Yemi Alade - "Johnny" (Nigerian Afrobeat video, lyrics, & comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

Updated November 9, 2017

This post showcases the Nigerian Afrobeat (Afropop) hit "Johnny" by Yemi Alade. A video of that song and song lyrics are included in this post along with explanations and comments about the song's lyrics and the reporter's words in the video.

Information about Yemi Alade is also included in this post. [added October 9, 2017]

The content of this post is provided for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Yemi Alade for her musical creativity. Thanks also to all those who are featured in this video and all those who are quoted in this post. Also, thanks to the writer/s and the producer/s of this video, and the publisher of this video on YouTube.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/03/nigerian-singer-yemi-alade-tangerine.html for a pancocojams post which showcases Yemi Alade's song/video "Tangerine". That song/video is a prequel to the story about Johnny.
-snip-
Added November 9, 2017
Yemi Lade's "Johnny" has the largest number of views as of November 4, 2017 for any Nigerian YouTube video. http://allafrica.com/stories/201711070197.html.
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INFORMATION ABOUT YEMI ALADE
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemi_Alade
"Yemi Eberechi Alade (born 13 March 1989),[1] simply known as Yemi Alade, is a Nigerian Afropop singer and songwriter. She gained prominence after winning the Peak Talent Show in 2009, and is best known for her hit single "Johnny".[2][3][4][5]

Music career
Alade made her musical debut in an all-girl group called Noty Spices in 2005, but her music became widely popular after she won the Peak Talent Show in 2009. She later released her first single "Fimisile" under the Jus' Kiddin' label.[7]

In 2012, she signed onto the music label, Effyzzie Music Group, and released her single "Ghen Ghen Love".[8]
In July 2013, Alade released the video for her romantic afro-R&B song "Bamboo", produced by Fliptyce. "Bamboo" went on to be a moderate hit and a popular wedding song. In the last quarter of 2013, she broke records when her most recent hit single, "Johnny", produced by Selebobo, was leaked on the internet. The song became an international smash hit as it dominated music charts in Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Liberia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and the United Kingdom, among others. It has been listed as one of the best songs of 2013, despite the fact that it was released towards the end of the year and without a music video.

Alade has been featured on the covers of several magazines and performed around the world, sharing the stage and songs with Mary J. Blige, Shina Peters, M.I, Wizkid, Becca, May D, Waje and Yemi Sax. She also headlined the Super Diva’s Nite at the 2013 Calabar Festival, and opened for the 2013 Headies Awards (popularly referred to as the "Nigerian Grammys").

In 2014, Alade was featured on Yung6ix’s track "Lights", as well as on a remix of "Sebiwo" by Beninese afropop star Lace. Alade teamed up with award-winning cinematographer Clarence Peters to create a music video for "Johnny", which was released in March 2014 to critical acclaim and now has more than 32 million views on YouTube, as of December 2015.[9]"...
-snip-
"Yemi" {Ye Mi] is a Yoruba element (prefix or suffix) that means "benefitting me" (is good to me).

"Oluyemi" is an example of a name that includes the element "yemi". That name is created by combining the element "Olu" (God) with the element "yemi" (benefits; is good to me)
-snip-
I'm not sure whether "Yemi" is this singer's full first name or if this is a clip of a name that include the element yemi"..
-snip-
"In 2012, she [Yemi Alade] signed onto the music label, Effyzzie Music Group"...

"Effizzie

Definition: Effizzie simply means style Example: Man you get too much effizzie:
This means man you've got too much style" http://www.naijalingo.com/words/effizzie
-end of content added October 9, 2017-

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Yemi Alade - Johnny



YemiAladeVEVO Published on Mar 3, 2014

Music video by Yemi Alade performing Johnny. Effyzzie Entertainment

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LYRICS - JOHNNY
(written & produced by Selebobo)*

[Intro]
Ho ah
Ehn
Habokoto bokoto eh
Selebobo pon the beat
Yemi Alade
It’s Effyzzie baby

