Cameroonian Pidgin English In Lyric Captions For Two Gospel Songs By Elizabeth Tekeh

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides information about Cameroonian Pidgin English and showcases two Cameroonian (West Africa) praise and worship songs performed by Elizabeth Tekeh.

A video of those songs are included in this post along with a transcription of the Cameroonian Pidgin English lyrics for those two songs (as given in captions in that video)*.

Several comments from this video's discussion thread are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for religious, cultural, and linguistic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Elizabeth Tekeh for her musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are featured in this video, and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of this video on YouTube and special thanks for including the lyrics to these songs as captions in those videos.
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*These lyrics are written in a font that is sometimes difficult to decipher. Additions and corrections are welcome.

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INFORMATION ABOUT CAMEROONIAN PIDGIN ENGLISH
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameroonian_Pidgin_English
..."The terms "Cameroonian Pidgin", "Cameroonian Pidgin English", "Cameroonian Creole" and "Kamtok" are synonyms for what Cameroonians call Cameroon Pidgin English. Many speakers are unaware that this language is different from English proper. It is a variety of West African Pidgin Englishes spoken along the coast from Ghana to Cameroon. It is a vehicular language that has been in active use in the country for over 200 years. It came into being in the Slave Trade Years (1440 to early 1800s[3]). It preceded English in Cameroon: the first Baptist missionaries who arrived in Cameroon in 1845 and introduced formal education in English, had to learn Pidgin. A few decades later during the German annexation period (1884–1914), Pidgin resisted a German ban. It took flight when it became a makeshift language used in German plantations and undertakings by forced labourers who were drawn from the hinterland and who spoke different indigenous languages. With time it passed into use in the market place, and was adopted by Baptist missionaries as the language of their evangelical crusade. For many years, it has been used on school playgrounds and campuses and in political campaigns, and today it is forcing its way into spoken media. (For a comprehensive description of its linguistic features and its place in the language ecology of Cameroon, see amongst others, Kouega 2007 and 2008)."...

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: My God is Able | Elizabeth Tekeh



MyJESUStv, Published on Aug 22, 2011
Cameroon praise and worship

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LYRICS: MY GOD IS ABLE [given as song #1 in the above video]
(as sung by Elizabeth Tekeh)

Nothing no day weh this Jesus no fit do
Jesus dey here today for turn your story around
I no know the problem weh
you di go through for this life
I don mention some one
may he I no mention your own
Everyday your di cry
because of that problem for your life
You di fine solution but yet way e no day
I want for tell you say I get a good news for you
If you give your life for Jesus
e go turn your life round oh
Jesus day here today for turn your story round
Jesus day here today for wipe your tears away
Nothing no deh weh this, Jesus no fit do
Jesus day here today for turn your story round

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LYRICS: YOUR DAY GO BREAK [second song in the above video; begins at .059
(as sung by Elizabeth Tekeh)

Your day go break oh
Your sun go shine oh
When my God remember you.
Your day go break oh oh oh

sing this chorus 4x

I want to tell wone the story of my life oh
The things wah I don gone through
before I be weti weh I dey
I comot for family weh life a no be easy
Clothes for waaram na ao ao ocraka own oh
Better shoe for waaram
e no be easy for gettam
My Papa no fit move some money
e say Elizabeth, takam, go for market
Go buy shoes and clothes
rubbing oil and soap usam care for your body
Anything weh you see for my body ne ma sweet eh
I go enter benga bush
make broom sellum, fry maoora banana
boil groundnut sellum. Cook chop for sell,
work job for people them houses,
Sell salt for market for takem care for my body

My Papa no be treat we so because e be wicked
But na ignorance e be worry my Papa oh
Because of ignorance eh
I make we suffer for long
I go school from class one to seven eh
When I complete class seven
I be desire to go to school, I go tell ma Papa say
Papa put me for school, my Papa talk for me say
all yi girl pikin them
Them go. go marry for village.
I tell my Papa say
If you want no send me for school
Papa put me for work.
I want learn some hand work,
weh I go help me for life
We make arrangement
with some brother for church
E give money for three months
after three months e pass
The brother ask me some money
I go tell my Papa eh
aay the brother weh I did learn work
e say make you give me some money.
My Papa talk for me say if I mention nam again
e go go take medicin drink because I don ask
yi money eh

I be don make up my mind for serve God till I die
School or no school, work or no work
Me I be don make up my mind for serve the Lord till I die.
January till December I dey for church oh
When I come back for church,
My Papa go follow me with cain
E say make I go back for church
make Church e give me bed for sleep.
I thank God for my Mami, weh I gatam oh
If my Papa drive me for house
My Mami go open door for me
Because my Mami be know aay
I be pikin weh I get the fear og God
Even though I be di fear God
but man pikin them no be di fear me
Them di so so walker for my back
For make me deny my God

