Point Less, by Ola Onabulé

Point Less

by Ola Onabulé

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Full Digital Discography

10

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Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Point Less, It's The Peace That Deafens, Love For Sale - An all-Vocal Track, SEVEN SHADES DARKER, THE DEVOURED MAN, IN EMERGENCY, BRAKE SILENCE, AMBITIONS FOR DEEPER BREADTH, PRECIOUS LIBATIONS FOR SILENT GODS, and 2 more. , and , .

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1.	Throwaway Notion 05:19	lyrics	buy track
Throwaway Notion Ola Onabule Comfortably broken On abdicated throne Selectively outspoken Clutching what's no more owned Broken bits of rules for one and all Sharpened for that lonely crawl It's not decline, we call it a dignified fall Then race that to the bottom, Oh oh! Let’s burn Arcadia, throw away da nation Wake all it's dreamers, Fleece it’s shackled till sheep Turn upside down all it stood up to be, Throwaway notion, our new found destiny Intolerant of difference That built for what we stand We'll threaten all existence And bite the very hand Raise the threshold never raise the bar Give that plenty owning few Over do excess, then take it way too far sell what’s leftover to whom it harms most, Oh oh! Let’s burn Arcadia, throw away da nation Wake all it's dreamers, Fleece it’s shackled till sheep Turn upside down all it stood up to be, Throwaway notion, our new found destiny If the future comes calling asking what we did We’ll just say we got rid of the things it needs Possibility, opportunity, destiny…. Let’s burn Arcadia, throw away da nation Wake all it's dreamers, Fleece it’s shackled till sheep Turn upside down all it stood up to be, Throwaway notion, our new found destiny So to be placed on history’s rubbish heap Throwaway notion is the way we should be Ad Libs out
2.	The Old Story 05:22	lyrics	buy track
The Old Story Ola Onabule 2018 Owo pupa, O wo aso dudu Oju fun fun, Oso kun morun Every night, tormented by apparitions, In forms that moved like an ancient masquerade, Bloodied vizards whisper: "These are not delusions, No... Just the just deserts of past deeds that overstayed" I Hear them cry We don't do scot free. No checking out, doubting what will be The dance presages all of we Cursed generations will repeat till in lock step with history's beat... We'll tell the old story: Owo pupa, O wo aso dudu Oju fun fun, Oso kun morun As I dim his lights, they shine a dawning, This promised land of beginnings, delivered his end And from that revelation I divined a meaning, I... Nurture a truth starved of meaning, A lie that pretends He heard me cry I don't do victim but why Must I exist, just to tell a man I must prepare him to die I planned to live, not live the plan I try, but never do all I can Trapped in the old story Owo pupa, O wo aso dudu Oju fun fun, Oso kun morun As I dim his lights, they shine a dawning, This promised land of beginnings, delivered his end And from that revelation I divined a meaning, I... Nurture a truth starved of meaning, A lie that pretends He heard me cry Owo pupa, O wo aso dudu Oju fun fun, Oso kun morun Ad Libs out…
3.	Point Less 05:31	lyrics	buy track
POINTLESS Ola Onabule 2018 Pointless, is the point of it all, To hold you down where you fall, On the fragments, of a dream, you saw come true. But wasn't meant for you. Point less, those shattered fingers of blame, You were never in their game Like the echo, of a lie, you tell yourself. When no one's there to hear, I am pointless Naked in leaden rain, Raised by betrayal’s pain, Watch the children come enrolling, Down degradation’s drain, Gouged out of hollow frames All too soon, they’ll come to see hope's... Pointless, is the point of it all, To hold you down where you fall, On the fragments, of a dream, you saw come true. But wasn't meant for you. Point less, those shattered fingers of blame, You were never in their game Like the echo, of a lie, you tell yourself. When no one's there to hear, I am pointless Red, white and blue, her ghosts Lives that once mattered most, Locked in hearts, too late for houses Ruthless this ebb and flow Uneasy status quo Far too late, she knows that love is… Pointless, is the point of it all, To hold you down where you fall, On the fragments, of a dream, you saw come true. But wasn't meant for you. Point less, those shattered fingers of blame, You were never in the game Like the echo, of a lie, you tell yourself. When no one's there to hear, I am pointless With pyrrhic advantage, And reason held hostage By counterpoint, The victor seems victim If truth lies beside him On our worlds disjoint What you went looking for? Is what’s missing inside you You couldn’t see it, But we knew it’s all ver when, That little baby just watched her daddy die Oh no, oh no, you all saw it but you just walked on by
4.	And Yet 05:31	lyrics	buy track
