"...“Water No Get Enemy” — means something like “nobody hates something as useful as water.” Make yourself as indispensable as this, goes the implied wisdom, and any detractors you gain will just look silly. An appropriate motto for a musician like Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, for whom music making seemed as necessary as food and drink. Also an audacious one, as the defiant composer of “Water No Get Enemy” well knew the many enemies his music gained. Is it still gaining them?..." (Tavia Nyong'o) LYRICS T'o ba fe lo we omi l'o ma'lo If you wan to go wash, na water you go use T'o ba fe se'be omi l'o ma'lo If you wan cook soup, na water you go use T'o ri ba n'gbona o omi l'ero re If your head dey hot, na water go cool am T'omo ba n'dagba omi l'o ma'lo If your child dey grow, na water he go use If water kill your child, na water you go use T'omi ba p'omo e o omi na lo ma'lo Ko s'ohun to'le se k'o ma lo'mi o Nothing without water Ko s'ohun to'le se k'o ma lo'mi o Omi o l'ota o [Chorus] Water, him no get enemy! Omi o l'ota o If you fight am, unless you wan die I say water no get enemy If you fight am, unless you wan die Omi o l'ota o I dey talk of Black man power I dey talk of Black power, I say I say water no get enemy If you fight am, unless you wan die I say water no get enemy I say water no get enemy Omi o l'ota o Omi o l'ota o

“…“Water No Get Enemy” — means something like “nobody hates something as useful as water.” Make yourself as indispensable as this, goes the implied wisdom, and any detractors you gain will just look silly. An appropriate motto for a musician like Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, for whom music making seemed as necessary as food and drink. Also an audacious one, as the defiant composer of “Water No Get Enemy” well knew the many enemies his music gained. Is it still gaining them?..” (Tavia Nyong’o)

LYRICS

T’o ba fe lo we omi l’o ma’lo If you wan to go wash, na water you go use

T’o ba fe se’be omi l’o ma’lo If you wan cook soup, na water you go use

T’o ri ba n’gbona o omi l’ero re If your head dey hot, na water go cool am

T’omo ba n’dagba omi l’o ma’lo If your child dey grow, na water he go use

If water kill your child, na water you go use T’omi ba p’omo e o omi na lo ma’lo

Ko s’ohun to’le se k’o ma lo’mi o Nothing without water Ko s’ohun to’le se k’o ma lo’mi o Omi o l’ota o

[Chorus] Water, him no get enemy!

Omi o l’ota o If you fight am, unless you wan die I say water no get enemy If you fight am, unless you wan die Omi o l’ota o I dey talk of Black man power I dey talk of Black power, I say I say water no get enemy If you fight am, unless you wan die I say water no get enemy I say water no get enemy Omi o l’ota o Omi o l’ota o