Ebe like say they want to act another movie again oh
(ebe like say)
Ebe like say they want to do another deceiving again oh
Ebe like say you want to dance
Galala, na di new dnace
Again ni o
They want to sing another song again
They want to sing (2x)
Ebe like say they want to code
They want to dance                                                                                                 63

Outro…..
I dedicate this one to all of the shady politicians
Wey go promise and fail and make the people live in harsh conditions
I dedicate this one to all of the shady politicians
Why don't you change your ways
Change your ways now
Make the people live the way they are supposed to live
E no be small thing o repeat
As you see me so
I no send, I no send you oh
All of the shady politicians
As you see me so
I no send, I no send you oh
All of the shady politicians
Repeat Chorus till fade                                                                                               77

 

CONTENT ANALYSIS

 

The Legend unshells a lampoon of his country’s politics in a naked language. He begins by awakening the minds of the people with the usual sugarcoated words of the politicians (manifestos) and even such that have not been heard of before –“oh my god/ Ebe like say/ them want tell us wetin we never hear before”. He marvels at the magnitude of the promises, it is election period and the politicians seem to have a new tasty tale to tell such that is unarguably ‘interesting’. This is evident in lines four to six of the intro “E no be small thing oh (4x)/ I say e no be small thing/ E no be small thing oh” .

But he is dismayed by the services rendered so far by the leaders, he reminisces how it has started from the start of things but instead of a sweet memory, he expresses his doubt of the leaders’ faithfulness. His assessment of them is not excellent. This is evident in the whole of verse 1: “Looking back through all the years/ That you and I have spent together/ It seems like you've been playing me all the while/”. The trust for good governance which he has dashed out to them during the last election has been abused. Asking for trust, they ask for full trust; “So many times, you asked to put the whole of my trust in you”. But so many times he had been betrayed and humiliated after giving out his trust{vote}.

However, he makes a clarion call in line 12 and expresses the essence of duality thus, the need to unite as one; the people cannot be separated from the government and vice versa; “Why don't we work together/ so the future would be brighter/ Cos, ebe like you and I/ We dey need each other all the time”......

He furthers by reminding the leaders of another awesome year and of course his vote which would be patronized.

It sounds as though they have come with a new manifesto, in the chorus, he pictures a campaign where he assumes they have rather come to tell another captivating story this time no longer reading from a book, they would sing and act their manifestos emotionally to the people off hand and even the dance style is such that is spectacular. The people would definitely love liveliness so, they have adopted ‘Galala’ as a new dance style. This is evident in lines 23 and 24.  

The Legend in verse 2, declares his intention rather boldly. He is tired of assumption and the truth is that his leaders have failed him. Why should he not freely assert his mind? In the end of a tenure or two, he has come to realize that he had been deceived yet, about being deceived if he cannot withdraw his trust from them soonest. He tells the people of his opinion of the leaders-they do not have the love of the people at heart and succinctly, he explains why this is so. This is evident in lines 33-36; “See, all I want to say is that/ They don't really care about us/”

            Why?
“Because all they want to do is to get in touch with big bucks/ Because they think the money gives them the power”

The primary objective of some politicians actually, is the strong will to acquire the political office and the luxury of it that ensues. Afterwards, they become blind to the burden of the masses. Then it becomes like the popular saying: “There’s no campaign after election”. Issues of the masses become tiring to them such that the nub is always centered on intra/inter party conflict and of course a shocking news of looted funds plus how the citizens have been roasted in bomb blast not always news on commissioning of one projects or the other or rendering of one social amenities or the other.

He furthers by emphasizing on the fruitlessness of the power which they boast of. What is the value of the power that cannot cater for the needs of the people? That it would remain a dry well if such power cannot provide a quality education, if the people keep dying of diseases and starvation and worse still, if they cannot live in peace and unity. This is evident in lines 37 to 47 where he poses some rhetorical questions asking for the main purpose they have chosen to inflict sadness on the lives of the people.

 Looking at the endlessness of the problem, he submits them into the hands of God to judge.  “But the power is nothing/ If your people cannot get quality education/ If your people keep on dying of disease and starvation/ If your people have no peace/ If your people cannot live in unity…/See, why do you keep deceiving the people, my brother, my sister?/ why do you make all this people to dey fight one another?/ Only God can judge you now (4x)…

In the Outro, he speaks with greater confidence telling those involved to repent. This is evident in lines 64 to 68, “I dedicate this one to all of the shady politicians/ Wey go promise and fail and make the people live in harsh conditions/ Why don't you change your ways/ Change your ways now?”