And Yet Ola Onabule 2018 Staring down a barrel again Staring down a barrel again Don't blow Mister, Big controller, do the rags bother Maybe I could lose the hoodie for ya Calm down will ya, Don't get triggered, Keep your cool holstered We all know you wield the rod of power Just speak clearer, Never louder, I just want to re- dress the balance in survival's favour Drag breath deeper, stop, consider, how could we differ If the past has bound our fates forever... ...more... than forever more, like our bones of contention lining beds of the ocean ...more... to fade never more Like stains on the cotton that enshroud the forgotten I couldn't be braver, Faster or stronger… And yet I'm staring down a barrel again I couldn't be gentler, studied and lettered… And yet I'm staring down a barrel again What’s up with ya, Why so bitter, What’s enough for ya Where's the part where someone else gets better Have no fear, You're in the clear, No one's coming for ya If that's why you cocked that happy finger I'm aiming elsewhere, what dya care, Please don't end me here Just so you fulfil that deadly quota Exhale slower, then consider, how do we differ If the past has bound our fates forever... ...more... than forever more, like our bones of contention lining beds of the ocean ...more... to fade never more Like stains on the cotton that enshroud the forgotten I couldn't be braver, Faster or stronger… And yet I'm staring down a barrel again I couldn't be gentler, studied and lettered… And yet If I was a leader that never made drama, You guessed I’d be staring down some barrel again And if I’d been falling, I shouldn’t start rising, or foreign and winning Before way too long I’d be staring down a barrel again
5.	Exit Wound 05:21	lyrics	buy track
Exit Wound Ola Onabule 2018 Ti le, le le nyo I know nights surrender to dawns As in hackneyed 'silver lining' songs Not when grief mauls your heart Abandons you on the path To where that faith you lost was. Be strong, pick your heart up, survive Lucky, alone, but alive, Though all those you’d lived for Stood no chance past that door Luck sure ain’t what it once was. I'd die to un-dream my reality, And wake, running free. I’d kill for unfettered humanity Murder each sin, That conspired to break me... Don't send me all your thoughts and prayers If they make it, they'll be no use here. Too late has come too soon Now I'm just an exit wound Other side of the truth of what we are... Vulnerable yet the sum of all fears, Tolerable as long as no where near No emergency room This side of an exit wound Someday, what we were, will return, Reclaim us from apathy's concern Shades of lighter heartache, Naiveté to awake, On old battle fields New blood may assail the old status quo To wash it away, A force wielding powers they'll never know, Pray they prevail, but if they don't then Don't send me all your thoughts and prayers If they make it, they'll be no use here. Too late has come too soon Now I'm just an exit wound Other side of the truth of what we are... Vulnerable yet the sum of all fears, Tolerable as long as No where near No emergency room This side of an exit wound Ti le, le le nyo
6.	What The Heck 05:58	lyrics	buy track
What The Heck Ola Onabule We go through, never go round Always headed up, we don't do down Oh yeah, everyday's a win, Losing is a sin, Born to rule that higher ground We never stop, We don't know how We never change, No way, Not now! Oh yeah, hope is for the weak, losers lucky streak A dream is but a broken vow Okay sometimes , We do at times, Lose all that we held with our arms, To murdered meaning. Kings of new climes, turned slave to crimes Rolling into sight from the past, slowly reckonings We have... And the tears from our eyes flow to hearts long gone to seed But we never sow love, what the heck are we crying for. Off to plant that flag, Where we left those kids to bleed, But we never grow peace, what the heck are we dying for... We go hard, or we go home We get it done, locked in the zone. Oh yeah we never compromise, don't apologise Lead it all or stand alone. We win big gain, we fear no pain Don't be the target when we're taking aim Yes, our goal is never missed, foolish to resist, Be sure before you play our game Maybe sometimes , We can at times, Trade in what we get from our arms, For murdered meaning. Gods in our time, turned pawns to crimes Rolling into sight from the past, brutal reckonings We have… And the tears from our eyes flow to hearts long gone to seed But we never sow love, what the heck are we crying for. Off to plant that flag, Where we left those kids to bleed, But we never grow peace, what the heck are we dying for… Dying for , what is more What’s worth living for! Tears from our eyes flow to hearts long gone to seed But we never sow love, what the heck are we crying for. Off to plant that flag, Where we left those kids to bleed, But we never grow peace, what the heck are we dying for... But if we meant to do that what the heck we been waiting for... When it’s easier than kicking down an open door
7.	Ballad Of The Star Crossed 06:02	lyrics	buy track