[Pre-Chorus]
Johnny leave me follow Cynthia
And I don’t know what to do
And he talk say I no do am
Like the way Cynthia dey do
Johnny give Uche belle
He talk say he wan marry Nene
Nwokem ke di fe neme
Johnny mo, Johnny mo

[Chorus]
I’m looking for my Johnny eh
Where is my Johnny
Johnny mo
Do you know Johnny…question
If I no see my Johnny
Fefe geme

[Bridge]
I’m looking for my Johnny
I’m looking for my honey…(ya ya ya)
You telling me this, you telling me that
I say this is not for me
Johnny do me corny
Johnny do me corny
He’s doing me this
He’s doing me that
But I no go tell mummy

[Verse 1]
He go Canada
He go Tokyo
Yesterday he say he dey Morrocco
He dance disco
He sing Awilo
Na lie
Na lie, na Pinocchio
This one na gobe…ayakata
Original gobe
See me see wahala eh

[Pre-Chorus]


[Chorus]
I’m looking for my Johnny….ah ayakata
Where is my Johnny
Johnny mo
Do you know Johnny…question
If I no see my Johnny
Fefe geme

Selebobo on the beat

[Verse 2]
He get dollar
He get hummer
He dey drink palmi with Patience and Jonah
He dey Toronto
He dey Sokoto
Or the lie he dey lie
He dey sokoto…ha
This one na gobe eyeh…ayakata
Original gobe
See me see wahala eh

[Pre-Chorus]

[Chorus]
I’m looking for my Johnny eh..eh eh eh
Where is my Johnny
Johnny mo
Do you know Johnny…question
If I no see my Johnny…ah
Fefe geme

[Verse 3]
He go Canada
He go Tokyo
Yesterday he say he dey Morrocco
He dance disco
He sing Awilo
Na lie, na lie na Pinocchio
This one na gobe…ah ayakata
Original gobe
See me see wahala eh

[Pre-Chorus]

[Chorus]
I’m looking for my Johnny eh
Where is my Johnny.
Johnny mo
Do you know Johnny…question
If I no see my Johnny
Fefe geme ..eh

[Outro]
Selebobo on the beat
Yemi Alade eh


Source: http://genius.com/Yemi-alade-johnny-annotated/

*As indicated in this article about Nigerian recording artist, composer, & producer Selebobo http://encomium.ng/i-started-recording-songs-in-primary-school-selebobo/

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EXPLANATIONS FOR CERTAIN WORDS & PHRASES IN THIS SONG

[added October 9, 2017]
blazinghot99, 2016
..."Gobe is yoruba language and it means "trouble" or "problem". When she says..."this one na gobe, original gobe...she's saying this is a problem or this is trouble."

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blazinghot99, 2016
"+Anime Pops! She spoke Yoruba as well...the part where she says..."Johnny wo, Johnny wo" is yoruba for Where is Johnny?"

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Reply
emperor8483, 2016
"+stormy gomez she is actually saying ' Johnny mo Johnny mo, which is actually Igbo for "my Johnny, my Johnny. Anime pops! is actually right, the song is in Nigerian pidgin english and Igbo language. she used only one yoruba word which is "GOBE"

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Reply
I Am Many Things, 2016
"+emperor8483 Gobe is actually an hausa word,yoruba people borrowed it"

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blazinghot99, 2016
"+komino omagbemi listen again...she's saying...Johnny wo. Johnny wo....If you look at the beginning when she says it, she's pulling her ears...that is typical Yoruba behavior...when they are looking for someone, they pull their ears. Lmao! And as someone pointed out earlier, she also uses the word sokoto, which is yoruba for pants/trousers. Yemi Alade is a Yoruba babe with Igbo blend signed to an Igbo label, but she identifies as Yoruba as her dad is Yoruba. In Nigeria, you claim your father's land even when you are mixed. I am a Yoruba/Edo mix, but I claim Yoruba because it's my father's land."

