Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! He…Heeeeeeeeey! Hey! How long till the stains wash off? (wash off) How long till you say enough and mean it? (Hey!) How long till you're fed up with the bad energy? They don't know. Hey! How long till you change sheets then… (Hey!) lie still, drenched in sweat, waiting for change? (Heeeeeeeeey! Hey!) How long till you've had it with the bad energy? They don't know. Hey! Not dead, but preparing to (die) Not alive, just pretending to (be) Your sighs rend the air Underneath your smiles How long? Ha aga-eme gị y' ugboro ole? Ha aga-eme gị y' ugboro ole? Oh oh oh oh oh Ha aga-eme gị y' ugboro ole? Oh oh oh oh oh Ha aga-eme gị y' ugboro ole? Oh oh oh oh oh Ha aga-eme gị y' ugboro ole? Oh oh oh oh oh Ha aga-eme gị y' ugboro ole? Hey! How long since the last treason? How long since the last prison sentence? (Hey!) How long since the dry season brought back memories… of what you are? (Hey!) How far from your doorsteps will... your sons and your daughters drop next? (Hey!) How far and for how long, Ms. Lonely Wanderer? Own your scars (Hey!) Not dead, but preparing to (die) Not alive, just pretending to (be) Those sighs bend the air Underneath your smiles How long? Ha aga-eme gị y' ugboro ole? How long? Ha aga-eme gị y' ugboro ole? Oh oh oh oh oh Ha aga-eme gị y' ugboro ole? Oh oh oh oh oh Ha aga-eme gị y' ugboro ole? Oh oh oh oh oh Ha aga-eme gị y' ugboro ole? Oh oh oh oh oh Ha aga-eme gị y' ugboro ole? Hey! How many times will you let them play with your mind? How many times will you let them play with your mind? How many times will you let them play with your mind? How many times will you let them play with your mind? How many times will you let them play with your mind?

Tell me what's the gain in acting stronger if it makes the pain last that much longer? Who's to say what sin is wrong-er? All I know is In the end In the end In the end There'll always be Lies that drill Coz they're just that brill- iant. Joys that kill And heartaches that heal Some will push you off a cliff Just to hold your hand & tell you how much you need them Some will caress your midriff Just to gauge exactly where they can drive a knife in Own your space Own your space If they take it away Don't hesitate to reclaim it Site taa gawa I own mine And I will never be scared of reclaiming mine Site taa gawa Site taa gawa Site taa gawa Site taa gawa Site taa gawa I own mine And I will never be scared of reclaiming mine Site taa gawa Site taa gawa Site taa gawa Site taa gawa You should own your space Own your space If they take it away Don't hesitate Don't hesitate Say Eh--ehye Eh-- eh eh eh…ehye Site taa gawa

You took forever to say You felt the same Way I'd been saying I feel about you You took forever to say How you feel But maybe forever Is not yours to take My hopes, your iron boots You drove me to an island Dreams abused till tomorrow Tomorrow Oh… You should be worried You're not even sorry You should be begging, pleading, tryina make up for it Please, feel something! Mmm… You think say I go dey wait you reach forever o' clock Stuffing it up, expecting me to reserve your spot See see see see who dey wish say I been no comot No, I did not Wait till forever o' clock You gotta Understand forever You have got to Understand forever Is not yours for the taking You took forever to say You felt the same Way I'd been saying I feel about you You took forever to say How you feel But maybe forever Is not yours to take You think say I go dey wait you reach forever o' clock Stuffing it up, expecting me to reserve your spot See see see see who dey wish say I been no comot No, I did not No, I did not Sit and wait for her to decide whether she wan love me Ọ mee ka ọ sị mụ how far M turn-ụọ chịa ya waka Ọ sị mụ, 'don't judge me, cooking pot...' M sị ya, 'kettle gaa nwụọ dia! If I count all de times wey you don disappoint, e reach to hate you Mana I no hate you No be like say I neva try am. I don try am. E no gree me. No be like say e no gree me. Eziokwu wụ, e nwekwaa nụ m choice? Even as I don free you, really, e nwekwaa nụ m option? I ji nnọọ future gị na-agba okoso. Chai! Ike agwụ.' ...go dey wait you reach forever o' clock Stuffing it up, expecting me to reserve your spot See see see see who dey wish say I been no comot No, I did not Wait till forever o' clock. You think say I go dey wait you reach forever o' clock Stuffing it up, expecting me to reserve your spot See see see see who dey wish say I been no comot No, I did not Wait till forever o' clock. Yea.