Ballad Of the Star Crossed Ola Onabule 2018 Don't you let go Just to be free of their world There's no us beyond the veil Of this woe And if you fade, right where you fall That's all they'll tell of our tale Far too late I see, what was, ever will be Help was never gonna come, From those who create it’s need I dreamt we broke the code, Along a bloodless road But where you lie, that quest will die along with all its hope, less you... Hang on, hold fast the light, Beg life linger, till memories fade And sorrow floods my days Won't you please hang on, Lets cheat our tragedy out of the deal it's made Please find a way to stay How did we come so far and end at the start, Hunted by the foolish fears That others are haunted by When all here's said and done The last word is their gun's There in that might, the twisted right That's dimmed your precious light, less you… Hang on, hold fast the light, Beg life linger, till memories fade And sorrow floods my days Won't you please hang on, Lets cheat our tragedy out of the deal it's made Please find a way to stay Don't you let go Just to be free of their world There's no us beyond the veil Of this woe And if you fade, right where you fall That's all they'll tell of our tale Choruses and ad libs out
8.	I Knew Your Father 05:15	lyrics	buy track
I Knew Your Father Ola Onabule 2018 I knew your father, well kinda sorta simply got caught in the fray, stolen away, Pain must be murder I hear your mother , Pulled back the cover Over the secrets of lies, and the truth dies, Without it’s camera We watched a world watching on At bewildered stupor Nought to do for Kin clinging on United in these states of Cold fear, burn of the brand, severed hand dealer Old fear, cull of the clan, studded man killer I knew your father, unafraid fighter Doing the best that he knew, keeping it true Tryin’ to do better That such a brother, had no protector, Would have no-body to fight, none but his wife out of his corner, A Headless world lurches on With bewildered stupor Stoop and cheer your — war raging on Where each soldier fights against stone Cold fear, burn of the brand, severed hand dealer Old fear, cull of the clan, studded man killer We watched a world watching on At bewildered stupor Nought to do for Kin clinging on United in these states of fear lurching on With bewildered stupor Stoop and cheer your — war raging on Where each soldier fights against stone Cold fear, burn of the brand, severed hand dealer Old fear, cull of the clan, studded man killer Ad lib...
9.	Suru Lere 05:37	lyrics	buy track
Suru Lere Ola Onabulé 2018 Lets go to Suru Lere, It's far, but won't feel a long way Pay attention, it dwells in your heart You were of Suru Lere, Before the past pulled today's seams apart Patience is waiting's one gain Why waste it waiting in vain Still clinging wide eyed to pledges unmade Come back to Suru Lere, Naked and human, and no more afraid Disquiet and presentiments Immediately fly away, oh far away Celebrate, in your element Get stronger each passing day, day by day Breathe, when you breathe, Soon you'll live, not barely survive Soon you'll feel alive You can't go to Suru Lere I guess I've been talking grand, Here's where he fell, here you'll make your last stand You'll build a Suru Lere All of your own on this sleepless land
10.	Tender Heart 05:21	lyrics	buy track
Tender Heart Ola Onabulé 2018 Tender Heart, careful how you ache, Don't look down, don't look round Weave an art, of those smiles you'd forsake Seems there's no one you can call No outstretched arms to break your fall, When those you show scars that you bear Say your story's no longer there But solace in despair Brought all this on your tender heart. Tender Heart, Here's a torch for you Do you stay and fight or merge into night It's your path, light a way to the truth, You might be providences choice, Go Be the future we'll rejoice, Quell discoveries dragged from the mire Only love can free and inspire Calm that raging fire That burns within your tender heart solo… Seems there's no one you can call No outstretched arms to break your fall, When those you show scars that you bear Say your story's no longer there But solace in despair Brought all this on your tender heart. Ad libs out…
11.	Conceive It 05:01	lyrics	buy track
Conceive It Ola Onabulé 2018 Talking about the way things be…. Can you conceive it? A world where a guardian angel, steadily takes aim At our baby’s deadly toy, primed for the end game With gods, in camouflage, murdering the old shame And they'll conceal it, Not with loud words, of an enemy, but with gold silence Of a cold society, hardened to violence Where to speak of unity only makes no sense. And unreason grinds coarse words to fine Stench of anger suffocates young minds Oh I know you struggle to believe it, Still can’t see it But your brain quite quickly will concede it You’ll conceive It’s how things already be! The lie that's believed is, long ago was for them, that bastion of safeness The main goal of the cause, return to that greatness By wrenching hope from claws, of dreamers till stateless So you might perceive this, As a tale meant to foretell what you will soon hear They’ll be all they can, when you can no longer You're short of ideal, ideal is you’re not here Where delirium drives dissent benign your continuum becomes broken line Oh I know you struggle to believe it, Still can’t see it But your brain quite quickly will concede it You’ll conceive It’s how things already be! How can I conceive it, when I can't believe it Aaaaaahhhh Open up your eyes and see It’s already happening. It’s how things already.