The people should live their natural life. They are imprisoned, betrayed and misled by their leaders hence, he urges them; “Make the people live the way they are supposed to live…”

 

THEMES

A.    The consciousness of political deceit- This is a major theme. He creates the awareness of the earnest intention of the leaders though, he begins this by conjecture (E be like say…) but as he swims within his dissatisfaction over the services of the leaders so far, he grows more confident later.

B.     The theme of country love; The Legend has put his life in line to deliver a conscience-pricking song. Expressing his pains, he hides under the garb of irony presenting the politicians metaphorically as Musicians, dancers and story tellers while in actual sense, they are not praiseworthy.

C.     The instinct of social awareness is created in the minds of the listeners (people). They have come to tell a new tasty tale but the people must be careful and watchful as this is not tasty indeed. The need for everyone to make that decision which could ruin or build their lives has come. ‘Yes, “Galala, na di new dance/ Again ni o”. Of course ‘galala’ would make a good day but what happens next?

D.    There is a clarion call for a better living. He believes the future will be brighter when both the people and government work with synergy.

E.     Definition of duality-The Legend in verse two defines the fact that there cannot be government without the people. The government is bound to be in need of the people and vice versa. This is evident thus; Cos, e be like you and I/ We dey need each other all the time/ All the time.......

 

 

 

WHY VOTING IN NIGERIA SHOULD BE DONE WITH TEARS RATHER THAN SMILE

 

One could gather from a painstaking bricolage of evidence to accede that voting in Nigeria should be done with tears rather than smile. Come to think of it, what are we celebrating? Why do our youths retire to political thugs and risk their lives in the course of elections? And even our aged parents to endanger their lives coming to insecure polling units? Why should the electorates smile amidst hunger and strife? Could it be that we are happy with the present government or hopeful of the next? Who is happy? The living, dead or unborn? Is it not out of place should one mix smile with frown?

By personal observation, it has become necessary for the electoral officials to register the actual mood to be portrayed during election in the mind of the electorates. As they spell out the culture of voting in a political election, they should also stamp it in the mind of the people how to comport themselves. The mood should be sad. Let there be an atmosphere of pathos as politics is a play staged on stage-there are the cast and the audience, the dialogue should be conversational as it is democratic.

The aged should shed their tears in mourning of their dead children. The mothers of the abducted girls should line up sorrowfully in procession to the polling units, let them wail even as they cast their votes. Let the women of Borno and Benue states particularly, wet the whole ground with tears and finally, let the spirits of the dead be evoked! This will register sympathy in their minds instead of violence in the name of meaningless jubilation.

Sometimes it is outrageous how some people succumb to their campaigns. After a journey of four years, they still have no concrete evidence to convince the people in reelecting them thus, such items as cup of rice, boxes of matches, biro and the likes are thrown upon the hungry crowd instead of presenting one completed project or the other or boasting of a single successful sector.-in which have we no problem? We cannot boast of the power sector, education, banking, housing, transportation, health-none! Every life is frustrated! Campaign has become rather violent as instead of demonstrating their manifestos peacefully and leaving the people to choose, they go about blackmailing opponents by posting all forms of calumny about one another thereby, breeding violence in the society. But the concept of campaign does not involve a direct or indirect false ugly remark of any person as we have today; it is the medium through which a political contestant demonstrates his or her cardinal plans peacefully before the people. Of course it is like a stalemate- as both parties would fight for the single power. But the fight is not violence! Again, it is a declaration of better offers a party candidate has got to surpass the other and there would be absolute peace if the people are finally allowed to make the right choice.

Relatedly, democracy as a system of government does not accommodate violence it is a world of freedom and equality, thus, election should be free and fair. The people have the solution if they are respected by the government.

Finally, if there was attack in the course of election, the government is not to blame but the people. Why? Because certain electorates betray their fellow electorates to be used as hired assassins and political thugs to kill. Politicians may possess arms but the people use them.

So, why are we killing ourselves? Why should we allow them play on our intelligence?

                                                2Baba E Be Like Say