Authority Stealing by Fela Kuti

Authority Stealing by Fela Kuti

Authority stealing!

You be thief (I no be thief)

You be rogue (I no be rogue)

You dey steal (I no dey steal)

You be robber (I no be robber)

You be armed robber (No be armed robber)

I no be thief (You be thief)

I no be rogue (You be rogue)

I no dey steal (You dey steal)

I no be robber (You be robber)

I no be armed robber (You be armed robber)

[Chorus]

Argument, argument!

Argument, argument, argue

Them argue - Everbody dem argue

Them dem dem argue - Up and down them argue

Everbody dem argue - Them dem dem dem argue

Yes yes, them argue - Everbody dem argue

Argument about stealing - Somebody don take something

Wey belong to another person - Then you go hear:

You be thief (I no be thief)...

On top of the road, on the side - People dey waka

Office workers, labourer workers, workers' workers - Them go dey waka

Inside bus them go dey - Motorcycle them dey ride

Plenty, plenty crowd - Inside this crowd

Sometimes for one corner - Sometimes for one street

You go dey hear: ha ha!

[Chorus]

Thief, thief, thief!

Rogue, rogue, rogue!

Robber, robber!

Catch am, catch am! Thief, thief, thief!

Catch am, catch am! Rogue, rogue, rogue!

Catch am, catch am! Robber, robber!

Catch am - Pull am

Get am - Keep am

Ole...

[Chorus]

Catch am, catch am!

Looking go start

Watching go start - Chasing go start

Somebody go dey -Wey them go grab

Them go beat am well-well

Them go lynch am well-well

Police go come well-well

Them go carry am go court

Them go put am for jail

Them fit put am six months

(Them go put am for one year)

Them fit put am two years

(Them go put am for five years)

Them fit put am seven years

(Them go put am for ten years)

If not them go shoot am well - Them go shoot am for armed robbery

On top of the road, on the side - People dey waka

Office workers, labourer workers, workers' workers

Them go dey try - To try to make ends meet

Them go dey hustle - To try to make ends meet

Them go put hands for back - To try to make ends meet

Them go dey beg oga - To try to make ends meet

Them go be slaves for them town - To try to make ends meet

I say turn your face small - To the right wing

Oga patapata dey for there - Authority people dey for there

Instead of workers - We have officials

Instead of buses Them dey ride motor-car

Instead of motorcycle - Na helicopter

Instead of them waka - Na worker go waka for them

Authority people them go dey steal - Public contribute plenty money

Na authority people dey steal - Authority man no dey pickpocket

Na petty cash him go dey pick - Armed robber him need gun

Authority man him need pen - Authority man in charge of money

Him no need gun, him need pen - Pen got power gun no get

If gun steal eighty thousand naira - Pen go steal two billion naira

[Chorus]

Thief, thief thief!

Rogue, rogue, rogue!

Robber, robber!

You no go hear them shout - You no go hear them shout at all

You no go hear them say - You no go hear them say response at all

Na different way be them way -Na civilize style be them style

[Chorus]

Yes, yes, yes, yes!

"Oh yes, of course, contract, have some money back in hand, ha ha"

Hear the words them dey take deceive the people:

Misappropriation

Maladministration

Nepotism

Mitigation

Make I remember another one wey them dey use

Defraudment

Forgerylization

Embezzlement

Vilification

Mismanagement

Public inquiry

Authority stealing pass armed robbery

We Africans we must do something about this nonsense

We say we must do something about this nonsense

I repeat, we Africans we must do something about this nonsense

Because now authority stealing pass armed robbery

Authority man him go dey steal

Public contribute plenty money...

[Chorus]

Authority stealing!