Get all 10 Ola Onabulé releases available on Bandcamp and save 25%.
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.
1. |
Dark Matter
04:06
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Mozzies whine, senses bow,
Candle lit sighs for tedium's ebb and flow Time can't breathe for good or better Shadows dance in wafts of never
Quenchless thirsts for beaming eyes Soaking in brine of legendary lies Saying Yepa!, Nepa! gods almighty-o! Flash and flexing power no mercy
Light the spark, and we step into view In the dark, matters of them
seep into me and you
Salted stains, blurring words,
Imperfect silence, stifled what you heard, Drip of sweat, from scalp to collar
Fit to fall and flail and falter
At this amount-y-o!, The pressure mounts-o! And crush your fighty-o!, Till nothings lefty-o but Yepa!, Nepa! gods almighty-o!
Taunt and flex that power lightly
You who would thrive among the brighter stars If I could hold you high
Never the blue we sailed to get this far Knowing to try is to survive the dark
Light the spark, and we step into view, In the dark, matters of them
Seep into me and you
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2. |
The Girl That She Was
04:20
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There goes the girl that she was Who stayed awhile and
Left as the woman she is.
When she come's back,
I'm aching with love for all she may one day be
Soon far from that I'll be long gone.
Cleave to the arc of her smile Then surrender mine
At the altar of time,
Every memory stalls
On the ledger of smiles,
I've known but hers
Soon even they will be long gone
Gone is her hand lost in my hand
No more questions endless yet grand Lost are whispered secret wishes
To own all the sweets that have ever been Now her eyes see just certainties,
Where answers don't do second guessing Life is waiting patiently to
Take her from me to her destiny
I miss the girl that she was
As much as I love what the woman's become
And if a dream came true
Let it be that each obstacle she faces Lives full it's course then was long gone
Gone is her hand...
There goes the girl that she was...
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3. |
Jankoriko
05:00
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He was running
And the wind caught in his clothes as he was running There was no doubt in his mind he'd get to soaring Above Ebute Meta bustle, free and climbing
But the dread fear in his eyes as he was running
And the maddening crowd in chase, who were seething
Knew no victory would come of all his running
In the burning sun of that September morning
Anyone could see that soon
The bough would break
The claim that dust will stake
On every man was soon to be redeemed And yes! Justice tipped her scales
Into the angry chant of Jankoriko
Pleading
With his eyes but not his voice, he was begging But they wouldn't hear his plea as they were crying For Ebute Meta retribution dealing
Not the dime a dozen penalties for stealing From the limited supply of what gives meaning To the up and down and to and fro of living When the living is almost as hard as dying
Till every one can see
The bough would break
The claim that dust will stake
On every man was soon to be redeemed And yes! Justice tipped her scales
Into the angry chant of Jankoriko
Help! None but none is safe
Where every one must live as noose and victim So Justice you be damned
For we must sing the chant of Jankoriko
Till it's complete
It's like he knew all but judged only me Now the chanting won't stop deep within...
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4. |
Love Again
05:00
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Long before the day I opened my eyes
I saw all that seeing can disguise
I had no fear of your defenseless embrace
Or the doubts that soon were to be erased
How low did we feel, maybe sometimes
How high have we climbed tell me how high
How wide does it flow my river of pride
You don't know, do you now
Let me tell you exactly how
Honey, you just made me feel love again
All you did was walk into this room
Now it's filled with your sweet love again
Just like a dream to live a thing so real
Eagerly waking to each day's reveal
My fascination grows, the more I know
I dedicate my life to learn much more
Why me, you still ask, what did I see
Why question what was meant to be
Why devotion unconditionally
You don't know, though you try
Let me tell you exactly why
Honey, you just made me feel love again
All you did was walk into this room
Now it's filled with your sweet love again
How low did we feel, maybe sometimes
How high have we climbed tell me how high
How wide does it flow my river of pride
You don't know, do you now
Let me tell you exactly how
Oh, let me tell you how
You just made me feel love again
Honey you just made me feel love again
All you did was walk into this room
And I feel love again
Honey, you just made me feel love again
All you did was walk into this room
Now it's filled with your sweet love again
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5. |
Patience Endures
04:54
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Let her leave,
pride is free,
Let her steep in her mood, all alone,
Don't you beg, Please don't plead,
Never kneel at her feet to atone
She just come to my abode, breaking hearts like typhoon
Coz it's you, hands are tied, till we seem like buffoon
The red line that she crossed circles right back to you
If your heart is loving, Fine yai yai but….
We cannot cope,
Please, Just leave us to our own,
Never let her darken our door
Tho' patience endures
But it's just run out for sure
Cut the crap, playing big, talking jack,
saying zilch, what's the deal
Face the truth, somethings wrong,
If you fess I can help, keep it real
You've are trapped in the lie that it's kind to be mean
Where your bond is the crime and my yard now the scene
I will not interfere but I must intervene
Coz my head is crying Why yai ai yai
The tone was light, the vibe was good,
And could not be misunderstood
So how did we wade in this quicksand,
Please tell me
In all my years, In all my days
I never known such crazy ways
Making on patience a demand it can't endure….
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6. |
Herbs for Your Heartache
04:29
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With uniform of labels,
And epaulet credentials,
They'll Doff their caps to station and rank.
Keep toiling hard to make it,
Though brass will likely take it.
Oh! you'd go the whole way that way,
Just to see the day you're the...
Emperor of big city, Ruler with impunity,
Let them fall who fail destiny.
You'll drive by with fat Mercedes Benz, With Moolah, but no amends.
Killing herbs for heartache with greed,
The herbs for your heartache
There's smiling in dystopia,
They celebrate in fear,
They're dancing as though stamping out flames,
They wake up every morning,
Smother the voice a-calling.
