“Water No Get Enemy” by Folasona Olorunsola, 2008

verse 1:
throw a coin in the wishing well, wishing to see my people living well
but greed make too many people live in hell
in the Niger River Delta the water's all been spoiled
for money and oil as toxic chemicals run in the soil
and into the streams, it's like a living nightmare
meant to injure their dreams and eliminate means
of even feeding their seeds,
people blinded by power can't even see what they need
do you see what I mean?
Chevron and Shell Oil are just a pair of parasites
forming a fiery hell, out of a fertile paradise
treating the people with scorn, as if we're not prepared to fight
so survival's a gamble like betting on a pair of dice
but oil and water don't mix, like truth and politics
so villagers be crapping out, dying like they're trapped in drought
even though they're living in a wetlands, damn the facts are foul
a jiggy lifestyle's not what I'm rapping 'bout
cause life is a battle and right now, ain't no backing out (nah son, ain't no backing out)
so we gotta fight for the right to live, fight for the lives of our kids
fight the system that's tryna stifle the light we could give
fight the brainwashing of the media, in order to think
fight to help my people find clean water to drink
damn, all they want is water to drink, just think…

Chorus (2X):
I like gold, but I could live without it
I like cars, but I could walk around kid
I really love women, still I could weather a drought
but if I ain't got water my life is going down quick
drop, drip, drop, drip, drop, drip, drop, drip

Verse 2:
We could put a man on the moon, eliminating barriers
but won't do a thing, to eliminate malaria
when it come to star wars, technology is racing
when it comes to what's important all we get is stagnation (nation…nation…)
some buying bottles in the club, some drinking out of bottle caps
we travel to other countries their tap water, we can't swallow that
how to people there survive? Some never wonder how
the facts are foul I'm wondering how they're gonna make it now
but change is possible, that's exactly what I'm rapping 'bout
but…but…but… so many problems in the world sometimes you wanna say fuck it
I can't do nothing, my effort is just a drop in the bucket
but just drop your drop my brother (my sister), let it go
cause together we're gon' make that bucket overflow
no one can do it all, but everyone can do a little
little drops flow together to form a little trickle
and little by little, little trickles be getting bigger
spilling into brooks and streams and finally a river to deliver
cleansing, cooling, healing,
if you love water put your hands to the ceiling
and pray for rain, pray for strength
plus direction that's power to change the game
live a river, my thoughts be getting deeper than the Amazon
just floating in my stream of consciousness, shall I carry on?
ok, but enough of my words, I'm an African- gotta hit you with a proverb
"omi l'eniyan,"- we humans are water
no time to be frozen gotta do what you thought of
and just follow your dreams like water be following gravity
and like life be following streams
"omi l'eniyan" - we humans are water, together our power grows
do water get enemy? No!
we just change the landscape, wherever we flow
let's check ourselves so we can change it for the positive though
because for the seeds to grow we gotta water them yo
in order for the seeds to grow we gotta water them yo

Chorus (2X):
I like gold, but I could live without it
I like cars, but I could walk around kid
I really love women, still I could weather a drought
but if I ain't got water my life is going down quick
drop, drip, drop, drip, drop, drip, drop, drip

Verse 3:
Possess the faith to move mountains down to beaches of sand just like water
reshaping the features of land just like water
I exist cause of my peoples, I am, it's like water
ubuntu, is like water
if ever caught between a rock and a hard place keep it flowing like water
no one can stop you if you know where you're going, like water
when times get tough, the tough keep going like water
so I strive to make my moves just like I'm knowing I oughta
gotta put priorities in a row and in order
the top two should be healthy food and clean water
for all of God's children Mama Earth's sons and daughters
cause water is life, the ultimate life supporter