12.	So They Say 05:55	lyrics	buy track
So They Say Ola Onabule 2018 So they say, is a thing they say, When they say things they should not say, As to declare it the subtle way, While hoping you will be just as they Are choosing to say Say, filling the world with the things they say Yeah, shaping your world out of things they say Oh, for all those tuned in to our hear say Oh, We say the things that they'll come to say So astounded to hear what you’d heard of me Are things I can't believe you’re inclined to believe Makes it easy to say what they say of you is true, When facts are few, you’ll stoke a brew, of myth’s anew So they say, is a thing they say, When they say things they should not say, As to declare it the subtle way, While hoping you will be just as they Are choosing to say Say, filling the world with the things they say Yeah, shaping your world out of things they say Oh, for all those tuned in to our hear say Oh, We say the things that they'll come to say Clutch a bag close full of fearful streets you crossed, I'll perceive of you my preconceptions worst, In the absence of a presence of a shred of truth, With facts are few, I'll stoke a brew, of myth’s anew So they say, is a thing they say, When they say things they should not say, As to declare it the subtle way, While hoping you will be just as they Are choosing to say Solo So they'll say, they've heard people say You’re not like us in anyway Then they'll say, we don't mean to cause dismay You’re not an equal us, but a lower other we call ‘they’, filling the world with the things they say Yeah, shaping your world out of things they say Oh, for all those tuned in to our hear say Oh, We say the things that they'll come to say Ad libs You accountable for each of all of you Me indictable for everything we do One and all exemplars and inculpable So they say, these are the things they say…
13.	Pas Famille 04:49	lyrics	buy track
PAS FAMILLE Ola Onabulé 2018 These days the world seems out of kilter I don't know, which way up is. I saw you stare into the mirror Yet miss our, fate's what yours is. Then you say kneeling down is As much of a crime, as standing up is Grind that dirt, into the grain and, Rake that hurt, across the pain and, Saying what ought, is just the same as What it's not, And more's the shame, where... Pas famille, Don't make like you're my brother, Sail on to your merrily, Once you sell me down the river Betrayal, is a roulette wheel That makes a vixen outta karma As it turns, it comes around To afflict its hapless dealer Your self loathing is unbound, So you're ever Pas famille You know the things your kinfolk need, But bring them barbarity. Who traumatized you without heed You yield to ab-normality We've all been where you've been, But treat each other with fidelity Still you cheered, at spirits broken With them sneered, at truths unspoken, One fine day, You'll find your way, Back home to stay, But until then you're... Pas famille, Don't make like you're my brother, Sail on to your merrily, Once you sell me down the river Betrayal, is a roulette wheel That makes a vixen outta karma As it turns, it comes around To afflict its hapless dealer…
14.	You Can't Depend On Love 05:42	lyrics	buy track
You Can’t Depend On Love Ola Onabulé 2018 You can't rely on hope First it's lost, then it fades. Until you find a soul to give some to You'll find, You can't rely on hope, People, are not what they used to be, They seem to have no use for people, Empty, is something to fill lives with, Replacing faith with fear, the new faithful As long as someone must lose It’s going to be a race no one wins Some kinda victory it's bound to be if the vanquished is... your brother or his neighbour or her sister's fellow man You can't rely on hope First it's lost, then it fades Until you find a soul to give some to You'll find, You can't rely on hope, People, can't seem to see any one Before they place a worth on people Difference, plays the deciding hand In the game of divide the vulnerable But if no one gets out alive Why work so hard to keep another down Some kinda difference it's going to make if the trampled is... your brother or his neighbour or her sister's fellow man You can't rely on hope It gets lost, then it fades Until you find a soul to give some to You'll find, You can't rely on hope, You can't depend on love, First it’s blind and then it wanes Until you find a heart give yours to You'll find, You can't rely on, I'd never bet on, You can't depend on love.