I sit down someday I want oh
oh some boy e come
He come talk for me
say sister Elizabeth
I want for make love with you because I love you
I tell that boy say hear me o o o o
I no fit sell my body God be make
ma na for one man and that
one man wah I di waitam wah
e go pay money for my head
But one day ehhhhh
I want mmm some brother e come
E come talk for me say
Papa God don make for you aay na
You go be my wife.
I tell the brother say brother oh
Before you want come today Papa God be
don make me for understand
God be don make me for you
say na you go be my husband.
I di whina today wit my husband oh
The man who God be don keepam for me
E don pay dairy for my head
You mmm me I di whina today mo tim yi ah

I want talk for young girls make wana hear oh
Make you leave your banana make
they touchem at all
If you leave ya banana they toucham
They no go buyam again

Your day go break oh
Your sun go shine, no worry
Your day go break oh
Your sun go shine, no worry.
When my God remember you,
Your day go break oh oh oh.
Your day go break, oh
Your sun go shine-oh
When my God remember you,
Your day go break oh oh oh

I no know the problem weh you
Di go through for this life
Whether you be truck pusher
make you no worry about life
When my God remember you,
Your day go break oh oh oh
Some time you di burn fish for di road.
Some time you be a farmer
Some time you be okada rider
make you no worry about life.
When God remember you, your day go break oh
When God remember you, your sun go shine eh
Make you be patient for this life, my brother
Make you no hurry hurry for life
Hurry hurry go put you for hole.
Make you just go patient for God
and he go cause your day for break
Your day go break oh
Your sun go shine, no worry
The God way e cause my day for break
e go cause your own day for break

Your day go break oh
Your sun go shine, oh
Your day go break oh
Your sun go shine, oh
When my God remember you.
Your day go break, oh oh oh
Your day go break oh
Your sun go shine, oh
Your day go break oh
Your sun go shine, oh
When my God remember you.
Your day go break, oh oh oh

Song ends and the video repeats from the beginning at 8:40.

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
(numbers added for referencing purposes only)

1. Quikie LaFlamme, 2012
"what a lovely testimony!!!"

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2. Dieu masterpiece, 2014
"I am so blessed with sister Elizabeth song, i tried to have it order from Cameroon but was told that the VCD is the only thing available and the first volume. I really will like to have the complete volume 1 and 2 DVD please if anyone knows how i can get them please let me know."

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3. Rita Mbangah, 2015
"Thats soo true.... I was in G.S Ekona with her. She was in class 6 while i was in class 4. She was always singing and dancing in school. I remember our school use to take first on 11th Febuary and 20th May in dancing and singing thanks to Eli (as we use to call her). She was very hard working too. Amen ohhh Eli.."

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4. Fevant Fon Fonong, 2016
"Why are all Cameroon gospel singers dancing Ibo styles when when we have different dance styles that other countries are copying and modernising? Njang, Bikutsi, makossa, benskin, chia chia meringe etc should be practiced by our gospel singers."

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REPLY
5. Alitha Doh, 2016
"@Fevant Fon Fonong I was thinking the SAME thing. I thought this was Nigerian. Its a nice song but its not true to Camer fashion at all. Cameroonian artists in general don't realize the significance our culture(s)."

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REPLY
6. Pascal Tienga, 2016
"It doesn't matter if she used Nigeria rhythm gospel. Afterwards it's the message which is very important. And maybe you don't know the history between both countries."

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REPLY
7. nicolz lami, 2013
"+Fevant Fon Fonong same people, but were divided by the whiteman!"

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REPLY
8. Arnold Akafu, 2017
"+nicolz lami where not same people only brothers and sisters"

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Liz Cassidy, 2017
9. "hello everybody, I have to say I love Elizabeth tekeh songs, some I don't understand but I try to, above all I love Lord Jesus Christ what I want to say is why are people bothered about her dance or country she is from? it doesn't matter she is dancing for the Lord, we are serving the same Jesus and God the focus should be the message, be blessed"

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Moreno Mo, 2018
10. "I just love her Songs . Wn God remembers you eh..everything will change .From her very first Song. But this Song brought alot of Argument amongst My friends and i.
Its a true story indeed but painting that Image of ur father...wat about the "honour your father and mother" Part of scripture?
A friend of mine said If she really Wanted to go to school she would have done all those jobs and paid for school not clothes and Cream...
Well i am still dancing to the Song all the same 😉"

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