Fela Kuti - International Thief Thief Lyrics

International thief thief, I.T.T.
International thief, I.T.T.
International rogue
Well, well, ha
Well, well, ha

Motherf*ckers
Bastard motherf*ckers
We yab dem, yeah
Hurry up there, say, "Yeah"

Well, well

Well, well, na true I want talk again o
Na true I want talk again o
If I dey lie o
Make Osiris punish me

Make Ifa dey punish me o
Make Edumare punish me o
Make the land dey punish me o
Make Edumare punish me o

I read dem for book ee-o
I see so myself ee-o
Well-ee well-ee o
Well, well, well, well

Well, well, well, well
Long time ago
Long, long time ago
Long time ago

Long, long, long, long time ago
African man we no dey carry shit
We dey shit inside big big hole

For Yoruba-land na "Shalanga"
For Igbo-land na "Onunu-insi"
For Hausa-land na "Salga"
For Gaa-land na "Tiafi"

For Ashanti-land na "Yarni"
For Ethiopia-land na "Sagara-be"
For Kagyu-land na "Cho-Cho"
For Bemba-land na "Chimbuzi"
For Tunga-land na "Echibuzi"

Long, long, long, long time ago
African man we no dey carry shit
We dey shit inside big big hole

Long time ago
Long, long, long, long time ago
Long, long, long, long time ago

Before them come force us away as slaves
During the time them come force us away as slaves
Na European man, na him dey carry shit
Na for them culture to carry shit

During the time them come colonize us
Them come teach us to carry shit
Long, long, long, long time ago
African man we no dey carry shit
Na European man teach us to carry shit

Say am, say am

Many foreign companies dey Africa carry all our money go
Many foreign companies dey Africa carry all our money go
Them go write big English for newspaper, dabaru we Africans
Them go write big English for newspaper, dabaru we Africans

I read about one of them inside book like that
Them call him name na I.T.T.
I read about one of them inside book like that
Them call him name na I.T.T.

Them go dey cause confusion
(Confusion)
Cause corruption
(Corruption)
Cause oppression
(Oppression)
Cause inflation
(Inflation)

Oppression, oppression, inflation
Corruption, oppression, inflation

Them get one style wey them dey use
Them go pick one African man
A man with low mentality
Them go give am million naira breads

To become of high position here
Him go bribe some thousand naira bread
To become one useless chief

Like rat they do them go do from
Corner corner, pass-ee pass-ee
Under under, pass-ee pass-ee
Inside inside, pass-ee pass-ee

In in, pass-ee pass-ee
Out out, pass-ee pass-ee
Peep peep, pass-ee pass-ee
Up up, pass-ee pass-ee

Then he gradually, gradually, gradually, gradually
Then he gradually, gradually, gradually, gradually

Them go be, friend friend to journalist
Friend friend to Commissioner
Friend friend to Permanent Secretary
Friend friend to Minister
Friend friend to Head of State

Then start start to steal money
Start start them corruption
Start start them inflation
Start start them oppression

Start start them confusion
Start start them oppression
Start start to steal money
Start start to steal money
Like Obasanjo and Abiola

International thief thief
I.T.T.
International rogue
International thief
We go fight them, well, well
Well, well
Well, well

We don tire to carry anymore of them shit
We don tire to carry anymore of them shit
We don tire to carry anymore of them shit

Well, well
International thief thief