about

British-Nigerian singer/songwriter Ola Onabulé presents Point Less, his latest studio album, released worldwide on Friday 30 August.

Onabulé has built an enviably solid music career through a relentless schedule both in the recording studio and as an international touring performer. He has always been interested in crossing cultural and musical boundaries. The emotion and virtuosity in his three-and-a-half octave baritone voice channels his poignant storytelling, which has given life to previous studio works exploring his Nigerian roots, his Western upbringing, family life, and musical influences ranging from jazz to soul, world, and pop.

An ever-present theme in all his creative output, Onabulé’s views on social injustice become the focus of this latest release, with an intensity and boldness reminiscent of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On. The 14 original tracks on Point Less tell tales of violence, immigration, xenophobia, betrayal, and dignity, at once celebrating life and warning the social forces threatening it. In these songs, the artist ponders on our contemporary lack of historical memory which allows mistrust and fear to rule; asks philosophical questions about violence; reflects on what real power is: force or spirituality; tries to depict true love beyond all simple stereotypes; takes inspiration by Kipling’s poem “We and They” to try and understand the notion of “the other”.

Following Onabulé’s critically acclaimed 2015 recording, It’s The Peace That Deafens, with its strong musical and thematic connections to Nigeria, Point Less once again offers an insight into the songwriter’s fiercely independent artistic and entrepreneurial world.

In an independent career spanning more than 20 years, Ola has performed at many of the most respected international jazz festivals including Montreal, Vancouver, San Sebastian, Istanbul, Washington, and Umbria, as well as at concert halls and Jazz clubs worldwide, building and consolidating a reputation with audiences globally. He has presented music from his albums with his quartet/quintet as well as with much larger ensembles of big bands and symphonic orchestras, such as the WDR Big Band of Cologne, the SWR Big Band of Stuttgart, and the Danish Radio Big Band, Copenhagen, and the Big Band Jazz Y Mexico in Mexico City.

