12 LOVE SONGS AND A COUNTRY

Hi Peeps! 

Love is in the air, right? It is that time of the year when love takes centre stage and almost every song points in love’s direction. Everybody wants to sing a love song. Well, that’s not a bad thing and since Nigerians no wan carry last…our artistes keep releasing one love song after another, like say valentine no go dey next year. I was going to make a list of my favourite Nigerian love songs but that's cliche, so I put together a list of Nigerian songs that talk about love for our beloved country instead.

Over the years, loads of songs have been dedicated to Nigeria, ranging from the satirical and the patriotic, to the inspiring. If you ask me, nothing compares to a song that shows patriotism, spirit, pride and love for our beloved country, Nigeria. My story don dey many abi? Abeg make una nor vex. 

In no particular order, here’s a list of songs that show nothing but love for Nigeria and could easily pass for the Nigerian National Anthem.

#12: KUSH – “LET’S LIVE TOGETHER”

          

 The now defunct gospel group, KUSH has said it,so ‘Let’s live together!”

Let’s live together…let’s live together

You know we have only got one another,

Come make we live together, join hand make life better,

Come make we live together, you know say you be my broda…sista.

“Our strength is in our diversity…Make we live together,

From the north, to the south

and to the east and to the west…Make we live together!”

You heard them loud and clear, I’m moving into Aso Rock Villa, don’t know about you!

  

 #11: THREADSTONE – “I AM NIGERIA”

Threadstone , an Alternative Rock group sneak up on us with “I am Nigeria!”

“I am Nigeria, I am Nigeria…

I am the faces of people that stand here united as one.

I am Nigeria, I am Nigeria…

I am the voices of people that cry out together as one.

I am Nigeria.

I am faithful and loyal and honest and true.

I stand like a lion to fight for the dream

I soar high where only eagles bound upon wings

I’m so strong, I can’t break…I’d weather the storm

Good people, Great Nation, that’s who I’m become

I’m not just a place that is found on the map,

I am Nigeria!

Ah, Ah…this should be the new National Anthem ni. THREADSTONE haff make my eyes to filled with water.  

   

#10: SOUND SULTAN – “AREA” 

 

Sound Sultan a.k.a Naija Ninja has been around for a minute and is urging us to please come back home.

”Dis one na for all ma brodas wey don go outside Naijawey don ja commot for Naija,Always try to dey look back cos no place like homeYoruba man tell me say, Ajo o dabi ile…

You bin say na one year, e come turn to two years
You don go for seven years but you dey serve eleven years
Even when your papa kpai, plus the tears your mama cry
Bayo for Chicago o, dem dey miss you for Okoko o
Biodun for Canada, your mama still dey wonder
Igba wo lo to ma pada o, remember for Naija you get iyawo
Ko dabi ile
Ajo o ma dabi ile o…”
 

Please, make una come back…Banky W haff back, eLDee haff back, D’banj haff back, even Tiwa savage haff back…stop doing kele kele love with Naija, pls come back home.

#9: TY BELLO – “GREENLAND” 

 TY Bello was a fomer member of the now defunct KUSH. She colours the land green!

”Stand in the rain as the clouds go grey
The thunder roars and the earth sings
The season's just beginning
The sunlight it hides, as the clouds make way
For the pouring of my blessings, I’ll not be afraid
I see it now, I understand, I know
so I embrace it…dance in the rain, it's for my seeds to grow
for every prayer and every seed I've sown,
the Lord of the harvest knows
I'm reaping back a hundred fold

the land is green - it's green
the land is green - it's green

can't you see?

I see it perfectly.

  

#8: TIMI DAKOLO – “THERE’S A CRY”

 From fighting for his life on Idols West Africa, Timi Dakolo fights for his Nation…

“There are so many questions, will the lawless struggle cease?

Like the warring Niger-delta, would we ever live in peace?

I believe in the people, if they only have a chance…

There’s a hope for the future but the future is in our hands…

There’s a cry from a river that has nowhere else to flow

and the pride of the river was lost so long ago…

and I cry for a reason, only only Heaven knows

Where did we go wrong? How can we go on?

Only hope remains the answer!”

It is official, I cried but don’t blame me. Didn’t Timi say “There’s a cry?”

  

#7: BANKY W & M.I – “STILL TOGETHER”

 Banky W and M.I come together to tell us the story of Nigeria's independence!

1st of October, 1960, Nigeria was set free, and now we are 50
 

We are still united, coulda been divided
But wherever disunity is, we will fight it
Together we’re standing, and still we are rising
No turning back, there is no compromising
Only moving forward, we hope in unity
For every tribe, every language and community
I pledge allegiance, Nigeria my country
Faithful, loyalty, I will always want thee
I promise to serve you, defend your integrity
Till them better days come, peace and prosperity
Defend your honor, uphold your glory
This is our land, our future, our story
Whatever the days bring, no matter the weather
Nigeria’s going to make it as long as we’re together, we’re together!

If these two guys say we are “still together”, then we are still together and to confirm it, you are reading my blog post!

  

#6: KOREDE BELLO – “I LOVE NAIJA”

  

Korede Bello loves Naija and he certainly isn’t lying!

