Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series that features the 2014 Nigerian Afrobeat/Rap song "Marry Me" by Falz featuring Yemi Alade, and Poe.
Part I showcases a video of "Marry Me" and provides the lyrics to that song from an online page. This post also includes [possible] meanings for Yoruba or Nigerian Pidgin English words/phrases using Google Translate and various online Nigerian Pidgin English pages. Additions and corrections are very welcome.*
*Unfortunately, I only understand English. I recognize that looking up the definitions of individual Yoruba or Nigerian Pidgin English words or combinations of words via Google translate or online Nigerian Pidgin is often an inadequate effort that may yield no result or wrong results particularly as they pertain to informal or slang usage.
However, I'm including these possible definitions of Yoruba and Nigerian Pidgin English words and phrases in this featured song because-as of the time of this post's publication- no online lyric pages Falz's "Marry Me" includes any definition/explanation for those words/phrases. It's my hope that these attempted explanations correctly add some meaning to this song.
It's also my hope that people who know Yoruba and Nigerian Pidgin English will correct the definitions that need correcting and add information about these words/phrases in the comment section below or in the video's discussion thread. Thanks in advance.
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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/09/comments-about-yoruba-h-factor-other.html for Part II of this series. Part II features selected online comments about what is commonly referred to as the "H factor" among Yoruba people. These comments are culled from the YouTube discussion thread for Falz's "Marry Me" official video and other several Nigerian based online discussion threads. Part II also includes selected comments from the YouTube discussion thread of Falz's "Marry Me" video about other aspects of language use by "Marry Me" performers.
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The content of this post is presented for cultural, linguistic, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the composer of "Marry Me" and thanks to Falz, Yemi Alade, and Poe for their creative performances. Thanks also to all those who were involved in the production of this video, all those who are quoted in this post, and the publisher of that video on YouTube.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Falz - Marry Me (Official Video) ft. Yemi Alade, Poe
Falz, VEVO Published on Dec 5, 2014
-snip-
Statistics as of September 11, 2017 (9:30 PM EDT)
Total number of views-3,769,789
Total number of comments - 914
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LYRICS: MARRY ME
(as performed by Falz featuring Yemi Alade and Poe)
Classic
Alright
Yemi Alade….Poe…Effyzie baby
See ah, i talked to friends, cousins
You guys have said different things
But i could understand one thing from what you guys are telling me
Let me know if i am correct
Ah…see
Verse 1. (Poe)
I’ve met so many babes. Jealous of their friends.
Used to the heartache So they’ve give up on men
But, what is depressing is the older they’re getting.
Whenever they meet a man they’re already planing out the wedding
Ha!
See the pressure from their nosy family members
“Bisi when did you last date? I’m trying to remember ”
She too would front, like “what difference does it make?”
But she’s always at receptions and she catches the bouquet.
Asking me if it’s fate. I don’t know what to tell her.
She told her pastor she’s lonely. He told her to go and pray.
Ah ah! Guy! That’s the problem that we face. U want to skip girlfriend and go straight to fiancé
So I pray for my sister, cousins, ex-lovers. This girl. That girl. Even divorced mothers.
May you smile, and toast with some Chardonnay.
I hope I see you when we’re spraying on a Saturday.”
Chorus (Yemi Alade)
See me see Trouble! brother you go Marry Me oh!
See me see trouble! when you go marry me oh?
See we’ve been dating for many years now you want to leave me follow Fola
See me trouble! You go marry me oh
Today Today eh
Today Today
Today Today eh
Today Today
Eh eh eh eh eh (x2)
Verse 2. (Falz)
She say mi o gbo yen! No I no want no story
I can’t befriend you if you don’t propose to me
If you didn’t know, wo, Aburo mi ti marry
Mi o young Moti fe d’arugbo physically
You know I’m not a small girl
You know my age
Even Bola wey no fine sef
She don engage
It will not work, aww! Shey emi l’o n korin fun?