Onabulé’s reach is global connecting with audiences worldwide through his soulful voice and his elegant appearance. Whether live on stage or on record, he gives a thoughtful interpretation of his experiences and the world around him, with music crafted with meticulous attention to detail in his arrangements and production.

credits

released August 30, 2019

Ola Onabulé
Point LESS

1. Throwaway Notion
Drums - Jack Pollitt, Bass - Phil Mulford, Piano - Pete Adams, Percussion - Will Fry
Guitar ( Lead & Solo) - John Parricelli

2. The Old Story
Drums - Chris Nickolls, Bass - Phil Mulford, Guitar - Guillermo Hill, Piano - John Crawford, Percussion - Will Fry

3. Point Less
Drums - Jack Pollitt, Bass - Phil Mulford, Guitar - John Parricelli, Piano - Ross Stanley, Percussion - Will Fry

4. And Yet
Drums - Jack Pollitt, Bass - Phil Mulford, Guitar - Femi Temowo, Piano - Pete Adams, Percussion - Will Fry, Hammond Organ - George Hazelrigg

5. Exit Wound
Drums - Chris Nickolls, Bass - Phil Mulford, Guitar - Guillermo Hill, Piano - John Crawford, Percussion - Will Fry

6. What The Heck
Drums - Jack Pollitt, Bass - Phil Mulford, Guitar - Al Cherry, Piano - John Crawford, Percussion - Will Fry

7. Ballad Of The Star Crossed
Drums - Jack Pollitt, Bass - Phil Mulford, Guitar - Femi Temowo, Piano - Pete Adams, Percussion - Will Fry, Rhodes - Ross Stanley

8. I Knew Your Father
Drums - Jack Pollitt, Bass - Phil Mulford, Guitar - Al Cherry, Piano - John Crawford, Percussion - Will Fry

9. Suru Lere
Drums - Jack Pollitt, Bass - Phil Mulford, Guitar - Femi Temowo, Piano - Pete Adams, Percussion - Will Fry, Sax - Duncan Eagles

10. Tender Heart
Drums - Jack Pollitt, Bass - Phil Mulford, Guitar - Al Cherry, Piano - John Crawford, Percussion - Will Fry

11. Conceive It
Drums - Jack Pollitt, Bass - Phil Mulford, Guitar - John Parricelli, Piano - Ross Stanley, Percussion - Will Fry

12. So They Say
Drums - Jack Pollitt, Bass - Phil Mulford, Guitar - John Parricelli, Piano - Ross Stanley, Percussion - Will Fry

13. Pas Famille
Drums - Chris Nickolls, Bass - Phil Mulford, Guitar - Guillermo Hill, Piano - John Crawford, Percussion - Will Fry, Harmonica - Berthold Matschat

14. Dignity
Drums - Jack Pollitt, Bass - Phil Mulford, Guitar - Femi Temowo, Piano - Pete Adams, Percussion - Will Fry, Sax - Duncan Eagles

15. You Can’t Depend On Love
Drums - Jack Pollitt, Bass - Phil Mulford, Guitar - Femi Temowo, Piano - Pete Adams, Percussion - Will Fry, Harmonica - Berthold Matschat

Massive thanks to:
Alan March, Andrew Lillywhite, Andy Shiach, Jono Heale, George Hazelrigg, Geoff Hazelrigg, David Llewelyn, Andreas Hau, Andreas Sablotny, Stephanie Schmidt, Angelo Tordini, Pierre Morant, Tayo Onabulé

Hippy Baldwin, Dan Baldwin, George Whitty.

Vernon Hammond III, Jan Mullen,

Art direction - Luna Digital
Photography - Alfred George Bailey
Illustrations - Abiola Onabulé
Mix Engineering - George Whitty
Executive Producer - Maria Avgoulis

Official website: olaonabule.com
Facebook: facebook.com/olaonabuleofficial
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ola_onabule/?hl=en
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/OlaOnabule

Point LESS
All songs written, produced and performed by Ola Onabulé ®© 2019

For

RUGGED RAM RECORDS

license

about

Ola Onabulé UK

Ola’s new album, POINT LESS has been critically received worldwide. The new album is on the DownBeat list of Best Albums of 2019. .

Onabulé is a rugged individualist, a deeply soulful musician. Possessing an emotional intensity and vocal virtuosity, a poignant storyteller and capacity to cross cultural and musical boundaries with an unflinching lyrical pursuit of truth and justice.
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