SWEET MOTHER

Sweet mother I no go forget you
for the suffer wey you suffer for me.

Sweet mother I no go forget you
for the suffer wey you suffer for me.

When I dey cry, my mother go carry me--she go say,
my pikin wetin you dey cry ye, ye,
stop stop, stop stop make you no cry again oh."

When I won sleep, my mother go pet me,
she go lie me well well for bed,
she cover me cloth, sing me to sleep,
"sleep sleep my pikin oh."

When I dey hungry, my mother go run up and down.
she go find me something when I go chop oh.

Sweet mother I no go forget you for the suffer wey you suffer for me

When I dey sick, my mother go cry, cry, cry,
she go say instead when I go die make she die.
O, she go beg God, "God help me, God help, my pikin oh."

If I no sleep, my mother no go sleep,
if I no chop, my mother no go chop, she no dey tire oh.

Sweet mother I no go forget you, for the suffer wey you suffer for me.

You fit get another wife, you fit get another husband,
but you fit get another mother? No!

And if I forget you, therefore I forget my life and the air I breathe.
And then on to you men, forget, verily, forget your mother,
for if you forget your mother you've lost your life.

By Prince Nico Mbarga 1976

This song is most specially dedicated to my mom. I remember her nodding her head and singing every time she heard it being played on the radio. It seemed to carry so much meaning for her back then but I didn't know much and why except that it had a very catchy tune. Now, after having three kids of my own I know. And what makes this song extra special is the fact that Mr. Nico wrote it in the year I was born. I totally identify with the experience because I know mummy suffered some of these things for me and I for Mich.