Through Jesus Christ, our Lord *[CHORUS] AMEN, AMEN, AMEN – [AFTER EACH LINE] By the Grace of Allmighty Lord Through Jesus Christ, our Lord By the Grace of Allmighty Lord Inspiritus Christus, Mass Christus, Mass Christus, Mass Christus, Allah, Waku baru,Hamud, Salem Elekum, Allah *(Muslim prayers) Through Jesus Christ, our Lord By the Grace of Allmighty Lord
So I waka waka waka** **(walk) *[CHORUS] WAKA WAKA WAKA- [AFTER EACH LINE] I go many places I see my people Dem dey cry, cry cry Amen-i, Amen-i, Amen I say I waka waka waka I go many places I see my people Dem dey cry, cry, cry Amen-i, Amen-i, Amen
I say I waka-waka-waka-waka, waka-waka-waka (HORNS response) I waka any village anywhere in Africa I waka any village anywhere in Africa Pastor’s house na ‘im dey fine pass My people dem dey stay for poor surroundings Pastor’s dress na ‘im dey clean pass Be it hard for my people for dem to buy soap Pastor na ‘im dem give respect pass And dem dey do bad-bad-things
Through Jesus Christ our Lord *[CHORUS] AMEN, AMEN, AMEN - [AFTER EACH LINE] By the Grace of Allmighty Lord Inspiritus Christus, Mass Christus, Mass Christus, Mass Christus, Allah, Waku-baru, Hamud, Salem Elekum
So I waka waka waka *[CHORUS] WAKA WAKA WAKA- [AFTER EACH LINE] I go many places I go business places And I see, see, see All the bad, bad, bad things Dem dey do, do, do Call corruption And dey call “nepotism” Inside promotions And inside all businessI say I waka waka waka I see, see, see *[CHORUS] WAKA WAKA WAKA
So I waka-waka-waka-waka (HORNS Short response)
I waka any business anywhere in Africa I waka any business anywhere in Africa North and South dem get dem policies One Christian and the other one, Muslim Anywhere the Muslims dem dey reign Na senior Allaha-ji na* ‘im be director *(Islamic leader) Anywhere the Christians dem dey reign Na the best friend to Bishop na ‘im be director It is a known fact that for many thousand years We Africans, we had our own traditions These money making organizations Them come put we Africans in total confusion
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord *[CHORUS] AMEN, AMEN, AMEN- [AFTER EACH LINE] By the Grace of Allmighty Lord Inspiritus Christus, Mass Christus, Mass Christus, Mass Christus, Allah, Waku-baru,Hamud, Salem Elekum, Allah
So I waka waka waka *[CHORUS] WAKA WAKA WAKA – [AFTER EACH LINE] I go many places I go government placesI see, see, seeAll the bad, bad, bad things Dem dey do, do, do Look Obasanjo, Before anything you know at all, And for dey shout Oh Lord, Oh Lord, Oh Lord, Oh mighty Lord, Oh Lord, Oh God
I say look-a Y’aradua I say look-a Y’aradua Before anything you know at all It would dey shout Haba Allah- Haba Allah- Haba Allah- Haba Allah - Haba Allah And den dey do yes, yes And den dey do bad-bad-bad- things
Coffin for Head of State- Explanation
A criticism of arbitrary/artificial religious & ethnic boundaries, and of religious hypocrisy- people who invoke god, but then commit atrocities, including Obasanjo (General) & Y’aradua (Leiutentent Colonel), two of Fela’s attackers.
The poor live in squalor while the pastor lives in luxury. Fela walks (waka), & sees the unhappiness of his people,and the corruption & greed of the colonial-influenced Nigerian government. Colonial culture confuses the African people.
In 1978, when Fela’s mother (a government official & activist) dies from injuries inflicted by the Army during an attack on Fela’s compound, Fela and his Movement of the People Carry an effigy of his mother’s coffin to the barracks of two noted Fela enemies, Gen. Obasanjo & Lt.Crnl. Y’aradua. As a protest, Fela & MOP put the coffin down, and force the army to take it (Obasanjo & Yaradua eventually help to carry it). “It remains there.”