I am lost What was found is no more Pleasing to the soul I crossed oceans for this And the cost Had I known I’d have to pay... eish Money taken, money spent Capital lost Honey wasted, milk spilt Hell of a loss So I’m thinkin Burn it up, burn it all Turnin up when they call We gon tear it down Clash against a wall Hurlin energy like in Berlin !!*stress*!! Curlin dollars and the sterling Tuff boi put the work in Enuff joy when they circlin And take the money from me I’ve been hurting like you And that ain’t funny to me Yet I bring a smile, yet I’m on the grind Damn, it’s been a while In between waters Right where the waves interrupt the soil I learnt to bury my inner sun Made way for a chest full of moon My heart has grown used to the night I have yet to bring light to the abyss Some called out for help I had hoped these tears would reach you Through the path I’ve tread and retraced The pacific and atlantic know my name It’s been that way for time now And deep in an atrium Lies secrets, only for your ears I’ve drawn out my wishes For your eyes only If I could just get to Dammit If I could just Share them with you! To some I am currency And others I am a weapon All of them want me in their hands But Bona, bona, bona, bona Bona I just want- Mh I want-

If I didn't let you know that I was hurting in my bones and arteries, say would you have known to even read that? If it hadn't been that I happened on a pen for take rewrite my story, wouldn't you have stayed being writer and me black? If I'd put away my pride (pride) gouged out my eyes (eyes) chanted kumbaya (-ya) remained a happy shadow, wouldn't you've overlooked the fire (fire) burning in the spire (spire) of your tower, liar, oh liar? Oh hey! Yea yea yea oh…yea. Whoop! And if tomorrow ever comes to nothing and that nothing was grey and haunting, say will you be bold enough to own that... ...that you've been more than simply in- strumental in erosions of the truth to keep our souls trapped? If I'd put away my pride (pride) gouged out my eyes (eyes) chanted kumbaya (-ya) remained a happy shadow, wouldn't you've overlooked that I (I) was hanging from the spire (spire) of your tower, liar oh liar? Oh hey Hey you liar Hey you liar Hey you liar Hey you liar Hey you liar Hey you liar swear you no dey lie I know you're lying Chei, you're lying Know you're lying Hey hey you're lying I know you're lying Hey you lying Oooh liar

You can go on and on Looking for fun Mana ọ nwerọ Ebe ga-adị gị Ka home Coz right from the origin You have been A part of it And ọ ma nwe Ebe ga-adị gị Ka home You can go on and on Looking for fun Mana ọ nwerọ Ebe ga-adị gị Ka home Coz right from the origin You have been A part of it And ọ ma nwe Ebe ga-adị gị Ka home Ka home Ka home Life has always been like this And it's you who should make everything look new But na so so comot comot body dey do you Mana ọ ma nwenata Ebe ga-echekwata Ka home You can go on and on Looking for fun Mana ọ nwerọ Ebe ga-adị gị Ka home Coz right from the origin You have been A part of it And ọ ma nwe Ebe ga-adị gị Ka home

English version of The Poem By: Ch! Nonso Translated into Various Languages: I pray you find courage after terror I pray you find wisdom after failure I pray you find a community after solitude A community you could break wings for But I pray they don't let you break anything I hope that when you open your eyes today or tomorrow Your vision becomes clearer Welcome to the end of the beginning