Lyrics Niger Delta Blues - Bantu , Tony Allen

Intro chant
Ẹ wa′ w'aiye′ o'she'lu′, o′she'lu′ ala'bo′si' - ala′bo'si'
Ẹ wa′ w′aiye' o′she'lu′ o, o'she′lu' ala'bo′si′ - ki' l′ọ'n she?
Wọn f′owo' i′lu' s'a′po′, wọ'n she b′a'wọn gbọ′n -
Wọ'n she b′a'won gbọ'n
Ẹ wa′ w′aiye' o′she'lu′ - o'she′lu', o'she′lu′ ala'bo′si' - ala′bo'si′
Ẹ wa' w'aiye′ o′she'lu′ o, o'she′lu' ala′bo'si' - ki′ l′ọ'n she?
Wọ′n f'owo′ i'lu′ s'a'po′, wọ′n she b'a′wọn gbọ'n - wọ′n f'owo′ mu'ti'
Ẹ wa′ w′aiye' o′she'lu′, o'she′lu' ala'bo′si′ - wọ'n f′owo' b′ẹ'bo′
Ẹ wa' w'aiye′ o′she'lu′ o,
O'she′lu' ala′bo'si' - ki′ l′ọ'n she? wọ′n f'owo′ j'aiye′
Wọ'n f'owo′ i′lu' s′a'po′, wọ'n she b′a'wọn gbọ'n

Fellow countrymen & women
We have gathered here to protest the environmental devastation
Caused by the oil industry in the Niger Delta
The inhumane conditions under which our people are forced to live Is
A constant reminder that we do not
Belong to the artificial entity called Nigeria
There are no schools,
Medical clinics or social services in most of our
Villages, no electricity, no clean drinking water
Malaria, typhoid and cholera
Are a given in this tropical disease epic center
We understand that a war is being consciously waged against our people
A genocide of the highest proportion
In a country where all nations are supposed to be equal
Billions worth of our oil Dollars
Are pumped out of our land every year
But still no one seems to care
Our plight, our cries, our grievances
We have brought before the world′s attention on numerous occasions
We have petitioned the African Union, United Nations
And all kinds of international institutions
Yet there have been no reactions
Our women, our men, our children
The elderly and weak
Are still being murdered
Cold-blooded
Jungle justice style

Niger Delta Blues
My people dem dey cry
Dem dey kpeme dey go
Niger Delta Blues
My people dem dey cry
Dem dey kpeme dey go
Dem dey kpeme dey go

Twenty years after the Ogoni Nine
The blues of the Niger Delta has now become the blues of Nigeria
Yours and mine
We sing in unison to the melodies of pain, deceit and shame
A nation high on petrodollars
And the giant of Africa hype
Reinvents the narrative of the oppressed turned oppressor
With clichés and stereotypes
Unwilling and unable to search deep within
We lack the morality or courage to wipe our slates clean
Decades of dictatorships
World Bank, IMF loans and shock therapy
Have crushed our resistance and taken its toll
Broken and pained we have learnt the hard way
That disaster-capitalism was invented
Only to protect its own
All hail the shoeless, clueless
For the one-eyed has been crowned king
His entourage of militants, neo-liberals and fanatics
Perfectly positioned on the side wings
Court jesters now openly mock our struggle
And claim to be the voice of our people
Our demand for restitution
Has been hijacked with brute force and muscle
We know divide and rule has always been the order of the day
Nigerians remember: "no victor, no vanquished"
That′s how you keep the uprising at bay

Niger Delta Blues
My people dem dey cry
Dem dey kpeme dey go
Niger Delta Blues
My people dem dey cry
My people dem dey cry