Shuffering and Shmiling

You Africans, please listen to me as Africans

And you non-Africans, listen to me with open mind

Suffer, suffer, suffer, suffer, suffer

Suffer for world

Na your fault be that

Me I say: na your fault be that

I want you all to please take your minds

Out of this musical contraption

And put your minds into any goddamn church

Any goddamn mosque

Any goddamn Celestical

Including Seraphoom and Cheruboom

Now, we are all there now

Our minds are in those places

Here we go

[Chorus]

Amen!

Suffer, suffer for world

Enjoy for Heaven

Christians go dey yab

"In Spiritum Heavinus"

Muslims go dey call

"Allahu Akbar"

Open you eye everywhere

Archbishop na miliki

Pope na enjoyment

Imam na gbaladun

[Chorus]

Archbishop dey enjoy

Pope self dey enjoy

Imam self dey enjoy

My brother wetin you say?

My brother wetin you say?

My sister wetin you go hear?

My sister wetin you go hear?

Archbishop dey for London

Pope dey for Rome

Imam dey for Mecca

Archbishop dey for London

Pope dey for Rome

Imam dey for Mecca

[Chorus]

Amen!

My people them go dey follow Bishop

Them go follow Pope

Them go follow Imam

Them go go for London

Them go go for Rome

Them go go for Mecca

Them go carry all the money

Them go juba Bishop

Juba Pope

Juba Imam

Then them go start to yab themselves:

[Fela starts chanting in mock-Latin/Arabic]

Every day, for house

Every day, for road

Every day, for bus

Every day, for work

My people, my people

My people, my people

We now have to carry our minds

Out of those goddamn places

Back into this musical contraption

Right opposite you

Now we are back here

This is what happens to we Africans every day

Now wetin I want tell you now

Na secret o

Na confidential matter

Don't tell anybody outside

Na between me and you

Now listen

As I dey say before

E dey happen to all of us every day

We Africans all over the world

Now listen

[Chorus]

Suffering and smiling!

Every day my people dey inside bus

Every day my people dey inside bus

Forty-nine sitting, ninety-nine standing

Them go pack themselves in like sardine

Them dey faint, them dey wake like cock

Them go reach house, water no dey

Them go reach bed, power no dey

Them go reach road, go-slow go come

Them go reach road, police go slap

Them go reach road, army go whip

Them go look pocket, money no dey

Them go reach work, query ready

Every day na the same thing

Every day na the same thing

Every day na the same thing

Every day na the same thing

Suffer, suffer for world...

How many, many a many you go make?

Many, many...

How many, many a many you go make?

Many, many...

How many, many a many you go make?

Many, many...

How many, many a many you go make?

Many, many...