Don’t call me honey if we will not go for honeymoon
If you don’t pick a date we might not get to date
Don’t get it twisted it’s not like I’m desperate
I just have a life plan and it’s getting late
I want to be a Mrs by the time I’m 28
Brother John said the Lord said his wife is me
But that vision is for only his eyes to see
I want a man that is handsome and God-fearing
If he can love me with his heart and I’m not sharing
Chorus (Yemi Alade)
See me see Trouble! brother you go Marry Me oh!
See me see trouble! when you go marry me oh?
See we’ve been dating for many years now you want to leave me follow Fola
See me trouble! You go marry me oh
Today Today eh
Today Today
Today Today eh
Today Today
Eh eh eh eh eh (x2)
Bridge (Yemi Alade)
You don’t wanna Marry Me, you just wanna friend me
Brother you dey dull me oh
Shebi you dey tell me
We go go Miami
When we go see mummy oh?
Why you dey do me so
All of my friends dem don marry go
Right now my brother I’m 28
All of the boys no dey come my gate
Verse 3. (Falz)
Baby I’m loving all the love that u’ve shown
Everytime you call me and we talk on the phone
See man cannot be a boss on his own
You need somebody to give you support on the throne
Oh if you ready pop the question then go!
I’m like what do you mean? She say stop jor you know!
Are you saying I no fine reach so?
Emi High Class, ehn, Omo lepa Siringo
See me and you was just a incident
We can’t be sleeping together because we dream different
I’m even thinking that you’re still decent
You’re irritating, inyama! I’m seeing vincent
My last boyfriend, it’s still recent,
I was happy and love was a ingredient.
So for me this dating thing is dead
He broke my heart, you’re repeating all the things he said.
Chorus (Yemi Alade)
See me see Trouble! brother you go Marry Me oh!
See me see trouble! when you go marry me oh?
See we’ve been dating for many years now you want to leave me follow Fola
See me trouble! You go marry me oh
Today Today eh
Today Today
Today Today eh
Today Today
Eh eh eh eh eh (x2)
Submitted by Femi Soro
http://www.freenaijalyrics.com/lyrics-falz-marry-ft-yemi-alade-poe/
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NOTES ABOUT THIS SONG INCLUDING POSSIBLE MEANINGS FOR YORUBA OR NIGERIAN PIDGIN ENGLISH WORDS IN THIS SONG*
*Please correct and add to these definitions/explanations. Thanks!
YORUBA WORDS/PHRASES AND NIGERIAN PIDGIN ENGLISH WORDS PHRASES
Sources: Yoruba words: Google translate
Nigerian Pidgin English - from various Nigerian Pidgin English pages including http://www.naijalingo.com/ and https://buzznigeria.com/common-nigerian-words-used-in-place-of-some-english-equivalents/
These words/phrases are given in order of their first use in this song.
"o" at the end of sentences as in "brother you go Marry Me oh!":
In Nigeria "o" at the end of sentences or phrases is usually given as "o". Here's an excerpt from an online article that includes information about Yoruba's use of "o" and two other words:
From http://www.premiumtimesng.com/opinion/108250-oyinbos-dictionary-to-nigerian-english-by-femke-van-zeijl.html "Oyinbo’s dictionary to Nigerian English by Femke van Zeijl"
"abi, o, now [interjection] To be sprayed generously in conversation at the end of virtually every sentence. The first comes from Yoruba and means ‘isn’t it’, found its way into Pidgin and now into Nigerian English, used by …, …, …, Ibo, … and Hausa alike. The two latter are mere exclamations emphasising the preceding words. These interjections creep into your sentences without warning. When I added my first ‘o’ after a sentence, my friend Doris looked at me proudly: ‘You are becoming a proper Nigerian.’ I had not even noticed my first ‘o’."
-snip-
With regards to that article's title: "Oyinbo" is a Yoruba word that originally meant "White man or White woman" and now is also used to mean "foreigner".