Oh! You'll go the whole way that way,
Just to see the day you're the…
Enter a new freeloader to the game
Spurning echoes of time.
Panning for gold only fools will ever claim
Eager to fly and flounder, over and over again
You're the emperor, You're the governor
You're commissioner, Ruler you are.
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7. |
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gentle words, shrewd and false,
from lips that betray,
Way deep, where dreams sleep.
beaten down, deadened pulse,
from a canny embrace
Way deep, where defeat lives.
White noise, fills dark space,
right voice, wrong place.
Where (the) silence wakens every ghost
It's the peace that's deafening the most.
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8. |
The Voodoo
05:26
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Si na weeaayyyooo
Got this riddle running round my mind
Tangled puzzle that I can't unwind
But as the mystery wheels and climbs
I make the break through,Then I'm the Voodoo
Something in my heart's aching to turn it's back on this Comfort in the stark splendour of what I should resist
I couldn't infinitely bend to please an ever changing world I long to find what makes life whole
And then be that my whole life long
Got this riddle running round my mind
Tangled puzzle that I can't unwind.
But as the mystery wheels and climbs,
I make the break through,Then I'm the Voodoo
Standing in the eye, the storm feels like an oasis of calm, lessons long survived, melt doubt away like soothing balm I couldn't definetly state that I don't ever feel dismay
To know the way it is, is how you know that next is on it's way
Got this riddle running round my mind,
Tangled puzzle that I can't unwind
But as the mystery wheels and climbs
I make the break through,Then I'm the Voodoo
Si na weeaayyyooo
Got this riddle running round my mind
Tangled puzzle that I can't unwind
But as the mystery wheels and climbs
I make the break through,Then I'm the Voodoo
Si na weeaayyyooo
I’m the voodoo, I’m the magic, Im the Doctor, I’m the medicine I’m the spirit,When I’m in it, when I give it Voodoo, magic, doctor medicine
Spirit, In it, energy give it
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9. |
Invincible
04:16
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You want to take it,
You'd have to comprehend,
You'd have to come prepared and ready to prise it
From my cold and lifeless hands.
Coz It's who we are,
and I would not concede it lightly,
The best we've done by far,
and we forged it in the fires, of survival
from trials and tribulations for
Our love, The invincible cord,
That binds us,
To a promise that can't be broken,
By one never sworn to the cause,
Unbeliever, In the power of invincible love
I see what you heard,
But don't know what you're speaking of
I hear what you thought,
but that ain't invincible love
Think you can break it,
Please be my guest and try.
You'll find that it's impervious to the schemes and machinations
I imagine you've come by.
You may think it strange,
That at first glance we seem defenseless
That notion soon will change,
When you see how reinforced and fortified is the buttress of the fortress that is
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10. |
In Your Shoes
04:38
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Little brother, young pretender's,
had a ponder, and starts to wonder,
If my thunder can't be plundered, then overthrown.
(You Won't) catch me fretting, I got no reason,
I'm dues paying and lesson learning
So if he's coming, We'll get to rumbling,
the whole way home.
I wouldn't do this in your shoes,
I walked that mile long before it was old news,
And in those shoes the places I knew gave me the blues,
The kind you don't lose, In your shoes
He's got it all sewn up, like he's all grownup,
If only he'd own up to all that he know not
He might just catch up, to how facts stack up,
in cold light of day
( I've got) Bags of patience, I've learnt the good sense,
To seek the essence, of my existence,
His crass persistence, Is inconvenient and not okay
I wouldn't do this in your shoes,
I walked that mile long before it was old news,
And in those shoes the places I knew gave me the blues,
The kind you don't lose, In your shoes
Something I don't understand,
Why paint your pride into a tight space
Come that hour, you're gonna need a place to save face.
And in those shoes, the little trifles you prove
Will leave you the blues, The kind you can't lose
One day you'lI stroll back in time,
To what you thought was your primeAnd understand what I mean.
But till that day has arrived
Where your hopes have survived
Just keep your feet on the ground
and the ground firmly beneath your shoes
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11. |
Orunmila
04:37
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We saw them come,
Watch them go
The sacred hearts,
the sands of the east and the chosen souls.
Once Sango, now no more.
Found new altars down which
all a brothers blood can Flow
So if anybody asks we say no.
This delirium’s everywhere we go
We built across the bridge home
Deny those who were once known
So when they speak of Orunmila
We say no.
Though we dance as we once danced,
We no more trouble the truth or the spirit
within the trance
Soon Oshun’s, a dusty rune
where every griot’s tale dries up
like a Sahara dune
So if anybody asks we say no
This delirium’s everywhere we go
We built across the bridge home
Deny those who were once known
So when they speak of Orunmila
We say no.
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12. |
In The End
03:52
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No, it's not going so well,
Sues on the warpath to
Out do herself as Queen of Confrontation
Peace seems improbable to our consternation
God knows why temper flows,
And cold wind in Sue's heart blows
Maybe she never knew a friend,
Though it's unfashionable, Charm indefatigable
Might get her softening in the end
Bet we could make her see,
We mean her no harm, and
free her from antiquated misconceptions
Make her feel love despite her reservations
Susie must know we're not the enemy
We're just convenient for the role
If she could hold herself to scrutiny
She'd see the scar is on her soul
Making friends, kissing babies (In the end)
Baking pies for the neighbours (In the end)
Lending out cups of sugar (In the end)
Joining the local choir (In the end)
She'll be running for mayor (In the end)
She'll get the key to the city (In the end)
The Award for Charity
That's the way Susie's gonna be! (In the end)
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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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