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Reply
Nochie A, 2016
"+blazinghot99 I believe there is truth to both of what you all are saying. My dad is full blown Igbo & he pulls her ear everyone now & then but not much. But I dont know the origin of the action"


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Reply
THE VICTOR, 2016 [in response to the comment that Yemi Alade said the Yoruba word "sokoto" in the song "Johnny"]
"+blazinghot99 Lol! "Sokoto" is a state in northern Nigeria. She's literally saying Johny always tells lies that he in different locations including Sokoto...not the Yoruba pants/trouser- "shokoto" "

-End of content added on October 9, 2017

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"ayakata" = "It's a yoruba word which in nigerian pidgin english would translate to 'E don scatter' which basically means everything has gone pear-shaped or haywire. A mess, essentially."
from Joshua Belo-Osagie, Nigerian and Fela Kuti fan http://www.quora.com/What-Does-Ayakata-mean-in-Fela-Kutis-Beasts-of-No-nation

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"wahala - a pidgin english word used mostly by Nigerians, meaning trouble"
by naija boy October 17, 2004 http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=wahala

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"awilo" - I think this is a reference to Congolese musician and recording artist Awilo Longomba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awilo_Longomba

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"Na lie, na lie na Pinocchio" = I don't lie, I don't lie, I'm not Pinocchio (the fictitious character whose nose grew big each time he told a lie)

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"Johnny give Uche belle" = Johnny got Uche pregnant. [from video discussion comments: AfricancoolChic, May 2015
"+anna alina bele means belly, means he gave her a big belly. How? By getting her pregnant. If someone gives you bele, means they made you pregnant."

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EXPLANATIONS OF A FEW OTHER WORDS IN THE VIDEO
01:27 [of the video] 'IFe fe geme' = "she means somethings gonna go down".
Joeloj, July 2015 [something will happen]
+subaashinie lol,she means somethings gonna go down

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MsFancypants9, May 2015 "llloll what is gusey soup???" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_XkTKoDI18
Reply
Vera Nwapa, June 2015
"+MsFancypants9 Egusi Soup. A type of soup made from melon seeds that is quite popular in west africa. But in this case, Egusi soup refers to woman (metaphorically speaking).' Mixing different kind of soup' in this sense means Johnny is befriending different women"

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afrcan coolchic2, April 2015
"... he sad 'We don catch am' meaning we have caught him. He spoke pidgin English"
-snip-
"He" refers to the reporter in the video.

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dayddeee, May 2015
""ho haaaaaa!!! abrogotobrogoto ehhh " what does that means?? i don't CARE!! just LOVE THAT SONG!!! from brussels with luv yemi !!!

Reply
Victory Ekwueme, May 2015
"That word is just an expression of amazement"

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WHAT THE REPORTER/TELEVISION HOST SAID IN THE BEGINNING OF THE VIDEO
This video is scripted as an episode in a fictitious television show entitled "We have caught it" which is modeled after the American television show "Cheaters."

AusMa _ , June 2015
"Can anyone please write what the guy is saying at the beginning ? I picked up some of it but not everything, thanks

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soulblade007, June 2015
+AusMa _ "My People una welldone O, welcome to another special edition of we don catch am"

Greetings my people, welcome to another special edition of we have caught it

"You know how we dey do am for this program, if you dey suspect say your man or woman dey play ball outside, this is the program to come"

You know how we do it in this program, if you suspect that your man or woman is cheating outside, this is the program to watch

"For today edition, one special woman, fine girl, fine anyhow, dey suspect say her man dey chop ogbono outside.

In today's edition, one special woman, pretty girl, very pretty, is suspecting her man of sleeping with another woman outside.

"The man like egusi soup, instead of am to choose egusi or ogbono, e dey mix the two together, as a matter of fact e be like say this man dey mix 3 different kind of soup together"

The man likes a woman, instead of him to chose one or the other, he is sleeping with both of them, as a matter of fact, he is sleeping with three different women

"So na today we go know say eye wey dey cry dey see road, come with me make we go bust am"

So today, we will find out that a crying eye can still see, come with me lets go bust him."

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