Note that in the context of this song "brother" means a man (as in the African American referent "brother man"), not a biological sibling.
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"Fola" in the lyrics "you want to leave me follow Fola" is a clip of a Yoruba female name (such as "Folasade").
"You want to leave me and (instead) go out with (be with) Fola.
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mi o gbo yen! = I've heard that [Yoruba/Google translate]
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The word "wo" in "If you didn’t know" = "look" [Yoruba/Google translate]
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The word "Aburo" in "Aburo mi ti marry" = friend [Yoruba/Google translate]
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"Mi o young Moti fe d’arugbo physically" [meaning ?]
The Yoruba word "arugbo"= "old" [Google translate]
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"Even Bola wey no fine sef/ She don engage" = Even Bola [a clip of a Yoruba female name] who isn't physically attractive got engaged to be married.
""wey" where is [Nigerian Pidgin English]
"sef"= "self" [Nigerian Pidgin English]
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"Shey emi l’o n korin fun?" [meaning ?]
"Shey" = Right? [Nigerian Pidgin English]
The words "l’o n korin" in = you're living [Yoruba/Google translate]
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Brother you dey dull me oh [meaning ?] my guess: "Are you trying to treat me like I'm dumb?"
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The word "Shebi" in "Shebi you dey tell me" = "You agree seeking approval"[ also click the buzznigeria.com link given above for an explanation of the origin of the word "Shebi".] [Nigerian Pidgin English]
The word "dey" in Shebi you dey tell me= "Definition: 1. to be, or to be alive
2. in the process of doing something" (from Naija lingo link given above]
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The word "jor" in "She say stop jor you know!" [Nigerian Pidgin English] "Definition [for jor"] Please. usually used in a rude way Example: get out of here jor!" source: naija lingo.com; also read entry for "jor" ["joor"] in buzznigeria.com which gives information about "joors" origin from the Yoruba word "ejor".
**
"Are you saying I no fine reach so?
Emi High Class, ehn, Omo lepa Siringo" [meanings ?] My guess is that the first part of these lyrics is something like "Are you saying I'm not good enough for you, I'm not high class enough?" "Emi"= less [Yoruba/Google translate] so "emi high class" may mean "Less than high class"
"Omo" is Yoruba for "child" [Yoruba/Google translate]. But I don't know what "Omo lepa siringo" means. My guess is that she's "callin him out of his name" i.e. saying something insulting to him if he thinks she's not good enough for him to marry.
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Comment from YouTube discussion thread for the official video of Falz's "Marry Me" about the play on words in the line "You’re irritating, inyama! I’m seeing vincent":
From the YouTube discussion thread of the official video for Falz's "Marry Me" video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UzlN0AbPgQ
Oluropo Akinbolade-Jones, 2015
"Ha ha ha ha ha. Iyanma(Enyeama) I see vincent. That girl must be a bed hopper for you to say iyanma and also see vincent. What did you see in her area. Vincent's signature? Very funny line. Hope you guys get the gist."
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Reply
Oluropo Akinbolade-Jones, 2015
"I'll break it down Bola. Iyanma is an expression of disgust in yoruba. It almost has the same pronunciation with the Nigerian goalkeeper's surname Enyeama. You use it when you see something disgusting or disgusted by something. Like in the case of the girl in the rap, she must have like slept with every guy around and the rap seems to suggest Vincent is one of them. So perhaps he's trying to make love to the Marry Me girl and can see something that suggests Vincent has been in that pussy. Iyanma(Enyeama) I see Vincent. Vincent Enyeama Nigerian goalie! Lol"
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Explanation for the lyrics "Don’t get it twisted it’s not like I’m desperate"
"Don't get it twisted" = African American Vernacular English: "don't jump to the wrong conclusions"; don't get it wrong" [click http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=don%27t%20get%20it%20twisted
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This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series.
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