“I understand say Naija is hard, but the fact is na we do am like dat

Some people talk say naija no good, but they continue to complain and look…

Nigeria jaga jaga, everybody dey ja…

Tell me, na who go make am better?

We got to fight and we will rise…We go survive and it will be alright…

Cos if we fight, we will rise…we go survive

I love Naija, I love my country…

I love Naija, I no go run cos I believe e go better

We no go dey suffer, so no run my broda, Nigeria go better

Now come home my sista, naija will be sweeter

We can make it together cos now and forever, Naija is my home.”

This got me thinking, “if we don’t love our country, who will?”

#5: ELDEE – “ONE DAY”

With this song, eLDee   shares his dream about Nigeria. Listen up…

“I have a dream that one day, the children of this great nation will look forward to a much brighter future. One day, we can fully utilize the resources of this great nation to its full potential,…

I have a dream…

One day one day e go better for Naija

Money go circulate, light go dey

One day one day we no go need to ja comot Naija

Omo e don tey, I for like make e be today.”

Hmmm…me too I have a dream. I have a dream that one day, I will live the Nigerian dream! Do you have a dream?

#4: 2FACE IDIBIA – “POWER OF NAIJA”

2face teams up with the legendary Cobhams Asuquo and Omawumi to show the “Power of Naija.”

“Power… eeeh eeh, Naija… eeeh eeh,

Power… eeeh eeh, Naija… eeeh eeh,

With the power of Naija working together,

Nothing can hold us, hold us down.

Power… eeeh eeh, Naija… eeeh eeh,

Power… eeeh eeh, Naija… eeeh eeh,

Football commentary:

Great defensive tackle and there’s no telling with this Nigerians…

And he makes it to the 18 and he……

It’s a.…Oh my goodness!

What a gooooooal!!!

With the power of Naija working together,

Victory is sure, we are champions!”

See me still chanting o…“Power… eeeh eeh, Naija… eeeh eeh,

Power… eeeh eeh, Naija… eeeh eeh…

I no fit form for dis one…#PowerOfNaija!

  

#3: VECTOR – “I LOVE YOU NIGERIA”

 Vector’s love song for Nigeria makes him the lyricist on the roll.

“There's been a whole lot of stories about Nigeria, like, the bad ones
It's about time we let the world know what we truly are
How we feel about us…

Nigeria is not pitiful, Nigeria is beautiful.

Nigeria is green, white, green. Life, peace and life.

We spread through the whole world.

Jamaica, England, America, Asia, Indonesia, Africa…

Home is home. Wherever we are, we gotta come back.

We got to learn to raise our own Obama’s, not the ones of America.

We are who are, you are who you are, I’m who I’m.

Together we are us. One!

That time when we all stay together and like bees,

in togetherness, we humming and we belonging…

as one entity!”

Booom! Vector just unwrapped my love for Nigeria in this coool rap song!

#2: TY BELLO – “THE FUTURE”

 TY Bello is back again to lead us into the future.

“We are the future, we are the dream…

We are the nation, we are part of this.

Yes, we are so amazing,

That’s the least we shall be

At the heart of the nation changing history.

Carry the song, carry the sound…

The future is here.

Goodbye yesterday, tomorrow is for the taking…

The future is here, the future is here!”

Yipeee….i just received a call from TY Bello. Don’t get me wrong, I meant a call to action!

#1: OMOLARA – “TRANSFORMATION”

Omolara makes a call for transformation!

“There’s a sound across the Nation, it’s a call so clear and strong,

It’s a call to build our Nation, it’s a call for everyone…

Everyone who is Nigerian, here the sound so clear and loud,

It’s the call for transformation and the time for change is now.

Though our tribes and tongues may differ, we are still one and the same,

With one heart, one hope, one future…with one pride, one love, one name.

We have the power to change Nigeria, we alone can set us free…

but it starts with transformation… yes, it starts with you and me.

Nigeria, our fatherland…we can build this nation hand in hand…

Let’s revive and let’s reform, let’s rebuild and let’s restore

For we are the transformation, we are stronger than we thought.”

First TY Bello called me, now Omolara has called again, I’m definitely a ladies man! Jokes apart, if this song doesn’t awaken the Nigerian spirit in you, I don’t know what will!

That’s as far as it goes for 12 love songs & a country. Every musician on this list from KUSH to Timi Dakolo, Omolara and even 2face Idibia have shown to the rest of the world that they are true Nigerians by singing their hearts out about the country they love and yet we do not even care enough to know the lines to the National Anthem…Yes, you & me. Abi you fit sing the National Anthem to save your life? Yet, we can lace the whole lines to Psy’s “Gangnam Style” without breaking a sweat. I’ll tell you what…just take a minute or two off your busy facebook and twitter schedule, to google up the National Anthem & then, learn to sing it…for there is no better way to show just how proud you are of Nigeria and to be Nigerian. God bless Nigeria.

I am muddie and I am proudly Nigerian.

If you are asked to pick any of these 12 songs as the new National Anthem, which would you pick + are there any songs you think I left out of the list? Please share your thoughts using the comment Box. Thanks!